MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins lost a key game to their division rival and, even worse, lost their quarterback to another case of head trauma.
Tua Tagovailoa exited the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills with a concussion on Thursday night.
Tagovailoa was scrambling for a first down on fourth-and-4 deep into the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. As he charged forward, he collided head-first with Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa dipped his helmet into Hamlin’s shoulder.
Tagovailoa was down for minutes and went into a fencing posture with his right hand up and fingers curly with the left grabbing at his head while he lied on the turf. Teammates gestured immediately for assistance from the sideline.
Tagovailoa got up and walking on his own with trainers alongside him, escorting him into the tunnel.
He was ruled out for the remainder of the game moments later. He went 17 of 25 for 145 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions before exiting.
Before the conclusion of Thursday’s game, the Amazon Prime Video broadcast reported Tagovailoa had full movement in his extremities.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said his quarterback was in good spirits after the game.
“My thought was concern and I was just worried about my guy,” McDaniel said of his immediate reaction. “It’s not something that you ever want to be a part of.”
“It makes me sick. I think anyone, for the human eye, like, it sucks,” said backup quarterback Skylar Thompson, who entered for Tagovailoa. “In my position, you never want to have your opportunity come with something like that, and (I) have a lot of love for Tua. Built a great relationship with him.
“You care about the person more than the player. Everybody in the organization would say the same thing. So just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
The irony with Hamlin being the defender on the tackle is that he once went into cardiac arrest on the field at Cincinnati toward the end of the 2022 season, in January 2023. One of Tagovailoa’s concussions that season also took place in Cincinnati against the Bengals.
“My love and prayers with @Tua,” Hamlin posted on X after the game. “Sending you strength and healing for a speedy recovery.”
Said Bills quarterback Josh Allen on the Prime Video post-game show of Tagovailoa: “You can’t help but feel for him. He’s a great football player but an even better human being.”
In the 2022 season, Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions, causing him to miss five and half games. He made it through his first full season healthy in 2023.
Tagovailoa said, between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he considered retirement before returning last season. Ahead of this season, the Dolphins signed Tagovailoa to a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million.
Thompson entered for Tagovailoa after Miami’s starter took the hit. He went 8 of 14 for 80 yards in the spot duty, and he may now be counted on as the Dolphins starter, unless the team looks for an outside passer.
“I’m confident,” said Thompson. “I feel like I’m ready for whatever is to come.”
McDaniel’s mind was far from thinking of any potential plan at quarterback in the coming weeks after witnessing another case of head trauma for Tagovailoa.
“Right now, it’s more about getting a proper procedural evaluation (Friday) and taking it one day at a time,” the Dolphins coach said. “The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline. We just need to evaluate, and I’m just worried about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are.”
McDaniel also stayed away from the topic of Tagovailoa’s future in football.
Tagovailoa’s head injury added to an awful Thursday night for the franchise, solidifying the Dolphins (1-1) are still behind the Bills, who have won the past four division titles, in the AFC East.
Buffalo (2-0) continues to dominate Miami, earning a fifth consecutive win in the AFC East rivalry, with wins in 12 of the past 13 meetings.
The Dolphins turned the ball over three times, on Tagovailoa’s interceptions, and had four turnovers on downs.
“That’s the main thing that the football team is feeling, is supreme disappointment, because they’ve put a lot into it,” McDaniel said. “They have high expectations. And you can’t even evaluate appropriately when you’re playing football that way and giving it to the opponent, giving them extra possessions.”
Buffalo running back James Cook scorched his hometown team for three total touchdowns — two rushing — while going for 78 yards on the ground and a 17-yard touchdown reception. Allen went 13 of 19 for 139 yards and the touchdown pass to Cook.
On a night when star wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were held to 65 combined receiving yards, running back De’Von Achane, after entering questionable with an ankle injury, had 22 carries for 96 yards and seven receptions for another 69 yards and a touchdown through the air.
The night immediately started in Buffalo’s favor as Miami’s opening drive resulted in an interception, and that turnover resulted in a Bills touchdown.
Tagovailoa threw to wide receiver Grant DuBose for his first regular season target in the NFL. The third-and-13 pass deflected off Dubose’s shoulder pad as he didn’t turn around on his route and was intercepted by cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram.
With DuBose, Robbie Chosen and Braxton Berrios the three wide receivers in the formation, McDaniel said the team was trying to reinsert Waddle into the lineup, but they were late in the play clock.
His 25-yard return gave Allen a short field, and on fourth-and-3 from the 17-yard line, he found Cook wide open. Linebacker David Long Jr. got tied up in traffic from wide receivers on the left side crossing over the middle, which freed up Cook, the Miami product from Central High.
The Dolphins responded with a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Achane scored out of the right flat, with Tagovailoa finding him and fullback Alec Ingold out to block for him.
Late in the first quarter, Tagovailoa threw his second interception, targeting Chosen this time. It appeared to be a miscommunication on the route, as Chosen pulled up and Tagovailoa threw over him. The pass was intercepted by Christian Benford.
That turnover gifted Buffalo 3 points on a 43-yard field goal for Tyler Bass.
With a 10-7 lead, the Bills got back to scoring touchdowns. Cook had a 1-yard rushing score after Allen threw to running back Ty Johnson, beating cornerback Jalen Ramsey on a wheel route, for 33 yards to get to the 1-yard line. Miami safety Jordan Poyer, the former Bill, got hit for a personal foul for a helmet-to-helmet hit on former teammate, wide receiver Khalil Shakir, on the series.
After the Dolphins turned it over on downs on a fourth-down sack in which Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver beat left guard Robert Jones, Cook scored his third touchdown on the following play from scrimmage, scampering 49 yards to the end zone.
Miami took a 24-10 deficit into halftime after kicking a field goal before intermission.
In the third period, Tagovailoa was facing pressure and trying to throw a pass away to the Buffalo sideline, but he didn’t quite get it there. Ingram took his second interception 31 yards for a touchdown that put the Bills ahead, 31-10.
Along with Tagovailoa, Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead and left guard Robert Jones left early with shoulder injuries.
The Dolphins, coming off the Thursday night game, get the weekend off before they travel to Seattle for a Week 3 game against the Seahawks on Sept. 22.
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