The Dolphins will be going into this game looking to win their first playoff game since the year 2000, and in order to do so, they will have to do so against the Bills, a team that they have already competed against twice.
Reports of Injuries for the upcoming contest, will Tua Tagovailoa start?
Tua Tagovailoa, who had a strong showing in both games against Buffalo earlier in the year, has missed Miami’s last two contests due to lingering concussion symptoms. On a more positive note, his Sunday outlook is not certain.
As their wild-card game approaches, here are the most recent developments involving Miami’s star quarterback.
Related: The latest injury status of Tua Tagovailoa
Are we going to see Tua Tagovailoa this week against the Bills?
There is some doubt as to whether or not Tagovailoa will play in the Dolphins’ wild-card game against the Bills. He sustained a concussion on Christmas Day during Week 16’s game against the Packers and is still feeling its effects. Mike McDaniel, the team’s coach, was hesitant to reveal too much about Tagovailoa:
Dolphins head coach Josh McDaniel said, via ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, “We’ll take it day by day” regarding Tagovailoa’s condition following their 11-6 victory. “And I will not think about any game — whether this year or next year — until he’s fully ready. And that will require medical clearance.”
In a report from Tuesday, ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques stated that Tagovailoa still hadn’t been given the green light to participate in football activities. McDaniel said the group is anticipating more information about the situation on Wednesday.
Adam Schefter of ESPN says the Dolphins are “hopeful” Tagovailoa will be ready for the playoffs.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network said, “there’s a shot” we’ll get to see Tagovailoa play.
Is Tua Tagovailoa playing on Sunday? Our NFL Insider @MikeGarafolo joins @JayOnrait to discuss. pic.twitter.com/43RP48bqex
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) January 11, 2023
Read more: The Bills have issued a statement regarding Damar Hamlin’s injury
New developments in the injury to Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa was knocked unconscious during the Dolphins’ loss to the Packers on Christmas Day, and he missed the rest of the game. Late in the first half, Green Bay edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare knocked him to the ground after Tagovailoa threw a pass.
Tagovailoa’s head appeared to make a solid impact with the ground during the fall. Even though he threw three interceptions after the hit, he was able to finish the game because he did not experience any of the symptoms that would have put him in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Tagovailoa sustained his second concussion of the year. His first came in Week 4 of “Thursday Night Football” against the Bengals when he was sacked by Josh Tupou. After that play, Tagovailoa was rushed to the hospital in a fencing position.
When Tagovailoa appeared to have suffered a head injury in the Dolphins’ 21-19 Week 3 victory over the Bills, many were critical of the team’s handling of the situation. However, despite suffering from ataxia on the field, he was allowed to return to the game.
In part because of what happened to Tagovailoa over the course of those two games, the NFL revised its policy on concussions. That’s why Miami is taking things slowly with his most recent injury.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that after Tagovailoa’s concussion against the Packers, he experienced “memory issues” and a “inability to recall things.” Due to this, he was unable to play in the Dolphins’ last two regular season games.
If he is unable to play against the Bills in the playoffs, the Dolphins will have to rely on their backup quarterback.
I’m curious who the Dolphins’ third-string quarterback is?
Normally, Teddy Bridgewater is the Dolphins’ backup quarterback. The 30-year-old veteran is winless in two starts for Miami, throwing for 683 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions for a 62 percent completion rate. After compiling a 33-32 record and 75-47 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his career, he is widely regarded as a reliable backup quarterback.
Bridgewater’s right hand pinkie dislocation kept him from starting against the Jets. If he can’t grip the ball enough to start against the Bills, seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson would be next up on the Dolphins’ quarterback depth chart.
Although he has struggled as a starter, 25-year-old Thompson led the Dolphins to an 11-6 victory over the Jets in Week 18. He has only thrown for 534 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, completing 57.1 percent of his passes.
Thus, the Dolphins would prefer a healthy Bridgewater who can step in for Tagovailoa if the latter gets injured. And they’d like to see Tagovailoa back on the field more than anyone else.
Positional depth chart for Dolphins quarterbacks
You can check out the Dolphins’ current quarterback depth chart down below. Due to Bridgewater’s injury last week, the team signed an additional practice squad option, bringing the total to four.
1. Tua Tagovailoa
3. Skylar Thompson
4. Mike Glennon
Whether or not Bridgewater will serve as the Dolphins’ primary backup quarterback while he recovers from a pinkie injury is unclear, but it is noteworthy that the team dressed all three quarterbacks (Thompson, Glennon, and Bridgewater) in their Week 9 game against the Jets. Maybe that means he won’t be too far off from playing after all.
Thompson and Glennon would both play if healthy enough to face the Bills. It wouldn’t be ideal for Miami to face a tough Buffalo defense because of how difficult it would be for them to put up a competitive effort.
In games that Tagovailoa has started, the Dolphins have gone 8-5 and scored 25.5 points per game on average. When he doesn’t start, they’re 1-3 and score 16.3 points less on average.
