Dolphins aim to secure playoff spot without Tua
With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out because of his second concussion, Teddy Bridgewater hopes to help the Dolphins clinch a playoff berth with a win at New England on Sunday and a loss by the Jets.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, normally loquacious, was uncharacteristically brief Wednesday when describing his emotions surrounding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s second diagnosed concussion this season.
“Terrible,” a somber McDaniel said of his feelings about Tagovailoa, not only his starting quarterback but also a young man he has grown extremely close to over the past 10 months.
Tagovailoa’s concussion, sustained in Miami’s
Christmas Day loss to the Green Bay Packers, is the latest “gut check” for a team that McDaniel said has experienced plenty of them in the past month.
And now, the Dolphins (8-7) have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot when they face the New England Patriots (7-8) in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sunday, but they will have to do so without their captain, who has been ruled out as he remains in concussion protocol.
“It’s a violent game,” wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said. “It kind of comes with the game, though. It’s something that we’ve got to deal with long-term, but that’s — sadly, it’s part of our game. It’s physical. We’re going to war each and every week. Concussions are definitely something serious, but it’s a part of the game.”
Tagovailoa’s latest injury only adds another question to a team reeling from four consecutive losses, but players haven’t let it cast a cloud over their midweek preparation and playoff aspirations, even as they express concern for their teammate.
Miami’s locker room atmosphere was jovial like always, as some players were engaged in a game of cards and others debated whom to include on their