Will Dolphins Have to Face Buffalo Without Sieler and Holland?

The Miami Dolphins defense is dealing with some key injuries

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws a pass against Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) in the second quarter of a wild card game at Highmark Stadium. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins are facing a crossroads game against the Buffalo Bills this weekend, and they're staring at the possibility of doing so without two of their most important defensive players.

Head coach Mike McDaniel didn't have any definitive answers regarding interior lineman Zach Sieler or safety Jevon Holland before practice Wednesday, but it sure was easy to read between the lines and not feel great about the outlook for either.

Sieler is dealing with an eye injury, the result of him being poked at practice last Thursday. The good news is that the injury, which NFL Network reported involved the orbital bone, didn't require surgery.

"He's one of several (where) I won't know at all until closer to the game," McDaniel said. "And that's just based upon you'd have to project ... and he's doing well. And we know him as a player and a person, he desperately wants to play in this game, so he will do everything he can and if he can't, it's because he's unable to."

With Holland, he sustained a knee injury in the first half of the 28-27 loss against the Arizona Cardinals and didn't return.

The injury occurred in Holland's first game since sustaining a broken bone in his left hand in the Week 5 victory against the New England Patriots the week before the Dolphins bye.

Asked about Holland's status, McDaniel said, "Overall for the the season, not really concerned. It's not major, but for this game, he's deep working to try to make himself available. He won't practice today, but that will be a process throughout the whole week, and one that he's he's been living here, trying to get right to to be available for this game."