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Tag: Skylar Thompson

  • Dolphins turn focus to Skylar Thompson at QB with Tua out, heading West to face the 2-0 Seahawks

    Dolphins turn focus to Skylar Thompson at QB with Tua out, heading West to face the 2-0 Seahawks

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    SEATTLE (AP) — Having spent the past two seasons as his teammate, Seattle center Connor Williams struggled to watch what happened to Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa.

    He’d much rather see Tagovailoa on the field Sunday when the Seahawks host the Dolphins than watch his former teammate deal with yet another concussion.

    “It was awful. I mean, you never wish for something like that, and definitely with his history,” Williams said. “Just prayers out to him and his family.”

    The latest concussion suffered by the Miami quarterback and his uncertain future has centered the storylines around the Week 3 matchup.

    Tagovailoa was injured last Thursday night in a loss to Buffalo, his third diagnosed concussion in the past two years. The Dolphins have spent the week trying to get Skylar Thompson ready to make his first start since the 2022 season while also answering unknowns about when Tagovailoa — who has been placed on injured reserve — will return.

    For now, Miami is placing its faith in Thompson.

    “When I tell you that the confidence that the team has for Skylar is real and it’s earned, and it’s based upon thousands of hours that as a backup quarterback most people don’t see,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said.

    The last time Thompson started was the 2022 playoffs against Buffalo. He never saw the field last season and his limited career opportunities thus far make it difficult to get a read on what exactly may be different with Thompson under center.

    “It’s tough because it’s not a huge sample size to see, and it’s been a long time, and you’re talking about a couple of years of growth from when he started last in a playoff game, being in the system,” Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said. “So that’s where we’re at right now.”

    While it’s a bit of an unknown how Thompson will step in, the Dolphins still have a dangerous set of skill talent like Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane.

    “One of my favorite parts about this game is going to play with the guys next to me. It’s been that way since I was a little kid, and I just find joy in going to battle with guys that I know have put so much into it to do their job,” Thompson said.

    In the backfield

    Seattle played last week without top running back Kenneth Walker III and his status against the Dolphins is uncertain due to an oblique injury. Whether it’s Walker or backup Zach Charbonnet carrying the load, Seattle’s offensive line must do better blocking up front.

    “We’ve got to move people. Right now we’re not moving them,” Macdonald said.

    The Seahawks had only 46 yards rushing and averaged 2.4 yards per rush against New England, which made the 103 yards Walker had in Week 1 against Denver that much more impressive.

    The guard spot has been the problem thus far and Seattle could continue to rotate at right guard where Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes split time against the Patriots.

    Bring the noise

    Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks knows how loud it can get inside Seattle’s home stadium after spending the first four years of his career as a Seahawk.

    Brooks said the best way for the Dolphins to quiet the noise from Seattle’s passionate fans is to stymie the Seahawks’ offense and for Thompson and the Dolphins’ offense to make big plays of their own.

    “It gets as loud as the team can make it,” Brooks said. “So if we’re stopping them, it won’t be that loud. If we don’t, it will be pretty loud.”

    Thompson also has experience playing in hostile environments. He started a road playoff game against the Buffalo Bills during the 2022 season.

    “For me, that’s what you want,” Thompson said. “That’s why football is such a great game, and being able to go on the road, having a road opportunity with the guys and get to go in there and go to battle with them in that environment is fun. We’re really excited for that opportunity.”

    The other QB

    Geno Smith is coming off one of the best games of his career, completing 75% of his passes and throwing for 327 yards in the win over the Patriots. Smith was 17 of 25 passing in the second half and overtime, and carried Seattle’s offense on a day there was no run game.

    “Y’all been calling this man underrated for three years, and when is it going to stop?” Seattle wide receiver DK Metcalf questioned. “But he’s not underrated by any means.”

    Homecoming

    There was a huge smile on Tyler Huntley’s face Wednesday when he described the feeling of playing football in Miami.

    Huntley, signed this week by Miami off the Ravens’ practice squad, was born in Dania Beach, Florida, about 20 miles north of Miami and attended high school in South Florida. He went to college in Utah before signing with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

    “Man, it’s just like a dream come true,” Huntley said. “As a little kid, you’re looking up seeing the NFL and your home team being right there, you just want to be a part of it. I get the chance to be a part of it.”

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    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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  • McDaniel to reeling Fins: QB exits can’t be excuse

    McDaniel to reeling Fins: QB exits can’t be excuse

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    8:15 PM ET

    • Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN

    MIAMI — Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson was physically unable to return to Sunday’s 24-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings after he left in the first half with a thumb injury to his throwing hand, coach Mike McDaniel said.

