Though the Bengals saved their season alive by beating the Broncos in time beyond regulation Saturday, the Dolphins are forward of the AFC North crew within the wild-card pecking order. It’s going to nonetheless take the Broncos shedding to a Chiefs crew ready to sit down starters in Week 18, however the Dolphins would advance in the event that they received and Denver’s shedding streak hit three.
Miami’s possibilities of successful in Week 18 do contain a Jets crew that didn’t account itself effectively in Buffalo on Sunday, however the Dolphins are removed from sure to have their quarterback accessible of their regular-season finale.
Tua Tagovailoa missed Week 17 with a hip injury, and though the Dolphins navigated a Browns crew beginning the possibly overmatched Dorian Thompson-Robinson at QB, the AFC East membership could have secured a playoff spot by now had Tagovailoa not landed on IR earlier this season. Mike McDaniel‘s membership fared poorly whereas its starter missed time due to a concussion, and the hip harm he sustained just lately is just not therapeutic because the crew hoped.
McDaniel stated Tagovailoa’s standing is in a “grey space” for Week 18 and that he was not medically cleared to play in Cleveland, via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. The Dolphins began Tyler Huntley towards the Browns. After a 22-for-26 efficiency that included 225 yards and a landing, he could hear his quantity known as as soon as once more.
Miami is now 2-4 in video games Tagovailoa didn’t end as a result of harm this season, falling towards the underside of the league in offense throughout the starter’s preliminary absence. Huntley began each wins, with Skylar Thompson additionally on the controls in a Dolphins loss this season. The previous multiyear Ravens backup, Huntley, has loved extra time to stand up to hurry in McDaniel’s offense since Tua’s concussion-generated IR journey. However that is changing into all too acquainted territory for the Dolphins, who are actually dedicated long-term to their southpaw starter.
Tagovailoa has missed 5 video games this season, this coming after he missed six (counting a wild-card sport) in 2022. The previous No. 5 general choose additionally missed time as a result of harm in 2020 and 2021, and his draft standing was affected by the numerous hip harm he suffered to shut out his Alabama profession. Tua performed all 18 Dolphins video games final season, serving to him safe a four-year extension that got here with $93.2M assured at signing and $167.2M assured in complete. This season, nevertheless, has not introduced the Dolphins a lot consolation on the supply entrance.
If the Broncos do slip up towards a diminished model of the two-time defending champs, the prospect of Tagovailoa’s playoff capability would stand to return up. For now, the fifth-year passer has a while to get better. However the nature of this harm brings trigger for concern, given his previous.
