With playoff aspirations hanging within the steadiness, Miami Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel says Tua Tagovailoa is “unlikely” to play within the season finale towards the Jets.
As an alternative, it’ll seemingly be second-string sign caller Tyler Huntley beneath middle for the second consecutive week.
Miami should win Sunday to have any probability at qualifying for the playoffs.
“I feel Tua needs it was only a ache difficulty,” McDaniel mentioned Friday per ESPN when requested in regards to the hip harm his star quarterback sustained in a Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans.
“It’s fairly actually having the ability to have the power to do what we ask him to do, in addition to defending himself from very severe harm if we don’t deal with it appropriately. I wouldn’t say it’s a bruise, however it’s sort of a novel muscle difficulty because of the hip.”
Tagovailoa was in a position to play by the harm in Week 16 because the Dolphins beat the San Francisco 49ers to maintain their playoff hopes alive, however was confined to the sideline in Week 17.
And with Huntley drawing his fourth begin of the season towards the Cleveland Browns, Miami regarded no worse for the damage. The fifth 12 months passer accomplished 22-of-26 makes an attempt, threw for one rating and added a second along with his legs.
The Dolphins’ protection held up its finish of the discount too within the 20-3 victory.
It’s been a powerful back-half of the season for the Dolphins, who’ve gained six of eight.
Even nonetheless, getting into the ultimate week of the season, Miami will want a little bit of assist to safe their third consecutive playoff bid.
Along with defeating the Jets on Sunday, the Denver Broncos should lose to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs for the Dolphins to qualify.
If each contests shake Miami’s approach — and the Chiefs don’t have anything to play for — McDaniel and firm would earn the ultimate AFC Wild Card spot because the seventh seed and e-book their journey to Orchard Park for a date with Josh Allen’s second-seeded Buffalo Payments.
The Dolphins head coach wouldn’t speculate on Tagovaiola’s availability in that hypothetical matchup and supplied reporters solely restricted info on the quarterback’s restoration.
Tagovailoa has made progress previously week, however the muscle harm just isn’t one that will be mounted with a surgical procedure. The objective, McDaniel mentioned, is “to cease aggravating this by pushing by and [give Tagovailoa time to] attempt to regain power.”
As for Sunday’s contest towards the Jets, scheduled to kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET, McDaniels says, “we are going to strategy it as if Snoop is beginning.”
