DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -Things go from bad to worse for the Miami Dolphins, who lost running back Ronnie Brown for the rest of the season because of a knee injury.
Brown will need surgery to repair a torn ACL, coach Cam Cameron said Monday. He twisted his right knee in the third quarter of the Dolphins’ 49-28 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
“His spirits are up,” Cameron said. “He’s already talking about getting the surgery and getting ready to get back and get it rehabbed and getting ready for spring.”
Brown has been one of the few bright spots in Miami’s bleak season. Coming into Sunday’s game, he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and had reached the 100-yard rushing mark for four consecutive games. Brown had 76 yards rushing against the Patriots on 17 carries, and had five receptions for 33 yards.
“He was having a Pro Bowl season,” Cameron said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
The Dolphins are off to an 0-7 start for the first time in their 42 seasons. They travel to London this week to face the New York Giants in the first regular-season NFL game outside North America.
Miami will now turn to running backs Jesse Chatman, Patrick Cobbs and Lorenzo Booker to take Brown’s place.
“You don’t replace a Ronnie Brown,” Cameron said. “But you say, ‘These are the guys we have. How do we maximize the guys we have? Who are our best 11?”’
After Sunday’s game, Brown said he could walk and put pressure on the knee. He injured himself chasing Randall Gay on an interception and was able to walk off the field.
“I was coming down and running across the field and the guy was running at me and he actually cut behind me,” Brown said. “I tried to plant and it twisted up a little bit.”
On Sunday, the Dolphins also lost safety Renaldo Hill for the rest of the season because of a torn ACL, Cameron said, further depleting a position plagued by injuries.
“I think we’re on our fifth safety, maybe sixth now,” middle linebacker Zach Thomas said. “Hopefully somebody steps in and steps up, because teams are going to start to throw on us a lot.”
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