Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson was one step away from scoring another explosive touchdown.
Instead, it is likely his first season with his hometown team may be over.
Injuries have finally caught up to the Dolphins' depth at wide receiver, leaving Miami scrambling after Sunday's loss to the Lions with a game against the Texans in Houston on Thursday night.
Wilson traveled to see a specialist for a right hip injury sustained in the Dolphins' 32-21 defeat on Sunday. The Dolphins expect to learn more about Wilson's injury by Tuesday afternoon, but coach Adam Gase said there is a "very high possibility" he could be placed on injured reserve.
"It's not looking good right now," Gase said of Wilson, who leads Miami with 391 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
The Dolphins will be without Wilson and Kenny Stills, who injured his groin, for the Texans game. The injuries at receiver set the stage for the embattled DeVante Parker to earn playing time his agent has been lobbying for Parker to get.
"We don't have any more receivers so I'm sure he's going to play," Gase said of Parker.
Parker has been inactive for 5 of 7 Dolphins games this season, including the Lions game, which caused Parker's agent to question Dolphins coach Adam Gase's competence.
Gase said Parker was "not completely healthy," despite Parker being a full participant in practice this week.
Parker's agent, Jimmy Gould, refuted Gase's comments, saying Gase "continues attacking the health of my client."
"I'm working on the next game. It's not something that bothers me or concerns me," Gase said regarding Gould's comments.
Gase said he wanted to have rookie running back Kalen Ballage active for plays in the red zone and another player for special teams.
Gase added Ballage's presence would have helped the Dolphins in Week 6 against the Bears, when the Dolphins could have used his 6-foot-2, 237-pound frame for a play from the 1-yard line Kenyan Drake ultimately fumbled when Frank Gore was pulled after three straight rushing plays.
Parker, who was dealing with a broken middle finger on his right hand before a recent quadriceps injury, has only played against the Raiders in Week 3 and the Bears last week.
The Dolphins finished the Lions game with Grant and Danny Amendola at receiver, using running back Kenyan Drake as a slot receiver, and calling makeshift plays on the fly late in the fourth quarter after Stills suffered his injury.
Stills, who has 16 catches for 281 yards with four touchdowns, left the Dolphins sideline with a minute left in the game to head to the locker room.
"It's gonna be this game, and we'll figure it out after that," Gase said of Stills' availability.
Gase said the Dolphins will likely use all five running backs on the roster _ Gore, Drake, Ballage, Senorise Perry and Brandon Bolden _ to fill the voids at receiver.
The Dolphins could also promote receivers Isaiah Ford, Leonte Carroo or Malcolm Lewis from their practice squad this week to boost depth.
Roster replacements will face a tough task replicating the production and leadership Wilson and Stills have provided the Dolphins this season.
"To lose both of those guys in the same game, that one is hard because you're trying to figure out what's next," Gase said.
