The New York Giants (1-3) will visit the Miami Dolphins (3-1) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Sunday afternoon in their fifth game of the 2023 regular season.
That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Dolphins’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue.
In looking over Miami’s roster, it’s clear they are far superior to the Giants in terms of both talent and depth. There is skill at nearly every single position and the possible upgrades are endless.
Offensively, there are players like wide receiver Tyreek Hill, center Connor Williams and guard Robert Hunt. On the other side of the ball, there’s safety Jevon Holland, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Justin Bethel. All would be upgrades for the Giants but instead, we’re going with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa, now clear of his earlier concussion issues, is the highest-graded quarterback in all of football (88.3). He leads the NFL in yards passing (1,306), is second in passing touchdowns (9), fourth in completion percentage (71.3) and second in QBR (79.0). He’s also thrown three interceptions compared to the league-leading six thrown by Daniel Jones through four weeks.
At 25 years old, Tagovailoa is just coming into his prime and is beginning to look like the next best thing. He’s got all the talent in the world and he’s only going to continue to get better.
How Tagovailoa would perform with the Giants’ current roster is fairly up for debate, but it’s quickly becoming apparent that the Jones experiment isn’t going to work out. Whether that’s his fault, the Giants’ fault or a combination of the two is irrelevant — it simply isn’t working.
What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Tua Tagovailoa or would you steal an entirely different player from the Miami Dolphins?
White, who started seven games at quarterback over the last two years for the Jets, agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $16 million with the Dolphins, a source confirmed.
White will back up Tua Tagovailoa in Miami.
Quarterback Mike White following a Jets win in November 2022.Robert Sabo for the NY POST
For White, 27, this is a homecoming.
He grew up in Pembroke Pines, Fla., and attended South Florida University before transferring to Western Kentucky.
The Jets felt White was a quality backup and expressed some interest in bringing him back, but it did not make sense for them as they pursued a veteran quarterback that was going to cost a lot of money.
The team also has Zach Wilson on the roster.
Quarterback Mike White throws the ball during Jets practice in November 2022.Bill Kostroun for the NY Post
White’s most memorable moment with the Jets came in 2021 when he started in place of an injured Wilson against the Bengals.
He threw for 405 yards and led the Jets to a stunning 34-31 upset of Cincinnati, which would go on to win the AFC.
The Hall of Fame asked for some pieces of his uniform to display from that game.
After the game, he was referred to as Mike “Effin” White by his teammates and became a folk hero.
Mike White speaks to the media following the Jets’ loss to the Seahawks in January 2023.AP
White injured his arm in the Jets’ next game against the Colts and things fizzled out for him.
White became a starter again in late November after Wilson was benched.
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White led the Jets to a win over the Bears but suffered broken ribs two weeks later in a loss to the Bills.
He missed two games before returning against the Seahawks in a game in which he never looked like himself.
The Jets liked White and he had a shot at grabbing the long-term starting job if he had not been injured.
Former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis was arrested Saturday by the Florida Highway Patrol and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to Broward County arrest records.
Davis had a bond amount listed at $500, per the record.
Though there’s only one DUI charge listed, Fox Sports 640’s Andy Slater reported Sunday morning that Davis “allegedly crashed into a disabled car on the side of the highway, which then hit a person next to it.” Officers then allegedly found Davis sleeping, and when they asked why he was sleeping on the shoulder, Davis replied, “I was tired.”
Vontae Davis was arrested Saturday for driving under the influence.Broward County Sheriff’s Office
Slater, citing anonymous sources, reported that Davis claimed he was driving home from a club, where he had two mixed drinks. The person Davis allegedly struck was taken to a hospital with “multiple injuries,” according to Slater.
Davis, a former first-round pick of the Dolphins in 2009, spent his first three seasons in Miami before a 2012 trade sent him to the Colts. He proceeded to spend the bulk of his remaining career with Indianapolis, though he made a brief — and controversial — cameo with the Bills in 2018 by signing as a free agent in the offseason, but then retiring at halftime of the season opener.
Vernon Davis infamously retired at halftime of the season-opener during his final NFL season.Getty Images Vontae Davis spent the bulk of his career with the Colts after Miami traded him in 2012.Getty Images
Davis was selected to consecutive Pro Bowls in 2014 and ’15, a pair of seasons when he combined for eight interceptions, 34 passes defended, and two forced fumbles. He’s the brother of former star tight end Vernon Davis.
Bobby Beathard, the architect of four Super Bowl-winning teams with two different organizations during his lengthy tenure in football, has died. He was 86.
A spokesperson for the Washington Commanders said Beathard’s family told the team he died Monday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee, less than a week after his 86th birthday. A cause of death was not immediately available.
