The Dolphins lost there perfect record on a disappointing night in Cincinnati that may well be more remembered for a serious head injury suffered by QB Tua Tagovailoa.
With the Dolphins trailing 6-7 in the second QB, Tua’s head hit the ground for the second consecutive game and his hands and fingers curled up in what is being speculated to be “fencing position”, a sign of serious concussion.
Thankfully Tua was discharged from the hospital last night, but concerns remain over the next game in New York on the 9th October; the long-term health ramifications for Tua; and what really happened last weekend against the Bills.
Dolphins defence looked tired (and thin)
The much-vaunted Dolphins defence gave up 300-yards passing for the third straight week and star corner Xavien Howard continued his poor start to the season.
Coming in to the game Howard, who has been wrestling groin and hamstring injuries all season, had already given up 184 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season (per PFF.com) gave up a 59-yard TD to Tee Higgins.
In fairness to Howard he has been left on an island a lot the first four weeks as DC Josh Boyer has looked to cover the other corners with safety help as they have struggled. One-on-one with clear mobility restraints wasn’t the best position for Howard, and it showed.
The depth at corner that seemed like the weakness in the team heading in to the season has definitely been exposed, and how Noah Igbinoghene doesn’t get a serious look now is a major question.
In fairness to the defence they once again received only moderate help from the offence that could only put up 6-points with Tua in the game, partly due to a Chase Edmonds drop in the end zone.
But 15-points is really not going to win you many games in the NFL and HC Mike McDaniel has a lot of work to do to get the offence back on track. The running game showed some signs of life in the second half and while 85-yards rushing is a season-high for the Dolphins, it’s really not what was expected.
Teddy Bridgewater was ok when he came in for Tua, although as a back-up on a short week his chances of success weren’t great. However, 14/23 – 193 – 1 – 1 is a decent line. Although the interception that basically sealed the game was a horrendous throw.
Clearly, most of our thoughts are with Tua Tagovailoa at the moment, but we mustn’t lose sight of the other 52 men on this team who put themselves in harms way for the remainder of the game, and will over the course of the season.
Thursday night was a bitter pill for the Dolphins to swallow. Now it’s on to the next game against the Jets.
| Matchup |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Downs | 20 | 16 |
| Passing 1st downs | 13 | 11 |
| Rushing 1st downs | 3 | 4 |
| 1st downs from penalties | 4 | 1 |
| 3rd down efficiency | 2-10 | 8-15 |
| 4th down efficiency | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Total Plays | 60 | 63 |
| Total Yards | 378 | 371 |
| Total Drives | 11 | 12 |
| Yards per Play | 6.3 | 5.9 |
| Passing | 293 | 304 |
| Comp-Att | 22-37 | 21-32 |
| Yards per pass | 7.7 | 9.2 |
| Interceptions thrown | 2 | 0 |
| Sacks-Yards Lost | 1-10 | 1-6 |
| Rushing | 85 | 67 |
| Rushing Attempts | 22 | 30 |
| Yards per rush | 3.9 | 2.2 |
| Red Zone (Made-Att) | 1-3 | 2-3 |
| Penalties | 6-41 | 6-74 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions thrown | 2 | 0 |
| Defensive / Special Teams TDs | 0 | 0 |
| Possession | 28:25 | 31:35 |
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