MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mike McDaniel is still not getting caught up in timelines when it comes to the status of Tua Tagovailoa, but the Dolphins coach gave an update on Miami's No. 1 quarterback as the team heads into its bye week.
“There's some expert consultation that he has scheduled for this week," McDaniel said Monday, “and then we'll address — the final stages of protocol won't be achieved until we bring him back off IR (injured reserve).”
Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 17 after suffering his third diagnosed concussion in two years during a Week 2 game against Buffalo.
McDaniel said Tagovailoa will need to practice first before clearing concussion protocol. When asked if the team has been advised to hold Tagovailoa out longer even after he's been cleared to return, McDaniel said he has received “nothing negative” from experts.
“But we're still in the process,” McDaniel added. “We don't rush that process, and we don't try to do anything that negatively impacts that.”
For now, the Dolphins are sticking with Tyler “Snoop” Huntley as their starter.
Huntley looked much more comfortable in his second start for Miami, completing 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards on Sunday in a 15-10 victory over New England.
It was far from the Dolphins' best football, McDaniel and players noted, but it was a win that Huntley said “everybody in the locker room needed” after a three-game losing streak.
“We just had to overcome our mistakes," Huntley said, "and we knew once we overcame them, we were going to do good things. We just have to hone in on the details, and it will be better.”
Huntley threw an interception that led to the Patriots' only touchdown of the game. Miami botched three special teams plays. A mistimed snap by center Aaron Brewer went over Huntley’s head for a 20-yard loss that stifled another scoring opportunity.
Despite the overall sloppiness of the offense, McDaniel doesn't want to continue shuffling quarterbacks. Skylar Thompson, who won the backup job in the preseason, started in Week 3 but hurt his ribs and hasn't played since.
Huntley is Miami's fourth quarterback to take snaps this season, but he has impressed McDaniel with his command of the offense.
“As it stands right now, I feel happy with the way Snoop went from managing the offense, so to speak, his first outing," McDaniel said, "to executing the offense (on Sunday). And that's to his credit, so I feel pretty good about how fast he's developed. ... The operation was better but not as good as it could be, and you hope that with continuity, there's improvement in that.”
What's working
The Dolphins committed to their run game on Sunday in a way they hadn't been able to all season. Miami ran the ball 12 times during a 15-play, go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, which was capped by a 3-yard TD run by Alec Ingold. The Dolphins finished with 193 yards rushing on 4.7 yards per rush, their best output this season.
What needs help
The Dolphins are the third-most penalized team in the NFL, with 43 penalties for 390 yards on the season. They had eight accepted against them on Sunday. Miami continues to struggle with illegal shift and special teams penalties. McDaniel said some penalties happen because “people are trying too hard to own their responsibility, and they’re leveraged or edged, and then you hold or you – really all three phases, that same thing can occur.”
Stock up
Rookie running back Jaylen Wright led Miami's running backs with 86 yards rushing on 13 carries and 6.6 yards per carry. Wright saw his role increase when De'Von Achane went down in the first quarter with a concussion.
Stock down
Jason Sanders made three field goals, but the Dolphins' special teams unit was a disaster for the second straight week. After nailing a 54-yarder on his first attempt of the game, Sanders' 41-yard attempt bounced off the left upright. The Dolphins botched another field goal attempt when long snapper Blake Ferguson rolled the ball to the holder, and Sanders didn’t even get a chance to kick it. Miami also had a punt blocked.
That all happened one week after linebacker Duke Riley tried to grab a bouncing punt and nearly lost it in a scrum against the Titans. The Dolphins were lucky that a Titans player was ruled to have touched the ball first.
Injuries
Safety Jevon Holland is week to week after injuring his hand. ... Achane is in the concussion protocol.
Key number
8 — Sunday was Miami's eighth win in its last 10 meetings with New England. It's the first time the Dolphins have won eight of 10 against the Patriots since 1991-1996.
Next steps
The Dolphins will try to get healthier during their bye week. Tagovailoa is eligible to be activated from injured reserve after Miami's Week 7 trip to Indianapolis.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Alanis Thames, The Associated Press
