Miami Dolphins QB Teddy Bridgewater looked capable in relief of Tua Tagovailoa

Prayers up for Tua.

Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins quarterback, endured head and neck injuries in the next quarter of Thursday night’s match and experienced to be wheeled out of Paycor Stadium on a stretcher.

Luckily, Tagovailoa was discharged from the hospital and was on the aircraft again to Miami with his staff afterwards that night. He’ll have added time to recover ahead of the Dolphins’ Oct. 9 recreation towards the New York Jets, but if we’re being genuine, Tua really should not play. I hope the Dolphins don’t check out to pressure him to. They need to have to give him at the very least a couple of months to get his head right.

With that claimed, except the crew medical practitioners horribly mismanage Tua’s predicament, again, the 3-1 Dolphins will rely on Teddy Bridgewater to preserve them atop the AFC East. Can he do that? Properly, based mostly on how he played previous night time…definitely!

In Tua’s stead, Bridgewater concluded 14 of 23 passes for 193 yards, just one landing, and a person interception. That may not seem far too terrific, but Bridgwater’s enjoy was better than the boxrating indicates, and frankly, if the Dolphins dependable Bridgewater just a minimal bit a lot more, they could possibly have had a shot late in the video game.

Here’s how each of Bridgewater’s full drives ended: Missed area intention, touchdown, punt, one more punt, a 3rd punt, an interception, and a turnover on downs. That sounds pretty dreadful right until you search a small nearer. Obviously, the first drive can’t truly be counted. Bridgewater arrived into the recreation for Tua in a 3rd-and-17 scenario. Bridgewater managed to achieve 16 yards on his only engage in of the drive on an in to Trent Sherfield, who discovered the delicate spot in the Bengals’ Deal with 4 zone. Which is complicated to consider however. It is crystal clear the Bengals ended up just wanting to prevent an about-the-major shot to Waddle or Hill. It was a great glimpse by Bridgewater, but it was from soft coverage and the Bengals’ defense eventually achieved their aim of stopping a first down.

The next generate though was excellent, and it was the only time the relaxation of the recreation that Dolphins’ head mentor Mike McDaniel confirmed any trust in Bridgewater, aside from the remaining push when the Bengals realized Teddy B. was dropping back again to move every time.

The Fins commenced off with two straight runs by Raheem Mostert and then handed the reins to Bridgewater. A 16-lawn completion. An incompletion. An 11-property completion. A six-lawn completion, followed by completions of 4 yards, 12 yards, and seven yards, with that final a single resulting in a landing. Now, the generate wasn’t executed so perfectly simply because of Bridgewater it was a very effectively-considered-out assault down the industry. By environment up the run on the initial two performs, Bridgewater was capable to execute engage in-action to a T, and each the 12-garden completion and touchdown go came off of enjoy fakes. Bridgewater performed his purpose effectively, and with as perilous of weapons as the Dolphins have, that’s all they genuinely need to have him to do: Execute gradual, methodical drives downfield and sometimes drive the protection to respect the long bomb to Hill. We’ll get to that later on.

The Dolphins opened up with an awful generate to start the second 50 percent. A few-and-out for minus 5 yards. There have been a pair of incompletions as well as a penalty. Bridgewater tried using to join with Sherfield once again on a deep appear on the left side. It did not perform. That comes about. Just final week, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs experienced two a few-and-outs to start out their match from the Colts. These sorts of drives happen. Transferring on.

Upcoming drive, two runs followed by a limited pass to limited finish Mike Gesicki. A few and out. I’ll be straightforward here, this was not a excellent toss from Bridgewater. I think he was hoping to toss to his outside shoulder and direct him upfield, but the toss was just far too higher for Gesicki to cope with cleanly. He couldn’t convert his physique upfield in time and ultimately got stopped just before the line to achieve. Would Gesicki have attained the first down marker if the toss was improved? I’m not absolutely sure, but Bridgewater undoubtedly didn’t assistance with that throw. Still, that was only his second legitimately off-concentrate on toss of the night time. I’ll let it slide.

