The Dolphins get a week off and a chance to salvage the season.
One of the best things for a team amid a roller-coaster season is to take a seat, rest up, and take extra time to gameplan for one of the most significant games of the season. Yes, a game against the lowly Indianapolis Colts is vital to the Miami Dolphins playoff hopes.
Every winnable game until Tua Tagovailoa is under center is crucial, and that’s what the Dolphins have over the next two weeks, so thank you bye week!
Tagovailoa is eligible to come off of Injured Reserve for the Arizona Cardinals game. Still, judging from the latest comments from head coach Mike McDaniel, it seems more likely that they’ll have him wait another week for the game against the Buffalo Bills.
In the meantime, the Dolphins will roll with Tyler Huntley under center, who gives Miami their best chance at a win or two over this next stretch. With a full two weeks to prepare for the Colts, Huntley could put his positive stamp on the season with a win, going 2-1 in his tenure if Tagovailoa ultimately returns next week.
The Dolphins got to put their feet up and watch the rest of the league over the weekend, and to my surprise, got them a little boost amongst most of the media.
NFL
- Ranked #26 – Previously ranked #28 (+2)
A win over the Patriots and the bye week allowed for some of the pressure to be released, but it also opened the window of speculation on Tua Tagovailoa’s return. Mike McDaniel indicated Monday that Tagovailoa wants to continue playing football and even playing this season for the Dolphins, adding, “But where that is exactly, we’ll let the process continue.” Tua won’t be out there this weekend against the Colts, but he could be activated from injured reserve as early as Oct. 23. A win at Indianapolis would get the Dolphins to 3-3, and they have the currently 2-4 Cardinals the week after that prior to a big showdown at Buffalo (the opponent back in Week 2 when Tua sustained the concussion that put him on IR). The Dolphins aren’t out of the race yet, but they need to hang on these next few games to have much of a shot. If they lose two straight, would Tua want to come back to pilot a 2-5 team? Hard to say.
ESPN
- Ranked #24 – Previously ranked #23 (-1)
“Coach Mike McDaniel said as much following a win over the Patriots in Week 5. While the Dolphins’ offense has sputtered without QB Tua Tagovailoa, their defense quietly ranks fifth in yards allowed per game (285.4) and leads the NFL in third-down percentage (25.5%). In its first year under coordinator Anthony Weaver, Miami’s defense has been a lone positive in a largely disappointing first six weeks of the season. However, it won’t mean much until the Dolphins’ NFL-worst scoring offense improves.” — Marcel Louis-Jacques
CBS Sports
- Ranked #28 – Previously ranked #28 (<—>)
“They come off their bye hoping that Tyler Huntley can handle more of the offense. In a bad division, they are far from done.”
Bleacher Report
- Ranked #27 – Previously ranked #27 (<—>)
“The first month-plus of the 2024 season hasn’t gone at all according to plan for the Miami Dolphins.
With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve with yet another concussion, the Dolphins have struggled mightily to move the football. Miami is barely cracking 300 yards of offense a contest, and the 12.0 points per game the Dolphins are averaging ranks dead last in the league.
While speaking to reporters, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel said that he understands why some fans are frustrated by the team’s lack of success given the expectations entering the season.
““I’m not really villainizing the people who are jumping off the bandwagon; it’s more we gave them reason to,” he said. “So that’s to be expected. I don’t think people pay what they pay to go to Hard Rock Stadium to watch us lose, so whatever results incurred by our game-day failure, we deserve.””
It will be at least one more week before Tagovailoa is eligible to return, leaving the Dolphins in scramble mode as they attempt to scratch out a win at Indianapolis in Week 7 to get back to .500 for the season.
Analyst’s Take
To be honest, given how bad the Dolphins offense has been, things could be a lot worse. Fortunately for Miami, the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets haven’t been lighting it up either, leaving Miami within shouting distance of first place in the AFC East. If Miami can somehow get past a banged up Colts team next week and gets Tagovailoa back at 3-3, that would be just about a best-case scenario given everything that has happened.” — Davenport
Sports Illustrated
- Ranked #26 – Previously ranked #26(<—>)
“Knowing people who know Mike McDaniel, I would say that him actually uttering publicly that Tua Tagovailoa could play again this season was a big deal. But I want to note this: it’s a big deal because I know how much thought and care went into actually saying it out loud. I don’t know if there’s a coach who has put more personal equity into a quarterback in recent times than McDaniel and Tagovailoa, and, of late, this has been a clinic in how to respect someone going through a difficult time.”
Fox Sports
- Ranked #29 – Previously ranked #31 (+2)
“There’s still no timetable on when Tua Tagovailoa might return, so this upcoming stretch feels important. The Dolphins’ next two opponents, the Colts and Cardinals, are a combined 5-7. If they can steal a win or two, the season might be salvageable when their quarterback gets back to the lineup.”
With how this weekend’s action played out, the Dolphins have the ability to get back into the playoff picture with a win over the Colts.
If they can do that, they could be in the catbird with their starting quarterback returning while looking ahead at the weakest remaining schedule in the NFL.
One more win and the season could not only be saved but end positively.
Let us know in the comments where you think the Miami Dolphins should be ranked in the NFL power rankings.