Beathard was director of player personnel for two of the NFL championships by Miami in the 1970s and served as general manager for two more by Washington in the ’80s. He also scouted for Kansas City when the Chiefs won the American Football League title and made Super Bowl I following the 1966 season and was GM with San Diego when the Chargers got there in the mid-1990s.
Part of seven teams that made the Super Bowl during his lengthy front office career, Beathard was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Washington added him to the organization’s Ring of Honor in 2016.
“Bobby not only built winning teams throughout his career, but he also built winning cultures that lasted beyond his years with an organization,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “He combined an eye for talent with a special gift for working with other people. The results speak for themselves.”
Bobby Beathard won two Super Bowls when he was general manager for Washington.AP
Beathard also scouted for the Atlanta Falcons, but is most known for his roles with Don Shula’s Dolphins that won the Super Bowl back-to-back and then hiring coach Joe Gibbs and drafting Darrell Green, Art Monk and others during his time in Washington.
“I came to the Redskins from the Miami Dolphins, and the years at the Miami Dolphins including the ’72 season of undefeated teams and being with Shula, I learned a lot more than I ever had up until that time about football,” Beathard said in 2016 at Washington’s training camp in Richmond, Virginia. “So I felt coming into a situation like this that I felt prepared because I never wanted to go into a situation that I felt was too big for me or where I wasn’t prepared.”
Beathard resigned from that job in 1989, before Washington won a third Super Bowl with a core he constructed, and went into TV before being hired as GM of the Chargers in 1990. He spent a decade with them, including overseeing the team that went to the Super Bowl before losing to the San Francisco 49ers, though he nearly resigned before that 1994 season because of a dispute with owner Alex Spanos.
Bobby Beathard poses for a picture with his Hall of Fame bust when he was honored by Washington during a 2018 game.AP
But Spanos’ son, Dean, stepped in and was put in charge of the day-to-day operations. Beathard stayed, and the Chargers reached their only Super Bowl in franchise history.
Now owner and chairman of the Chargers, Dean Spanos in a statement called Beathard “one of the best judges of football talent in NFL history.”
“He was the best GM in football, but he was also the guy sitting on his surfboard in the ocean that you caught waves with, jogged trails alongside and chatted up in the checkout line of the local market,” Spanos said. “He was just a regular guy who happened to be anything but. Bobby was, in fact, exceptional. He was one of a kind. And he will be incredibly missed.”
Beathard in more than three decades in an NFL front office loathed first-round picks and reveled in taking chances on players from out-of-the-way colleges, a strategy that paid off along the way. In 1988, Sports Illustrated called him “The Smartest Man in the NFL” — a title he did not like.
“That was kind of embarrassing,” Beathard said in 2018 before going into the Hall of Fame. “Whoever put that in there, I told them when it first came out, ‘Well, you better go back and ask my high school and college teachers if that’s true, and I don’t think they’d agree with that.’”
In a statement expressing their condolences, the Commanders called Beathard “a man of extraordinary class and integrity” and said he “cared deeply about everyone he worked with and always put the team first.”
Tua Tagovailoa will not be returning for the Dolphins’ wild-card game against the Bills.
Miami head coach Mike McDaniel ruled the third-year quarterback out of the playoff matchup on Wednesday, as he has not been cleared for football activities after suffering multiple concussions this season – most recently in the Week 16 game against the Packers.
“It’s very frustrating for Tua,” McDaniel told reporters, according to The Palm Beach Post. “He wants to be with his team for the playoffs.”
Teddy Bridgewater, the team’s backup quarterback, appears unlikely to be ready to play as well after suffering a finger injury the following week against the Patriots. So, the team is preparing as if seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson will start.
Miami lost five straight games heading into Week 18, but slipped into a playoff spot with an ugly 11-6 victory over the Jets. Their reward is now to go into Buffalo with a third-string quarterback, who has completed 57.1 percent of his passes this year for one touchdown and three interceptions.
Tua TagovailoaGetty ImagesSkylar ThompsonGetty Images
Tagovailoa’s playing future appears murky going forward, as he suffered a number of high-profile head injuries throughout the year. He was transported to the hospital after slamming his head on the ground in a game against the Bengals. A week earlier – in a victory over the Bills – he appeared wobbly while standing up after taking a hit from linebacker Matt Milano. He briefly left that game with what the Dolphins claimed was a back injury.
“Tua is learning that he needs to listen to the advice of doctors and medical professionals, he understands the severity of doing that,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was placed in the concussion protocol again after the Packers game despite having finished the whole contest. He has yet to play since.
The Bills went from being a nine-point betting favorite to being -13.5 at some books after the quarterback decision was announced.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A few weeks ago, this Week 18 matchup between the Jets and Dolphins looked as if it could have major playoff implications for both teams.
Instead, it is only meaningful for one of them.
