MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed Wednesday’s practice after missing Week 17 with a right hip injury.
Tagovailoa didn’t do much during the practice portion shown to reporters. He stretched, jogged and threw the football a few yards to back up quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley.
Coach Mike McDaniel said Huntley will practice more than Tagovailoa this week due to their upcoming game against the New York Jets, giving the Dolphins a chance to remain in the final AFC Wild Card spot. He said he needed to win.
“I thought Snoop was going to start today and we’re getting closer to it today,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “Obviously the team. It’s very easy to adjust as the week goes on. But I think we have to approach it a certain way. Given last week’s schedule, it was an easy adjustment and we is definitely positive.”
For Miami to qualify for the playoffs, they need a win, the Broncos clinch the AFC’s top seed, and a loss to the Chiefs, who have Carson Wentz starting at QB.
“We’ve definitely focused on that,” McDaniel said of the upcoming matchup. And this game is another opportunity for us to give it our all and we definitely have a chance to play in the playoffs. We know our role in the transaction. That opportunity doesn’t exist unless we address it. ”
Tagovailoa has not been ruled out of Sunday’s game.
He was injured while taking a shot from outside the pocket against Houston on December 15, and aggravated the injury the following week against San Francisco. It’s the same hip that Tagovailoa dislocated while at Alabama in 2019 and required surgery after the season, but it’s not the same injury, McDaniel said Monday.
If Tagovailoa is unavailable, Huntley will start for the second straight game. It will be the Dolphins’ fifth start for the Dolphins, who removed Huntley from Baltimore’s practice squad in September when Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve with a concussion.
Huntley completed 22 of 26 passes for 225 yards against Cleveland last week, including one touchdown pass and one rush.
He also has experience playing against Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Huntley, making his third career start in 2021, replaced the injured Lamar Jackson and nearly led the Ravens to a comeback from a 31-17 deficit against Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
“We lost by one point,” Huntley said Wednesday. “But I think that was a big game. At that time, I think we only lost four games that year. I can’t remember. They were a great team. That was a pretty good game.”
He also adds another element to Miami’s offense with his ability to extend plays with his feet. Huntley led the Dolphins with 52 yards on seven attempts against the Browns.
McDaniel said Huntley quickly earned the trust of his teammates.
“There was a lot of preparation for the Cleveland Browns game, I will tell you that,” McDaniel said. “He’s got to be confident in his skills, he’s confident. That was very evident and evident in the way he controlled the huddle in the first few weeks of the season with aplomb. .
“There’s this thing called the ‘IT factor’ that we talk about quarterbacks, where you can get people fired up and make them believe that if he leads, he’s ready to be successful. So he’s a good time to return to play. I think he’s perfectly qualified.”
Notes: The Dolphins placed offensive lineman Kendall Lamb (back) on injured reserve. Lamb started seven games at right tackle this season. Miami also signed tackle Braden Daniels from Dallas’ practice squad on Wednesday.
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