Tua To Miss Playoff Opener

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel announced on Wednesday that Tua Tagovailoa will miss Miami's wild card matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 15.

Skylar Thompson will assume starting duties against the Bills on Sunday, with Tagovailoa still in concussion protocol.

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This comes as a big blow for the Dolphin's chances, as Tagovailoa came close to sweeping the Bills in the two regular season matchups.

After showing signs of a possible concussion against the Bills on Sept. 25, Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol and led Dolphins to a 21-19 victory at home. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen responded with a late comeback on Dec. 17 to even up the season series.

Tagovailoa's health is the most important issue at hand, not winning a playoff game. Even though the Dolphins haven't won a playoff game since 2000, it is not worth the risk of rushing back Tagovailoa, who suffered two concussions this season.

Even with a healthy Tagovailoa, the Dolphins do not carry much momentum heading into the playoffs. After heading into the bye week with a 7-3 record, the Dolphins only won two of their remaining seven games.

Of those seven games, Tagovailoa started six, going 1-5 against elite quarterbacks such as Allen, Justin Herbert, and Aaron Rodgers. Thompson broke a five game losing streak in a 11-6 victory over the New York Jets, securing a spot in the playoffs.

Sunday's matchup will be the first time the Miami Dolphins have reached the playoffs since the 2016-2017 season.