Miami Dolphins

Even after Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Miami Dolphins to a 20-3 victory over the winless New York Jets on Sunday, head coach Brian Flores held firm to his stance that Fitzpatrick is the backup quarterback.

Rookie Tua Tagovailoa missed this week with a thumb injury, but if he is able, Flores told reporters he'll take the field against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 6.

"If he's healthy, he's the guy," Flores said.

In his first start since Week 6, Fitzpatrick threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-39 passing. The performance was his best since Week 5, when he threw for a season-high 350 yards and three touchdowns. That also marked the last game he had not thrown any interceptions.

The veteran quarterback was pulled from that last start, also against the Jets, in favor of Tagovailoa, who went on to lead the Dolphins to three consecutive victories before falling to the Denver Broncos in Week 11. After the rookie was sacked six times and threw for just 83 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Denver, he was pulled in favor of Fitzpatrick, who threw for 117 yards on 12 completions.

Though he explained that he pulled Tagovailoa because of his performance and not an injury in Week 11, Flores was steadfast that he would be the starter going forward.

For Fitzpatrick to get the ball again, Tagovailoa would need to suffer a setback as he recovers from the injury he suffered when he jammed his thumb into a helmet at practice this week. But that seems unlikely since Flores noted that Tagovailoa was close to a return.

Miami Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa is out for Sunday's game against the New York Jets with a thumb injury.  

The Dolphins confirmed Tagovailoa is inactive for the contest, with Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reporting there's "nothing broken" in the thumb but that there is "swelling and weakness," which forced him to sit out. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start in his place.

Tagovailoa began this season as Miami's backup behind Fitzpatrick. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft made his professional debut late in the fourth quarter of the Dolphins' 24-0 win over the New York Jets in Week 6.

Coming out of the bye two weeks later, Tagovailoa was named Miami's starter. He won each of his first three starts, throwing for 510 yards and five touchdowns with zero interceptions in those games.

After struggling for three quarters in Week 11 against the Denver Broncos, Tagovailoa was benched in favor of Fitzpatrick.

The Dolphins are fortunate to have Fitzpatrick, who is a proven veteran with starting experience under his belt, on their roster. Tagovailoa's injury history dating back to Alabama is a concern and a reason for Miami to be cautious until he's completely healthy.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is doubtful for Sunday's Week 12 game against the New York Jets because of a thumb injury.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news Saturday.

The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa out of Alabama with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and he took over the offense from veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick ahead of Week 8. He's posted a 100.1 passer rating with six touchdowns and no interceptions through five appearances.

His collegiate career with the Tide came to a premature end last November when he suffered a severe hip injury along with a broken nose and a concussion on a hard hit against Mississippi State. The thumb injury was suffered during a practice ahead of Week 12. It's his first setback at the pro level.

Fitzpatrick will resume the reins of the Miami offense from the 22-year-old Hawaii native. The team will either call up rookie Reid Sinnett from the practice squad or sign a free agent to provide depth.

Tagovailoa has shown a lot of promise during the initial stages of his NFL career, and his high-end potential should begin to shine through more as he gains a comprehensive understanding of the Dolphins' passing attack and opposing defenses. Staying healthy will be key to his development, though.

The 6-4 Miami Dolphins are fighting for a playoff spot under second-year head coach Brian Flores. 

Miami is in a three-way tie with the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens for the seventh and final AFC playoff spot. Las Vegas holds the edge by virtue of the conference record tiebreaker.

Overall, six AFC teams have six or seven wins, and the playoff race should be a fight to the finish.

Therefore, scoreboard viewing could be on the docket for Dolphins fans when they're not watching their team take on the winless New York Jets at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. 

Here's a look at who to root for in Week 12 and why.

                      

First, a Quick AFC Playoff Rundown

The 10-0 Pittsburgh Steelers and 9-1 Kansas City Chiefs should duke it out for the AFC's No. 1 seed. Miami likely won't need to be concerned about passing either team in the standings for a playoff berth barring monumental collapses for either franchise.

The Dolphins are one game behind the 7-3 Buffalo Bills for the AFC East lead. The 7-3 Indianapolis Colts hold the AFC South edge to round out the top four in the AFC field. 

The 7-3 Tennessee Titans and 7-3 Cleveland Browns currently hold the AFC's first two wild card spots ahead of the trio of aforementioned 6-4 teams.

Overall, the Dolphins have two realistic routes into the playoffs either via the division or wild card.

