Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa to back up Jacoby Brissett again because of finger injury
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn’t start against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night and, instead backing up Jacoby Brissett for the second straight week because of a fractured middle finger on his left hand.
NFL Network first reported Brissett would start and a source later confirmed the decision to the Miami Herald.
It was the second straight game relegated to backup duty -- and, realistically, not playing -- because of the injury. Tagovailoa hurt the finger in the Dolphins’ loss to the Buffalo Bills on Halloween and backed Brissett last Sunday, but didn’t play.
Earlier in the week, coach Brian Flores said if the game was played Tuesday night, Brissett would be the starter but he was holding out Tagovailoa’s official status until game day to see if the second-year player further progressed in his healing. After the win over the Texans, Flores said Tagovailoa wasn’t dealing with the pain, but was unable to make the requisite throws to run the offense.
Brissett, 1-3 as a starter this season, completed 130-of-202 passes for 1,127 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions in his previous appearances.
This was also the sixth game of his career Tagovailoa missed because of injury and the latest setback for a player who has been plagued by them since he was in college. Tagovailoa missed three straight games earlier this season with fractured ribs.
Dolphins keep Greg Little inactive
After Flores said there were a lot of discussions about giving playing time to Greg Little amid continued struggles along the offensive line, the Dolphins opted to make the offensive tackle inactive on a short week. Miami also deactivated safety Sheldrick Redwine, linebacker Darius Hodge, cornerback Elijah Campbell and rookie tight end Hunter Long.
For the Ravens, wide receiver Sammy Watkins was active after being listed as questionable to play because of a thigh injury.
Starting nose tackle Brandon Williams was inactive because of a shoulder injury. Tight end Nick Boyle was also out with a knee injury. Baltimore also deactivated running back Latavius Murray (ankle), starting right tackle Patrick Mekari (ankle), wide receiver James Proche, outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson and safety Ar’Darius Washington.
Williams returns to starting lineup
After being inactive in each of the last two games, wide receier Preston Williams returned to action Thursday and even got the starting nod for Miami.
Last month, Williams did not travel with the Dolphins to New York for their game against the Bills because of a violation of team rules. He didn’t suit up for Miami’s win against the Texans on Sunday, either, although Flores did not specify a reason. On Thursday, the Dolphins gave the third-year wideout another shot.
Williams, who joined Miami as an undrafted free agent in 2019, has had a rocky start to his NFL career, flashing major potential while struggling to remain on the field consistently. As a rookie in 2019, Williams caught 32 passes for 428 yards in eight games before a season-ending injury. In his second season, Williams caught 18 passes for 288 yards and again only played in eight games because of injury.
This year, Williams has only played in four games and his start Thursday was only his second of the season. With wide receivers Will Fuller V and DeVante Parker injured, there are now opportunities for Williams, though, if he can stay healthy himself.
Finally, a big play
The Dolphins became the second to last team to break off a play of 50 yards or more Thursday when Brissett hit wide receiver Isaiah Ford for a 52-yard completion in the last minute of the first half. Ford got open on a coverage bust and Brissett made an easy throw to the wide receiver to set up the Dolphins for a late field goal, which sent Miami into halftime with a three-point lead.
Baltimore was the only other team without a 50-yard play this season.
This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 6:35 PM.
