The Miami Dolphins’ season went from bad to worse Thursday night after their matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Miami got off to a slow start in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but were able to rally at halftime and come out with the win. That was not the case against a team that has had their number for years. Miami came out sluggish again on Thursday, and they weren’t going to turn it around this time.
Then, disaster struck. Once again, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took a big hit and suffered another concussion, going into a fencing posture after the hit, and once again calling into question whether or not it’s time for him to retire from the game of football. That question is bigger than any of us reading this column, and isn’t going to be answered anytime soon – though for the record, Tagovailoa has said he has no intention of retiring at this time.
What the concussion means for Tua and the Dolphins in the long term is one thing that we don’t know the answer to. What it means for the Dolphins in the short term is a precipitous drop in power rankings after yet another loss to their division rivals. The Dolphins came into Week 2 just outside The Sporting News’ NFL analysts Vinnie Iyer’s top 10 at 11. After the loss, and with the concussion questions for Tagovailoa, the Dolphins fell six spots to number 17.
The quarterback questions are what grabs the headlines, but there are more questions about this team than just the signal caller. The loss to Buffalo further exposed the Dolphins defense and how much they miss the presence of guys like Christian Wilkins. Miami got solid play from their cornerbacks on the night, but they just couldn’t overcome the struggles of the rest of the defense – particularly the lack of consistency from the defensive line.
Those questions aren’t likely to go away as the season goes on. Tagovailoa is likely to be out for awhile as he recovers from his latest concussion. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler is one of the most underrated defenders in the game, but he can’t do it alone. He needs someone along the defensive line to step up and be the complement he needs to shine. If the Dolphins don’t get that question figured out soon, it’s going to be a long season for Dolphins fans, and we’re likely to see the Dolphins continue to slide in power rankings as the season progresses.