            

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Dolphins will be Steelers fans on Tuesday when Pittsburgh hosts Baltimore in an AFC North battle. Any Ravens loss is ultimately beneficial to Miami's playoff chances.

Unfortunately, the Ravens are suffering from a COVID-19 outbreak, which has seen quarterback Lamar Jackson added to the reserve/COVID-19 list. He will sit in favor of backup Robert Griffin III.

The game was originally scheduled for Thursday but was moved five days to accommodate the team.

Rooting Interest: Steelers

                

Las Vegas Raiders at Atlanta Falcons

The Dolphins will jump over the Raiders with a win and a Las Vegas loss at the Atlanta Falcons.

A Raiders defeat to the 3-7 Falcons is harder to envision than a Ravens loss. The Raiders nearly picked off the Chiefs, who they beat earlier this season, last Sunday before ultimately falling 35-31.

Las Vegas also took down the 8-2 New Orleans Saints en route to its winning start, so this team has no problem facing the league's best and excelling.

The Falcons are certainly talented but not among that group. They also just lost 24-9 to the Saints sans starting quarterback Drew Brees on Sunday, so this team isn't coming into this game with good form.

Rooting Interest: Falcons

                       

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Dolphins will leap over the Cleveland Browns in the playoff picture with a win and a Cleveland loss. They would be tied in the standings, but Miami would own the conference record tiebreaker (4-3 vs. 4-4).

However, the 1-9 Jags have lost nine straight. They are bottom five in points per game and points allowed per game.

Chances are Miami won't be sailing over Cleveland this week.

Rooting Interest: Jaguars

              

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts

Barring a miracle run from the 4-7 Houston Texans, either the 7-3 Titans or 7-3 Colts will be winning the AFC South and earning an automatic playoff berth. As such, the Dolphins' focus is obviously on the second-place AFC South finisher.

The loser of this game will become one of Miami's chief AFC playoff rivals, while the winner will separate itself from the wild card pack for at least one more week.

Ideally, Miami would like to see both these teams lose as much as possible down the stretch, but they both can't lose Sunday.

Picking which team to root for in Week 12 is ultimately splitting hairs, but the guess here is that a Titans win would be more helpful.

The Colts have a tougher schedule with games at the Raiders and Steelers on the docket. A loss to the Titans could give Miami a better chance to eclipse (and hold off) Indianapolis down the stretch. Indianapolis would also fall to 3-4 in the AFC with a loss, so conference tiebreakers may be detrimental to their chances by the regular season's conclusion.

Rooting Interest: Titans

               

Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills

Miami's preferred route to the playoffs is through the AFC East: Winning the division grants the Dolphins an automatic top-four seed and a home game to start the playoffs. Therefore, any Bills loss is a huge win for the Dolphins, so Miami should root for the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

A Dolphins win and a Chargers victory at the Buffalo Bills would create a two-team tie atop the AFC East at 7-4. Buffalo would still be in first because of the head-to-head tiebreaker (the Bills beat the Dolphins 31-28 in Week 2).

Ultimately, the Bills are clear favorites over the 3-7 Bolts, but the race is clearly on as the calendar nears December.

Rooting Interest: Chargers

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is questionable heading into Sunday's game against the New York Jets. 

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins rookie has been limited in practice since Wednesday, when he jammed his thumb into a teammate's helmet. 

Tagovailoa took over as the Dolphins' starting quarterback in Week 8 after replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick at the tail end of a Week 6 victory over the New York Jets. The rookie has since compiled 602 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions with Miami going 3-1 (6-4 overall) in games started by Tagovailoa. 

Head coach Brian Flores replaced Tagovailoa with Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter of last week's 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos. 

Flores told reporters after the game that Tagovailoa is still Miami's starter. 

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft suffered a devastating injury in November 2019 while playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide, requiring surgery for a dislocated hip and fractured posterior wall. 

That created plenty of doubt surrounding the quarterback throughout the predraft process, including concerns that Tagovailoa may be more susceptible to future injuries. The Dolphins decided to take a chance on him anyways, making him the second QB selected last April after LSU's Joe Burrow went No. 1 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals, while the Los Angeles Chargers took Oregon's Justin Herbert one spot after Tagovailoa. 

With Miami in full rebuild mode, there hasn't been an immediate need to keep Tagovailoa on the field, and his long-term health has been the main priority. 

That led the Dolphins to name Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting QB as the season began.