Both the Jets (7-9) and Dolphins (8-8) have lost five straight games, but Miami now needs to win Sunday and hope the Bills beat the Patriots to make the postseason. The Jets, on the other hand, were eliminated from contention last week.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh said they view this week as “another championship game.”
“I know it’s technically not,” Saleh said, “but you have to keep your mindset that any time you have a chance to step on the field, you’ve got to step on the gas and do the absolute best you can.”
The Jets will have Joe Flacco starting at quarterback after Mike White was ruled out due to broken ribs. Zach Wilson will serve as his backup, and the way this Jets season has gone, would anyone be surprised if he is pressed into action?
The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Seahawks last week.USA TODAY SportsJets coach Robert SalehCorey Sipkin
During this losing streak, the Jets have been terrible on offense, scoring just four touchdowns in their past five games and none in their past two. It seems unlikely that Flacco, who last started in Week 3, can jump-start the offense.
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With a makeshift offensive line and Flacco back at quarterback, this game feels like a preseason game. But the Jets swear they will be motivated to play.
“You’ve got to go back to the reason you come to work,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said, “and that’s to win, play for you brothers and represent yourself.”
Though the Jets know their season will end on Sunday, the Dolphins still can sneak in.
“You’ve got to win, that’s all it comes down to,” Dolphins safety Jevon Holland said. “Whatever you got to do, however you got to prepare. You’ve got to win.”
The Jets have not swept the Dolphins since 2015 and have not won at Miami since 2014. Though his team no longer has the postseason to play for, Saleh believes the Jets will show up.
Jets QB Mike White (5) is helped off the field after a sack during the fourth quarter in the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on January 1, 2023.Getty Images
“One thing I love about this league is that when those players put those helmets on, they’re professionals, they get it,” Saleh said. “There’s a lot of pride in players, there’s a lot of pride in coaches to go out there, and regardless of your record, to go out there and do your absolute best. So, I’m not worried about our guys getting up for this game and trying to play spoiler.”
Quitting football isn’t an option for Tua Tagovailoa right now, according to his trainer, Nick Hicks.
The Dolphins quarterback is in the NFL concussion protocol for the second time this season after suffering a head injury in a the loss to the Packers on Christmas Day — which marked his second — or possibly third — head injury this season.
There’s been growing concern around Tagovailoa’s long-term health, with many debating whether or not he should be shut down for the season or beyond.
On Thursday, Hicks tweeted: “I know some of you are mad — but UNO ain’t going anywhere for a very very long time. Get over it,” with crying-laughing emojis.
Tagovailoa, who was day-to-day after entering the protocol, will sit out Sunday’s crucial matchup with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, head coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. Teddy Bridgewater will get the start.
“And BTW — NO ONE cares about your ‘fandom’. Being miserable is your own prerogative. Especially when the season isn’t over and the playoffs are ready and waiting,” Hicks added later. “So, Jump ship & find another team. No one cares lol. Especially the Miami Dolphins and their players.”
Hicks’ tweet came after Tagovailoa’s brother, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, weighed in on the concussion controversy, and said he believes Tua will continue to play.
“Everyone has their opinion,” Taulia told The Associated Press on Thursday ahead of Friday’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. “My brother, I know he works hard. I know he has a family now. I want my brother to be safe, but at the same time I know that he has a love and a passion for football. I feel like he is going to make the right decision. The biggest thing is staying safe, so that is something he has to pray on. I know when it comes down to it, he will make the right decision.
“I just feel like he’s not going to stop playing football. I feel like every opportunity he has, he is going to try to play. I don’t know, it’s just ‘go until the wheels fall off.’”
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa carries the ball during the first quarter of a game against the Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Getty ImagesDolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa takes the field prior to a game against the Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Getty Images
The NFL and NFLPA announced Wednesday it would be investigating the Dolphins’ handling of the concussion protocol on Sunday regarding Tagovailoa.
“A joint NFL-NFLPA review of the application of the concussion protocol involving Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is now underway,” the league said in a statement. “We welcome that review and, as we have done previously, we will report the results in conjunction with the NFLPA.”
As of Friday, it is still unclear exactly when Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in Sunday’s 26-20 loss to the Packers.
The quarterback appeared to hit the back of his head on the turf with 2:40 to play before halftime, according to video replays. Tagovailoa, though, finished the game before showing concussion symptoms on Monday.
After meeting with team doctors, Tagovailoa was immediately placed in the concussion protocol.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) is carted off the field after an injury in a game against the Bengals on Sept. 29, 2022, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This is the second known concussion for Tagovailoa, who was placed in protocol after being knocked unconscious and taken off the field on a stretcher during Miami’s loss to the Bengals on Sept. 29.
That came four days after he briefly left a 21-19 win over the Bills after taking a hard hit and appearing wobbly in the first half. At the time, the NFL/NFLPA reviewed the matter and vowed to pursue “every legal option” to investigate a potential protocol violation by the Dolphins concerning Tagovailoa.
