Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is again in concussion protocol, coach Mike McDaniel mentioned Monday, following his staff’s 26-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
McDaniel mentioned it’s “a little early” to find out if Tagovailoa has been identified with a concussion however that he has been exhibiting signs, inflicting the staff to look at him and place him below the league protocol.
“I just want him to get healthy and have peace of mind in that regard,” McDaniel mentioned. “That’s first and foremost. And then, whatever those circumstances are after, you deal with after, but it’s about the human being and making sure he’s squared away.”
The third-year quarterback missed two video games earlier within the season attributable to a concussion after making an early exit within the Dolphins’ Sept. 29 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He additionally confirmed signs 4 days earlier in Miami’s Sept. 25 win over the Buffalo Bills however returned in that sport. In each situations, Tagovailoa took a tough hit to the again of the pinnacle in opposition to the bottom upon getting tackled.
There was an occasion late within the first half Sunday when Tagovailoa appeared to take an analogous blow to the pinnacle, however McDaniel was not sure if that triggered Tagovailoa’s signs.
“This is something that just came across my plate a couple hours ago,” McDaniel mentioned. “As far as the game was concerned, no one recognized anything with regard to any sort of hit. I can’t really tell you exactly when it was.”
McDaniel mentioned backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will obtain a majority of follow reps whereas Tagovailoa is in protocol. He was not prepared to call a starter for the Dolphins’ upcoming Sunday sport on the New England Patriots.
“That’s one of the reasons why you go and aggressively pursue a player like Teddy Bridgewater,” the Miami coach mentioned of the veteran Miami native who has 64 NFL begins below his belt. “Teddy will prepare as though he’s starting, and we’ll see as the week goes.”
The concussion protocol is a five-step course of to return to play, and it’s attainable for a participant to return inside a number of days.
Before McDaniel introduced that Tagovailoa was within the protocol, guard Robert Hunt mentioned the quarterback was in good spirits Monday.
The growth with Tagovailoa comes as Dolphins’ 2022 season has hit a brand new low on the worst attainable time after 4 consecutive losses and the franchise’s first winless December since 1993.
A playoff spot, beforehand a foregone conclusion when the Dolphins (8-7) completed November 8-3 and tied atop the AFC East, now nonetheless stays within the steadiness over Miami’s last two regular-season video games.
“We’ve been learning hard lessons for the last month of games, and at some point, if we want to make the next step, we’re going to have to put up or shut up,” McDaniel mentioned following the newest loss, a defeat in opposition to the Packers at house.
The three earlier losses have been on the street in opposition to successful groups. The Dolphins have been anticipated to rebound at house in opposition to a sub-.500 Green Bay staff on the verge of elimination from playoff rivalry, particularly after exhibiting encouraging indicators competing with the Super Bowl-favorite Bills in Buffalo’s frigid situations the week earlier than.
But then, main 20-10 deep within the first half, they have been hit with an “unexpected” second half, as McDaniel known as it, with Tagovailoa unraveling for 3 fourth-quarter interceptions.
“It is tough, but also nothing comes easy in this game,” McDaniel mentioned. “If you’re in a position to dig your self out of it, it does profit you within the subsequent section of the season.
“Bottom line is it is what it is. What type of people are we and are we able to really get through this together? Because there’s no one else outside of that team meeting room that’s going to come save us. We have to figure it out ourselves.”
Despite the obvious doom and gloom, Miami, nonetheless calm and picked up in its locker room, is aware of it controls its personal destiny for a postseason berth.
The Dolphins may very well be holding on to the AFC’s last wild-card spot if the Los Angeles Chargers clinch a playoff berth on Monday evening in opposition to the reeling Indianapolis Colts.
Here are the playoff situations for the Dolphins:
If they win each of their remaining video games on the Patriots (7-8) and residential in opposition to the New York Jets (7-8), they’re in.
They can even clinch earlier than the finale in opposition to New York, in the event that they win in Foxborough on Sunday and the Jets lose on the Seattle Seahawks.
If the Dolphins lose in Week 17, Miami then must win the finale in opposition to the Jets and have the Patriots lose their finale at Buffalo to get in, no matter New York’s end in Seattle.
If the Dolphins win in opposition to the Patriots and the Jets win in opposition to the Seahawks, Miami’s finale in opposition to New York may turn out to be a winner-take-all state of affairs if the Chargers have already clinched by then. Should Miami lose to New York on this case, its solely approach in is with the Chargers both shedding all three of their remaining video games or shedding to each their remaining AFC opponents (Colts, Broncos) whereas the Steelers win out to create a big tiebreaker at 9-8 — an unlikely state of affairs that may very well be erased from the equation Monday evening.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com