Tagovailoa's hip rehab had been positive over the summer, with one of his physical therapists in Alabama, Kevin Wilk, telling Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in June that the quarterback was "doing miraculously well."

"He's a little bit ahead as far as where we would like him," Wilk said. "We're constantly trying to slow him down just a little bit because an athlete like that is just chomping at the bit just begging to get back out there. He wants to do more and more so we have to hold him back. And really, that was from the beginning. He always wanted to do more."

Tagovailoa and Fitzpatrick are the only quarterbacks listed on Miami's depth chart. 

Tua Tagovailoa was benched, but it was just a temporary move.  

As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald noted, the rookie was benched during Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos after struggling for much of the contest.

It wasn't all his fault as the Miami Dolphins offensive line struggled to protect him. He went 11-of-20 for 83 yards and one touchdown while taking six sacks.

Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the game for Tagovailoa.

Head coach Brian Flores confirmed the move was just for Sunday when he told reporters the rookie is still healthy and the starter moving forward.

Tagovailoa opened up about the experience after the game:

Tua's reaction to being removed from the game: "My thoughts were whatever was going to be best for the team. When I was in, we coudn't really get things going."

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 23, 2020

Tua on his struggles in Denver: "For me, it was a great learning experience. I felt like I was holding the ball way too long."

— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) November 23, 2020

While it would be easy to view this as the potential start of a quarterback controversy in Miami, there is also something to be said for protecting the franchise signal-caller during a game in which the offensive line is struggling.

Fitzpatrick is also someone who can provide a spark, and he did just that by leading the Dolphins to a field goal on his first drive. That cut Denver's lead to 20-13.

Fitzpatrick started the season under center, but Tagovailoa had started each of the last three games and led Miami to victories over the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers.

He was particularly impressive against the Cardinals and outdueled Kyler Murray by throwing for 248 yards and two scores and running for 35 more yards.

The Alabama product has yet to throw an interception in the early portion of his career and looks the part as a franchise quarterback for the team that selected him with the No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft.

This is surely just a temporary setback and a decision that was made based on the game flow with Fitzpatrick there as a veteran who could lead the team back and deal with pressure behind the shaky offensive line.

Two-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl VII MVP Jake Scott died Thursday at the age of 75. 

The Miami Dolphins issued a statement about Scott:

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Jake Scott. pic.twitter.com/rIEKsUYI4l

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 20, 2020

Scott played nine seasons in the NFL from 1970-78. He was a seventh-round draft pick (No. 159 overall) by the Dolphins out of the University of Georgia. 

Miami immediately made Scott a starter at free safety. He became the second defensive player to be named MVP of the Super Bowl when he took home the honors for the Dolphins' 14-7 win over Washington in Super Bowl VII after intercepting two passes by Billy Kilmer. 

The 1972 Dolphins remain the only NFL team to finish a season undefeated.

Scott and the Dolphins won their second straight Super Bowl in 1973 with a 24-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. 

After spending the first six years of his career in Miami, Scott played three years in Washington. He recorded at least three interceptions in each of his nine seasons. 

The Dolphins inducted Scott into their Honor Roll in 2010. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in May 2011. 

Former Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones was arrested Wednesday morning in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and charged with carrying a concealed firearm. 

Per WPLG Local 10, police said they were called after Jones was seen walking through gas station parking lots while holding a loaded handgun. According to the arrest report, Jones told police he "does not have and never has held" a concealed weapons permit.

Police said that after Jones complied with orders to get on the ground, he "was very difficult with officers and appeared to be on the influence of an unknown substance." Police also Jones had "a heavy odor of alcohol."

After being arrested, Jones was booked at the Davie Police Department and taken to Broward Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale. 

The 32-year-old Jones is an Atlanta native who spent 10 NFL seasons with the Dolphins before getting released in March.

Jones, who was a 2010 fifth-round pick out of Georgia, appeared in 128 games for the Dolphins, making 113 starts. He registered 776 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 21 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. He also returned four interceptions and two fumbles for touchdowns.

From 2012-18, Jones was among the best safeties in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl berths in both 2015 and 2017. His best season came in 2015 when he finished with a career-high 135 tackles, five interceptions and two sacks.

Jones underwent a pair of shoulder surgeries and then had his 2019 season cut short because of a chest injury, as he appeared in just four games before getting placed on injured reserve.

He had two years remaining on his contract when the Dolphins cut him, and he did not sign with another team following his release.