The Miami Dolphins are heading into a must win game against the New York Jets with the plan that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not be available.
The Miami Dolphins are preparing for their Week 18 game against the New York Jets as if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not be available for the game, head coach Mike McDaniel said during his Wednesday media availability. Tyler Huntley, the team’s backup quarterback who started in place of Tagovailoa last week, is the projected starter, though McDaniel explained the team is comfortable with making a switch back to Tagovailoa should he be cleared to play.
Tagovailoa is dealing with a hop injury he sustained in Week 15 against the Houston Texans, then was aggravated in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers. The injury is to the same hip that Tagovailoa injured in his final year at Alabama, but it is not the same injury and was described by Tagovailoa as in a “different spot.”
Huntley led the Dolphins to a win over the Cleveland Browns last week, a game the team needed to win to keep alive any playoff hopes. He finished the game 22-for-26 for 225 yards with a touchdown. He had a 115.5 passer rating in the game and looked to be more comfortable in the Dolphins’ offensive scheme than he was during three starts earlier in the year.
Miami needs to beat the Jets on Sunday and hope for a win by the Kansas City Chiefs over the Denver Broncos to claim their playoff position. The Chiefs, who have clinched the number one seed in the AFC playoff picture, will start backup quarterback Carson Wentz over Patrick Mahomes and are expected to rest many of their starters as they prepare for the playoffs.
