Lousaka Polite, the Dolphins’ starting fullback, missed the game-winning drive in overtime on Sunday at Green Bay with an undisclosed injury. Reserve halfback Lex Hilliard played fullback in his place on all five running plays to set up Dan Carpenter’s 44-yard kick.
I’m told Polite “should be just fine,” so Anderson isn’t being brought in to replace Polite during a prolonged injury absence. But he should serve as valuable insurance for a guy that takes a ton of punishment and has been hobbled at several points this season.
Sunday at Green Bay, Polite was stopped on third-and-1 — the first time that had happened to him since the final game of 2008 — ending a streak of 20 straight conversions on third- or fourth-and-1. Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk drove his helmet into Polite’s right arm in an effort to dislodge the ball.
Polite stayed on the field for the next play and later returned a squib kick 10 yards at the end of regulation. However, he came up limping after that return due to a hard combined tackle by Packers fullback Quinn Johnson and running back John Kuhn.
Polite also appeared to injure his right arm or hand area against the Jets on Sept. 26, bending over in severe pain at least three times before making it off the field. However, he returned to the lineup to make a key catch during a fourth-quarter drive.
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