Tua Tagovailoa will be the Dolphins quarterback with Ryan Fitzpatrick out due to COVID.
In a narrow win over the Raiders in Week 16, the Miami Dolphins operated like an MLB team at quarterback, starting the game with rookie Tua Tagovailoa but turning to veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick with the game on the line. But as they fight for their playoff lives in Week 17, they won’t have the same option available.
On Thursday, Fitzpatrick was placed on the Reserve/COVID list for the regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills after testing positive for the virus. Luckily, the team had followed protocols and, after contact tracing, Tagovailoa nor any of the other Miami players were deemed high-risk close contacts with the quarterback. Thus, all eyes will be on the rookie.
Miami enters Week 17 as the No. 5 seed in the AFC but their playoff fate is not yet set. They either need to beat the 12-3 Bills, a team still battling for the No. 2 seed in the conference, or get some help from elsewhere in the league. But the simplest path is to win.
Subsequently, it’ll be on the rookie quarterback to step up in a massive moment to guide his team back to the postseason.
The Dolphins playoff chances rest on Tua Tagovailoa, ramping up the pressure.
As mentioned, the Dolphins could get into the playoffs with a loss if the Browns lose to the Steelers, or if the Colts lose to the Jaguars or if the Ravens lose to the Bengals. However, all three of the teams Miami needs to lose are favored heavily in those games. Subsequently, Miami needs the win.
Since taking over as the starter at midseason, Tagovailoa has been good, completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 1,453 yards, 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions. At the same time, he’s often been super-conservative and we’ve seen him put on the bench in favor of Fitzpatrick on a number of occasions.
That’s not an option against the Bills, which means it’s all on the rookie to deliver. It should be noted that Tua is no stranger to pressure. His rise to stardom at Alabama began when he took over after halftime as a true freshman in the National Championship Game and led the Crimson Tide back to force overtime before completing the game-winning touchdown pass.
Of course, this is the NFL and the Bills are the farthest thing from a pushover. Tagovailoa must be mistake-free, must make some big plays and must face the most pressure he’s ever seen and stand up to it with aplomb. If he succeeds, the Dolphins are in the playoffs. If he falters, Miami is in good shape — but they will still have work to do moving forward in their rebuild.