Controversy hovered over Tua Tagovailoa even taking the field Thursday night. It grew exponentially louder just a few hours later.
Tagovailoa was stretchered off the field near the end of the first half of the Dolphins’ “Thursday Night Football” matchup with the Bengals with head and neck injuries. He was sacked by Josh Tupou, and his head forcefully slammed against the ground as he was brought down. After the hit, his fingers could be seen crooked as he remained on the ground, which broadcasters Kirk Herbstreit and Al Michael said is likely a result of neurological shock.
Just four days ago against the Bills, Tagovailoa similarly slammed his head on the ground after a hit. He tried to get up and remain in the game, but collapsed after taking a few steps and was helped off the field. He returned and helped lead the Dolphins’ to a comeback win, but many were skeptical to how he was allowed back in the game, particularly after everyone saw him collapse.
The Dolphins claimed Tagovailoa passed the NFL’s concussion protocols after the Week 3 hit, which are conducted by an independent third party and includes both physical and phycological tests. In addition, despite the team initially ruling him questionable to return with a head injury, the team and Tagovailoa announced after the game that it was indeed his back that forced him to collapse on the field.
Part of the league’s protocols that would result in a “no-go” for a return to the field include gross motor instability. The Dolphins and the league’s independent third party ruled that Tagovailoa’s gross motor instability — his collapsing on the field — was a result of his back.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins is sacked by defensive tackle Josh Tupou #68 of the Cincinnati Bengals. Getty Images
Tua Tagovailoa lies on the ground after his scary hit. Screengrab
Medical staff tend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins. Getty Images
Medical staff tend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins. Getty Images
Immediately after that game, on Sunday, the NFL Players Association launched an investigation into the processes that allowed him to return. After Tagovailoa exited Thursday night’s game, the NFLPA again expressed their ongoing investigation into Tagovailoa’s injury, and subsequent clearance, from Sunday’s game.
“Player health and safety is at the core of the union’s mission,” the NFLPA tweeted Thursday night. “Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing.”
On a short week, Tagovailoa was questionable to play Thursday against the Bengals, and there was skepticism that he should even be allowed to take the field.
Before kickoff, Ph.D. Chris Nowinski, CEO of Concussion Legacy Foundation, tweeted “If Tua takes the field tonight, it’s a massive step back for #concussion care in the NFL. If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even they must know this isn’t right.”
With another scary injury, the microscope on the Dolphins and their decision making has only intensified.
This is a disaster. Pray for Tua. Fire the medical staffs and coaches. I predicted this and I hate that I am right. Two concussions in 5 days can kill someone. This can end careers. How are we so stupid in 2022. pic.twitter.com/D8S8eEbgda
“As a player, you’ve gotta move on, you’ve gotta play the game. As the announcer, analyst, I’m having a tough time right now.” – Ryan Fitzpatrick on — his former Dolphins teammate — Tua Tagovailoa pic.twitter.com/kvmwYA8cu0
4 days after this, Tua got knocked down and is in a hospital. Miami had been a great story through 3 games, but this decision overshadows it all https://t.co/7ZE85MsvJs
I normally don’t have much emotion when it comes to injuries. I have a general feeling that I hope each player can return healthy. But I’m upset about this Tua head injury because of what happened last weekend. It’s hard to not tie these together.
That’s a serious injury . Tua shouldn’t have been out there with Sunday Thursday turn around. Sometimes players need protecting from themselves. Dolphins failed Tua
Very thankful today for the Patriots’ trainers/medical staff for the way they handled my concussion in 2011.
I was out on my feet, they took it seriously, and I spent the year on IR. They saved me from myself. I would’ve rushed back if they let me. They didn’t.
really bad that the announcers and analysts aren’t addressing in any way the nature of Tua’s injury last week, the “investigation” of whether concussion protocols were followed, and what it might mean for a player to suffer two head injuries within 5 days
Amazon halftime show makes no mention of what happened to Tua on Sunday against Buffalo. No mention of Dolphins letting him play after he literally didn’t know where he was.
The @MiamiDolphins organizational leadership is trash! @NFLPA investigation into a potential concussion protocol violation on top of Flores allegations,Sean Payton pursuit & illegal recruitment of @TomBrady make it hard to ever give them the benefit of the doubt after @Tua injury
Mike McDaniel is complicit in this as well. He’s been around football long enough and went to an Ivy League school to know this is a concussion yet he still started Tua 4 days after this. pic.twitter.com/FgdLrsiLjt
On top of the fact that Tua should not have been cleared tonight, I cannot understand Thursday night games. These players should not have to come out barely 4 days after playing the most intense sport possible and then do it again with no rest and little prep. It’s not worth this
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