Tag: tua tagovailoa

Giants’ Wink Martindale offers up all-time quote on playing Dolphins

The New York Giants will face off against the Miami Dolphins on the road this Sunday in a meeting between two teams that could not be more different.

The Dolphins (3-1) are averaging 37.5 points per game this season, the most in the NFL. The Giants are averaging just 11.5, the lowest in the league.

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The Giants have scored just three points in their first two home games, the lowest total by an NFL team in 40 years. Miami leads the NFL with 2,044 total yards of offense this season, the most by a team in their first four games in NFL history.

The Dolphins’ high-powered offense has to have Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale worried. He was asked on Thursday his reaction to the Miami offense, which pinned 70 points on Denver two weeks ago.

“My wife called me last night before she went to bed,” Martindale said. “She said she was worried about me. She said, ‘Are you getting any sleep?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m sleeping like a baby; every two hours, I wake up and cry and go to the bathroom and try to go back and get some more sleep.’

“It’s unbelievable. But that’s where this league’s heading with some of the other scores. The points have been up pretty high. I told our guys, not the players, I told our staff because we’re all old enough to remember, ‘The Greatest Show on Turf.’ This is like that, 2023 supersonic. I mean, they are fast. Faster than that. That’s the whole thing that in preparing a team going into this environment, that’s not even turf there. It’s grass and they’re still faster.”

The Giants spent this offseason trying to upgrade their total team speed. Sunday afternoon will put that plan to the test. Martindale has already addressed the subject with his team and hopes that he can slow the Dolphins down.

“In this game, I told the defense, there’s going to be plays made. You’ve got to just have that mentality that’s like, ‘Here we go again.’ Let’s just try to get a stop,” he said. “Every play, let’s just try to get a stop. The more we can get them in third downs, the better off it is for us.”

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One player New York Giants would steal from Dolphins

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.

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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?

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Dolphins QB ruled out for Bills playoff match

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 Tagovailoa
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Skylar Thompson
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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.

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Tua Tagovailoa’s trainer gives definitive answer on QB’s future after concussion scare

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.
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Dolphins 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.
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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.
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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.



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NFL community rips Dolphins over Tua Tagovailoa injury

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.
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Tua Tagovailoa lies on the ground after his scary hit.
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Medical staff tend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins.
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Medical staff tend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins.
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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.

The NFL Players Association retweeted multiple players sending their regards to Tagovailoa.



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