Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa reportedly wants to play this weekend in his team’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
Mike Giardi on NFLN just now said he's heard from people in Miami that Tua wants to play on Sunday.
We'll see.
— Matt Infante (@MattInfante) January 9, 2023
The quarterback hasn’t played since Week 16 due to a concussion. While it’s clear that he’s eager to play against Buffalo on Sunday, his health certainly needs to be the top priority.
Tagovailoa finished the regular season with the best quarterback rating in the NFL at 105.5. He completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
In the regular season, Miami went 1-3 in games that Tagovailoa didn’t start. Offense has been generally hard to come by for the Dolphins when the 24-year-old has been unavailable. The team averaged just 16.3 points per contest in the four regular season games that Tagovailoa missed.
Although the young passer had some rocky games in the month of December, his overall body of work in the regular season was fantastic, and there’s no doubt that he’s crucial to Miami’s success. A healthy Tagovailoa would be a huge weapon for the Dolphins against the Bills this weekend.
If Tagovailoa is unable to play, the team will have to evaluate its other options at the quarterback position. Teddy Bridgewater, if healthy enough to play, could find himself making the second postseason start of his career.
The Dolphins and Bills met twice in the regular season, and Miami put up a couple of outstanding fights.
When the teams met in Week 3, the Dolphins earned a 21-19 victory in Miami. During a rematch in Week 15, the Bills escaped with a 32-29 win in Buffalo.
The Dolphins are major underdogs heading into this weekend, but the Bills are surely aware of the fact that they can’t take Miami lightly. That’s especially true if Tagovailoa plays.
Making the playoffs is a major accomplishment for Miami, but the team is certainly hungry for more. After earning their first playoff bid since the 2016 campaign, the Dolphins are now looking for their first playoff win since the 2000 season.
Time will tell if there’s a special run ahead for Miami.
