Tua Tagovailoa isn't trying to be the savior for the struggling Dolphins in his return

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa could only watch from the sideline as the Miami Dolphins struggled to get anything going on offense over the last four games.

The quarterback said it was frustrating to see his team only score 40 points on injured reserve with a concussion, but he doesn't expect to be a hero either, even after Miami lost 4-2 The defeat on Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts.

“I don’t think I put any pressure on myself to come back and have to save the team,” Tagovailoa said Monday. “I think what we have to do is we have to look at the past game, all 11 guys on the field, with the plays that were called, did we have an opportunity to score on every drive? And when we can say yes, we can look at ourselves and see what we can do to be better in the future.”

Tagovailoa will return to training on Wednesday and could start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals if this week goes well, coach Mike McDaniel said. Both he and Tagovailoa said medical experts believed it was safe for the quarterback to play again after being diagnosed with the third concussion of his NFL career.

He must practice before he can be cleared from the concussion protocol, but his return could spark a Dolphins offense that averages a league-worst 12 points per game and continually falters due to penalties.

The Dolphins initially turned to Skylar Thompson to replace Tagovailoa, who was injured in week 2. Thompson struggled in his only start in Seattle the next week, injuring his ribs in that game. Tyler Huntley started the last three games for Miami but injured his throwing shoulder in the third quarter on Sunday.

Huntley lost his debut in Week 4 against the Titans, but did enough to help Miami beat New England the next week. He completed 59.1% of his passes for 377 yards, including one touchdown pass and one rushing.

Tim Boyle, who replaced Huntley on Sunday, has completed 15 of 26 passes in two appearances this season.

“There were some things I was happy with in terms of giving other players a chance to do their job and play good football,” McDaniel said, “but overall I would say it was solid overall “There was a period of time where the quarterback) The game wasn't good enough.”

McDaniel added that Miami's problems on offense extend beyond the quarterback position and won't be fixed simply by Tagovailoa's return.

“It’s important to say what I just talked about with the team,” McDaniel said, “that he’s not the savior either.”

Tagovailoa was involved on the sidelines, supporting Miami's backup quarterbacks along the way.

“Listen, I think it's really hard to ask any of our quarterbacks to come in and do the footwork that we've done the last two years,” Tagovailoa said, “to see fast guys running and space to see who is there and.” I ask you to process all of this somehow. We watched film and could see what we missed and what we could have improved, but it's a team sport. It shouldn't take a single position for the whole thing to collapse. Everyone has to keep an eye on their Ps and Qs too.”

What works

The Dolphins leaned on the run game for the second straight game, taking advantage of the Colts' poor run defense for 188 yards rushing and 4.7 yards per carry. De'Von Achane led the team with 77 yards on 15 carries.

What needs help

McDaniel has said for weeks that he needs to find ways to get the ball to receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. That didn't happen on Sunday. Both were targeted just twice and each had one catch for a total of 19 yards – their worst performance as teammates.

Stock up

TE Jonnu Smith caught all seven of his targets for a season-high 96 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown.

Inventory reduced

RB Raheem Mostert and FB Alec Ingold. Both had fumbles that led to points for the Colts. Mostert was sacked in the third, leading to a game-winning touchdown. Ingold lost the ball on the Indianapolis 13, ending a promising drive later in the quarter.

Injuries

CB Cam Smith (hamstring) could return this week after being activated from injured reserve on Monday, and WR Braxton Berrios was placed on IR after suffering a knee injury on Sunday. McDaniel said he will likely have more information about Huntley's shoulder injury on Tuesday.

Key number

70 – The Dolphins' total points this season. Miami hasn't scored 70 or fewer points in its first six games since allowing 63 points in an 0-6 start in 2019.

Next Steps

The Dolphins host Arizona (2-4) on Sunday.

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