Dolphins’ Boyer at peace with looming decision. And candor on Byron Jones, Hunter Long

A six-pack of notes from the Miami Dolphins’ final regular season assistant coach media availability this season:

▪ Beleaguered defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, whose unit has given up the sixth-most points in the league, indicated he’s at peace with whatever his future holds.

“Whatever comes my way, I’ll be OK,” Boyer said. “I’m very fortunate. Look, when I was born, I was born with a collapsed lung. The doctors told my mother I wasn’t going to live. From Day 1, you deal with what’s in front of you and you do the best you can...

“My parents broke a cycle of poverty in the family. I have beautiful wife who’s fiercely loyal, a sweet little girl. I even like my in-laws. I get to come to work every day with guys highly motivated that want to win.... I feel like the luckiest man on earth.”

But Boyer stands very much at risk of being dismissed.

When asked the area that he thought his defense would be better than it has been all season, he mentions third down defense.

The Dolphins are permitting 41.5 percent of third downs to be converted into first downs, which is 24th (ninth-worst) in the league.

Boyer said he takes responsibility for the communication and coverage breakdowns that led to Jakobi Meyers’ game-sealing one yard TD reception against the Patriots last Sunday.

“There was definitely a miscommunication,” Boyer said. “That starts with me. At the end of the day it’s my responsibility.”

Boyer was asked if the season-long absence of cornerback Byron Jones and the season-ending injuries to safety Brandon Jones and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah were hurtful to what type of defense he wanted to play.

He side-stepped, but said he would not point that out to Mike McDaniel in any postseason meeting about Boyer’s future with the team.

“It’s crushing for all those guys,” Boyer said of serious injuries to Byron Jones, Brandon Jones, Ogbah and Nik Needham. “They have a certain skill set you like to use. Other guys you put in certain positions usually don’t have the same skill set. [But] I don’t think you go, ‘Woe is us.’”

Brandon Jones’ injury significantly reduced the effectiveness of Dolphins blitzes, but Boyer has never publicly said that.

“You have to adapt to what you have available to you,” Boyer said. “Other teams are dealing with quality players who are not there. If you worry about that, you would... drive yourself crazy.”

▪ Dolphins cornerbacks coach Sam Madison opted not to have a heart-to-heart meeting with Byron Jones or ask him if he could give the team anything this season. Jones had leg surgery in March; he was supposed to be ready for the start of training camp but hasn’t practiced or played all year for reasons he has declined to explain.

“He could have... helped,” Madison said. “Injuries come up. Some people fight through them. Some people don’t.”

Madison raved about rookie Kader Kohou, calling him a “diamond in the rough.”

▪ Tight ends coach Jon Embree was candid in his assessment of second-year tight end Hunter Long, who has played 82 offensive snaps.

“It’s been quite a journey with Hunter; we’ve had interesting times,” Embree said. “Football is important to him; there were times I wondered about that.”

Why did Embree wonder about that?

“Sometimes I wondered about preparation, how hard he prepared. He can be a pass catcher as well as run blocker. That’s important if you want to be a contributor.

“With him, it’s about staying healthy. He had an ankle sprain and concussion. It’s not something I’m down on him for. I’m looking forward to working with him this offseason to see if Hunter can become a complete player.”

With Mike Gesicki likely to move on, does Embree believe Long and rookie Tanner Conner are ready for more prominent roles?

“They’ll have to be unless you know anyone coming through the door,” Embree said. “That’s [a] Chris Grier” decision.

Embree, incidentally, said Gesicki could have been a “cancer” but wasn’t.

▪ This is pretty reflective of how injuries have torched the Dolphins secondary: Keion Crossen played 59 defensive snaps on Sunday -- far more than the 23 he played all season for the Giants last season.

▪ Christian Wilkins has played 83 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps, up from 65 percent last season and very high for a defensive lineman.

Zach Sieler has played 77, up from 46 percent in 2021.

But the Dolphins have been adamant that they haven’t gotten tired during games to the point that it has contributed to the Dolphins’ poor fourth quarter defensive play during this five-game losing streak.

▪ Dolphins special teams coach Danny Crossman declined to say who might return punts if Cedrick Wilson Jr.’s hip injury prevents him from doing that on Sunday. River Cracraft is an option.

The Dolphins have been reluctant to use Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on returns; Crossman has been insistent that he won’t discuss why.

Crossman says Jason Sanders’ enormous drop in 50-plus field goal accuracy (3 for his last 11) has nothing to do with leg strength; he has said there has been no diminishment in that area.

INJURY NEWS

Xavien Howard (knee) and Bradley Chubb (ankle/hand) returned to practice; their status for Sunday is unclear. Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) remains out.

Teddy Bridgewater (who is unable to throw beyond very short distances with a dislocated pinkie) again threw only short passes to a team staffer.

Skylar Thompson and Mike Glennon continued to take the practice snaps. Thompson remains in line to start Sunday against the Jets (1 p.m, Fox).

Receiver Wilson Jr. (hip) remains sidelined.