Dolphins put Tagovailoa on IR, out at least 3 games
The Dolphins on Saturday placed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least three games because of fractured ribs.
That decision means Tagovailoa will miss Sunday’s game at Las Vegas (as previously announced), the Oct. 3 game against Indianapolis and the Oct. 10 game at Tampa Bay.
The earlier Tagovailoa can return from his injury is Oct. 17 against Jacksonville in London.
Jacoby Brissett will replace him as the Dolphins’ starter. Reid Sinnett replaced Tagovailoa on the 53-man roster and will back up Brissett.
The Dolphins opted to put Tagovailoa on IR instead of using the NFL’s “elevation” mechanism to make Sinnett the 54th player on the 53-man roster. Players can be elevated from the practice squad twice per season, but Miami bypassed that option with Sinnett.
Sinnett threw for 343 yards in the preseason finale at Cincinnati, the most by any NFL quarterback in preseason.
He was active and the Dolphins’ backup QB when Tagovailoa missed a game at the Jets last November and was Tagovailoa’s backup for the sea
son finale at Buffalo because Ryan Fitzpatrick was in COVID-19 protocol for that game. Sinnett did not appear in either of those two games.
Tagovailoa’s type of injury — fractured ribs — can take four to six weeks to heal. But there had been hope that he might be able to return sooner than that by taking a pain injection and wearing a flak jacket. Returning too soon from fractured ribs can put a player at risk of sustaining a punctured lung.
Baylor quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner. Howard would eventually arrive at Baylor, the season after Griffin left for the NFL.
McFarland still remembers Howard’s last game in the state playoffs and a sequence in which Howard ran in a long touchdown and then intercepted a pass on the goal line on the following possession, returning it to the opposite end zone.
“He probably had 400 yards all-purpose,” McFarland said.
Howard was set to attend Trinity Valley Junior College in Athens, Texas, but when he was deemed academically eligible, Baylor swooped in to offer a scholarship late in the recruiting period.
“I just had to get that guy,” said former Baylor cornerbacks coach Carlton Buckels. “He was a tremendous athlete, man. I knew the sky was the limit for him.”
Tagovailoa sustained the injury when he was sacked early in last Sunday’s game against Buffalo.
TWO COACHES SIDELINED
Linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and outside linebackers coach Rob Leonard will miss Sunday’s game due to the NFL’s COVID protocols. The team’s remaining defensive assistants will assume their responsib
At Baylor, Howard redshirted his freshman year but Buckels saw a raw player who just needed to refine his technique and improve his football knowledge. Buckels recalls Howard getting beat as a freshman but always looking back at the quarterback as soon as a receiver got a yard or two ahead of him.
“I’m like, ‘Xavien, what are you doing? Why are you looking back?’ ” said Buckels, now the cornerbacks coach at Tulsa. “He’s like, ‘Coach, I’m trying to catch it.’ I said, ‘Hey, I like that, but at the same time, I’ve got to find a way to get you in position.’ And that’s what we worked on the most, just trying to find a way to get him in position because I knew he was going to catch the ball once he was there.”
Howard’s penchant for takeaway plays isn’t just limited to interceptions. In the Dolphins’ season
ilities.
ELSEWHERE
Saints: Defensive line coach Ryan Nielson,
defensive assistant Brian Young and offensive assistant Dan Roushar
will not attend New Orleans’ game at New England on Sunday because of COVID-19 protocols, the club announced. It will be the second straight missed game for the trio since being among nine coaches who tested positive for COVID-19 late last week. While one coach was able to return without missing a game, New Orleans was down eight members of the coaching staff, including five offensive assistants, during a 26-7 loss to Carolina last Sunday. Four of the offensive assistants — receivers coach Curtis Johnson,
running backs coach Joel Thomas, offensive analyst Jim Chane and offensive assistant Declan Doyle — have been able
Aopening win against the Patriots, he separated the ball from New England running back Damien Harris and then recovered the ball to preserve a onepoint win.
“Every game I feel like I have to make something happen for the team and give the ball to the offense,” Howard said after the decisive forced fumble.
Dolphins cornerbacks coach Charles Burks said Howard will still brag about his days as a high school quarterback from time to time.
And when he watches Howard’s “natural knack for the ball,” he sees a player who has matched athleticism with studious preparation throughout the week to become one of the NFL’s best ballhawks.
“He’s covering to make plays, not just to cover a guy,” Burks said.
Daniel Oyefusi: DanielOyefusi to return, along with special teams assistant Phil Galiano.
A Packers: Green Bay offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers due to an ankle injury. Jenkins got hurt during Monday night’s 35-17 victory over the Detroit Lions, though he remained in the game. After listing him as doubtful on Friday’s injury report, the Packers (1-1) announced Saturday that Jenkins wasn’t making the trip to San Francisco. The Packers also announced that tight end Dominique Dafney won’t play against the 49ers (2-0) due to a hip injury. Jenkins was a
Pro Bowl left guard last season, but he has been filling in at left tackle for injured All-Pro David Bakhtiari, who hasn’t played since tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament on Dec. 31.
Steelers: Pittsburgh star outside linebacker T.J. Watt won’t play against Cincinnati after all. The team has downgraded Watt to out for Sunday’s visit from Cincinnati. Watt, who is dealing with a groin injury, was listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report.
Rans: Los Angeles running back Darrell Henderson (ribs) will be a game-time decision against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.m
AA