The Dolphins wanted to give Tua Tagovailoa some extended rest at the end of Sunday’s game against the Patriots, but they weren’t able to keep him off the field thanks to a blunder with Skylar Thompson in at quarterback.
Thompson and running back Jaylen Wright botched a handoff and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez returned the ball for a touchdown that made the score 31-15 with just over 10 minutes to play. Tagovailoa returned to the game at that point and head coach Mike McDaniel said the entire operation was at fault for the miscue.
“The situation this past game was unacceptable from just the whole unit,” McDaniel said at his press conference. “From our perspective across the board, that’s not to our standard. From the way we came to the huddle to the execution of plays to give up points on an offensive play. I won’t get into the nitty gritty — I won’t point fingers. Ultimately that falls on everybody involved.”
McDaniel said he still trusts Thompson, but the Dolphins could have a chance to go in a different direction in the coming days. Daniel Jones is expected to clear waivers on Monday and he could sign with any team as a free agent if that happens. McDaniel called Jones a “real talented player” when asked about potential interest in the former Giant, but did not give any indication about interest in a change behind Tagovailoa.