Now, we get to the “bomb to Hill” drive. As is personalized for these Dolphins’ drives with Bridgewater, it kicked off with a run by Mostert. On the upcoming enjoy, Bridgewater faked the handoff to Mostert although Hill ran in front of Bridgewater, faking a possible contact move. All of Cincinnati’s linebackers froze at the faux. Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, and Vonn Bell (I know he’s a protection, but he was lined up just outside the suitable deal with, so he was generally playing linebacker on this play) all froze or stepped up to enjoy the operate. That allowed Sherfield to get behind them for a 16-yard obtain. When yet again, Bridgewater executed the process well. Then arrived the deep shot to Hill. This was the very first time in a whilst that McDaniel let Bridgewater throw on 1st down, and he was not permitting that chance slip away. Hill never genuinely beats his male on this play. He gets driving him absolutely sure, but hardly ever gets serious separation. Regardless, Bridgewater designed a great go through listed here. The lone safety deep, Jessie Bates, was looking at Waddle on the reverse side. He by no means even observed Hill. Waddle ran a publish and Bates straight away followed him. That remaining Hill a single-on-just one in opposition to Chidobe Awuzie. Anytime you get Hill a person-on-1 on very first down, you have to acquire that shot. Even though the push didn’t conclusion in a landing as you’d count on, Bridgewater proved that he can hit all those deep photographs to Hill and Waddle should Tagovailoa be sidelined for many months.

Inspite of this terrific examine from Bridgewater, the Dolphins opted to run the ball on the next two performs. I fully grasp that Bridgewater was relying intensely on perform motion, but he just manufactured an remarkable exertion. Run the ball on 1st, sure, but then perhaps take into consideration providing Teddy a prospect to display the ball to Hill wasn’t a fluke. In its place, Bridgewater only experienced a person probability to score from the two-and-a-50 %-yard line. By the time Bridgewater had gone as a result of his very first go through, the Bengals’ move rush was on him. He produced a great hard work to get the ball to Hill, but it did not function.

If you are going to operate only a single move participate in on the purpose line, I feel a target line fade or a pick perform, like the just one that the 49ers ran against the Broncos previous weekend for their only touchdown would’ve been a far better solution than an out-go route combo with a drag coming throughout. The Bengals even showed a identical defense to the 1 the Broncos ran. There was a safety further in the endzone from Miami where there wasn’t 1 in that perform from Denver, but if Miami ran the select efficiently, the security would’ve been a non-factor. I’m receiving away from the position. Bridgewater didn’t have a great deal time to really make a study or a throw. He did properly to escape the pocket, but regretably couldn’t locate a receiver though rolling to his weak facet. Not a negative participate in from Bridgewater at all.

Bridgewater continued to force the ball downfield properly when offered the prospect. The interception was not wonderful, obviously. I’d like to say there was a miscommunication amongst Gesicki and Bridgewater. Gesicki ran a submit and Bridgewater threw to his outdoors shoulder. That will make me think Gesicki was possibly intended to operate a corner or a cease. Possibly Gesicki ran the completely wrong route or Bridgewater believed Gesicki would see the blitzing linebacker and observe that there was no one lined up throughout from him and search for the ball instantly. Possibly way, Bridgewater created a terrible conclusion and it price tag the Dolphins the video game.

All in all, although, Bridgewater proved more than capable of primary Miami’s offense. Confident, it is heading to just take a lengthy of great coaching from McDaniel to established up particular plays and make the most of Bridgewater’s ability established, but as extended as Bridgewater can take care of the activity, regulate the clock, and not turn the ball in excess of, I have a feeling Miami’s offense is likely to be just wonderful. The Dolphins’ upcoming 6 online games are at the New York Jets, Minnesota at residence, Pittsburgh at household, at Detroit, at Chicago, and Cleveland at house. Even if Tagovailoa misses all 6 of those people games, I would not be shocked if the Dolphins go 4-2 or even 5-1. Bridgewater’s always been a great QB. There’s a explanation they introduced him to South Beach.