DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins' offense, in quarterback Ryan Tannehill's words, is "in a dark spot." The team fell to 1-3 and scored a season-low seven points in Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
But help could be on the way in the form of Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey. Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said Friday that Pouncey, who has a hip injury, will return to practice next week with the goal of having him ready for the Oct. 8 home game against the Tennessee Titans.
Pouncey has missed all four regular-season games. With Pouncey and Anthony Steen (ankle) hurt, Miami played third-string center Kraig Urbik against the Bengals and the pass protection allowed five sacks.
"I thought he was going to choke me out on the plane on the way home last night," Gase said of Pouncey. "He was like, 'I'm playing.' But we've got to see how it goes next week. ... That's why he didn't play this week, because we didn't have any real practices."
The Dolphins want Pouncey to go through a full week of practices before he plays. He is Miami's best offensive lineman and a team captain.
Other notes from Gase's presser:
Second-year cornerback Tony Lippett remains the starter. However, Gase did not rule out veteran Byron Maxwell if he has a good week of practice to return to the lineup. Maxwell was benched Thursday night in favor of Lippett and didn't play. Maxwell struggled in the previous two games against the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns.
Gase complemented his defense for playing well through a bad situation. The team is getting beat handily on time of possession because the offense cannot stay on the field. The defense played 70 players Thursday, compared to 45 plays for the offense.
There are no major lineup changes planned as of Friday, according to Gase. "I don't really foresee anything, but obviously things could change over the next three days," Gase said.
The Dolphins are off this weekend and return to practice Monday.