    Thompson, who made his first career start, appeared to hit his right hand on a Vikings defender’s helmet while attempting a pass in the second quarter. He left for the locker room and did not return until the third quarter — but only to the sideline, not to the game.

    The seventh-round pick completed 7 of 13 passes for 89 yards before leaving. McDaniel confirmed he would have “definitely stayed with” Thompson had he been able to proceed but noted he “didn’t have any strength holding the ball.”

    Teddy Bridgewater finished the game in place of Thompson, completing 23 of 34 passes for 329 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

    It marked the third straight week that the Dolphins’ starting quarterback was unable to finish the game. Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in Week 4, and Bridgewater was placed in concussion protocol after just one snap in Week 5.

    Miami also is now on a three-game losing streak after starting the season with three straight wins. McDaniel, however, said he refuses to isolate the team’s quarterback luck as the driving force behind the losses.

    “You can look at it as a reason for X, Y or Z — I challenge the guys not to,” he said. “We have a lot of faith in all the players that we have on this team, and the quarterbacks that we’ve been working with since last April, any one of them we have high expectations to go execute and succeed. Now, of course it’s not ideal. You want the guys that get all the reps during the week to play, but you always know that that’s a possibility.

    “I’m going to demand that the team does not point at that to be a reason for what’s happened or a reason for the loss. I think that’s the easy thing to do. I think that’s the path of least resistance, and generally the path of least resistance doesn’t lend the results that an ambitious, convicted, all-in players’ team, organization wants. Yeah, there’s always difficulties and adversity within NFL football games. I thought we had the capability to overcome that, and we didn’t.”

    Thompson wasn’t the only Dolphins player to leave Sunday’s game with an injury. Cornerback Nik Needham was carted off the field with a lower leg injury that a source confirmed is a torn Achilles tendon that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Linebacker Trey Flowers and cornerback Keion Crossen also left with foot and knee injuries, respectively, and did not return.

    Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol Saturday and is expected to start next week against the Steelers, a source previously told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

    His return will be welcome for a Dolphins offense that has struggled to score without him.

    McDaniel reiterated that he won’t take the “easy out” of blaming Miami’s quarterback injuries for its three-game losing streak. He admitted it’s “not ideal” but added that he’s confident in the Dolphins’ ability to right the ship with their next five games coming against teams with losing records.

    “Every indication that I’ve had since I’ve been in the building, I don’t have anything to worry about how players are — how the organization, how staff, how the coaching staff, how people are going to respond,” he said. “We will find out if — that’s the great thing about the game of football. It checks you. There’s nowhere to hide and you work really hard, and as a team we fell short. It’s one of my favorite things about football, is that it’s not for everybody, and this is difficult, but so? We’ve had three games in a row where we’ve finished a game with a different quarterback than we’ve started with. And? I don’t think anybody has the mindset that, well, that’s the reason why we’re losing.

    “We’re fully capable of winning this game. I think that’s obvious to everybody. It’s a simple, simple formula. You look at the tape. You don’t hide from it. And then you move forward and try to use the learning experience to get better in the middle stretch of the season, pushing forward to the end.”

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  • Tua throws but ruled out; QB Thompson to start

    Tua throws but ruled out; QB Thompson to start

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    Oct 12, 2022

    • Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN

    MIAMI — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday, but he returned to the practice field for football activities for the first time in nearly two weeks.

    Rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson will make his first career start Sunday with both Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater in concussion protocol. The Dolphins’ only other healthy quarterback is practice squad quarterback Reid Sinnett; McDaniel said it is too early to tell whether they’ll have to elevate him for Sunday’s game.

    Tagovailoa was cleared by multiple independent neurologists to resume limited football activities, McDaniel said, which would put him in Phase 3 of the NFL’s return to participation protocol. It will be Tagovailoa’s first practice since suffering a concussion in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 29.

    “In these situations, you are relying on all medical advice and what people can do and what we’ve been told is he can go out and throw and do some individual work this week,” McDaniel said. “So that’s exciting for everybody just because, you know, really we just miss his personality. He’s a guy that we rely on that, not to mention all of his play and all that stuff.

    “Now, when talking about this week and playing, I don’t see a scenario — I don’t see him being active. I do not plan to have him play at all.”

    There is a “definite scenario” in which Tagovailoa clears concussion protocol this week, but McDaniel said it would be a disservice to both Tagovailoa and the team if he were to play him Sunday.

    “He hasn’t done a thing on the football field for literally two weeks,” McDaniel said. “So, I don’t think that that would be fair to the player. That wouldn’t be fair to the team … I don’t feel comfortable putting him in that situation.”

    Tagovailoa was briefly hospitalized after hitting his head on the turf during the Bengals game, which occurred four days after hitting his head in similar fashion and stumbling on his way back to the huddle against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 25. He was evaluated for a concussion during halftime of the Bills game but returned to the game after it was determined a previously reported back injury caused the stumble.

    The NFL Players Association triggered a review of the league’s concussion protocol following Tagovailoa’s quick return to the game and ultimately exercised its right to fire the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) who performed his initial concussion evaluation. The NFLPA deemed the UNC made “several mistakes” during the process, multiple sources told ESPN, including not examining his back during the initial concussion examination.

    The NFL and NFLPA agreed on an amended concussion protocol this past weekend that included ataxia as a “no-go” symptom — which would require any player who displays ataxia, defined as “abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue,” to be removed from a game and prohibited from returning.

    The Dolphins were the first team to experience the amended protocol last Sunday in a 40-17 loss to the New York Jets when Bridgewater, starting in place of Tagovailoa, was removed from the game after a hard hit on Miami’s first offensive play. A booth ATC spotter believed he saw Bridgewater display ataxia after the hit and he was immediately placed in concussion protocol. He was not diagnosed with a concussion and did not show any symptoms during his initial or follow-up examinations.

    Bridgewater has not yet resumed football activities as of Wednesday, McDaniel said, but will do so during Thursday’s practice. Even if he clears concussion protocol by Sunday’s game, however, the Dolphins are moving forward with Thompson as their starter.

    The 2022 seventh-round pick completed 16 of 33 passes for 166 yards and an interception in relief of Bridgewater against the Jets. He also lost a critical fumble in the fourth quarter that set up the Jets’ game-sealing touchdown.

    McDaniel said he’s confident in the rookie’s ability to improve after getting a starter’s workload at practice throughout the week. At minimum, he said Thompson should feel more comfortable just having another quarterback on the sideline with him, unlike his debut last week.

    “It’s huge because in a game experience for a quarterback, you get coached, there’s a lot of stuff going on and you’re taking in information from one, two, three voices,” McDaniel said. “But then when you have a peer that has gone through it and has seen it, that translation — it might be one word, it might be a pat on the back. All that teammate support is a very immensely huge thing for a player like that … Having that support from his brother on the sidelines this week. Because it was a lonely sideline last week.

    “All Skylar had to talk to was [Dolphins quarterbacks coach Darrell] Bevel and myself, and we’re great guys, but not that great of conversations.”

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  • Pro Picks takes Commanders to rally around Wentz, beat Bears

    Pro Picks takes Commanders to rally around Wentz, beat Bears

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    Carson Wentz takes enough hits on and off the field that short rest is just another obstacle.

    Fresh off his coach running him over figuratively, Wentz leads the Washington Commanders (1-4) against the Chicago Bears (2-3) on Thursday night with each team trying to snap a losing streak.

    Commanders coach Ron Rivera caused quite a stir this week when he blamed the team’s four-game skid and last-place standing in the NFC East on his quarterback. Rivera later explained his response was misconstrued but the damage was done.

    For Wentz, it’s just another shot. He’s been taking plenty of them since his days in Philadelphia when nothing seemed to go right after he helped the Eagles start 13-3 in 2017, tore two knee ligaments and watched backup Nick Foles become a Super Bowl MVP.

    “I learned very early on you gotta just find a way to get out there Thursday,” Wentz said. “Your recovery is definitely expedited. … It’s very tough, very challenging, but it’s also prime time and guys get fired up to go play and hopefully put on a put on a good performance.”

    The Bears have lost two in a row after a 2-1 start. Second-year quarterback Justin Fields is the league’s third-lowest rated passer and has only 17.6 attempts per game.

    Chicago is a 1-point favorite, according to FanDuel. In a week with seven road favorites, Pro Picks likes the slight underdog Commanders to rally around Wentz.

    UPSET SPECIAL: COMMANDERS 23-19

    New York Jets (plus 7) at Green Bay

    The Jets (3-2) are improved but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (3-2) can’t lose to New York teams two straight weeks.

    BEST BET: PACKERS 30-17

    Tampa Bay (minus 8 1/2) at Pittsburgh

    The Steelers (1-4) were embarrassed in Kenny Pickett’s first career start. The Buccaneers (3-2) still haven’t played up to their lofty standard after barely holding on to beat the Falcons.

    BUCCANEERS 24-17

    Jacksonville (plus 2 1/2) at Indianapolis

    Matt Ryan and the Colts (2-2-1) seek to get even for a 24-0 shutout in Week 2. The Jaguars (2-3) have stumbled lately.

    COLTS 23-16

    Cincinnati (minus 1 1/2) at New Orleans

    The defending AFC champion Bengals (2-3) try to even their record after another late loss. The Saints (2-3) look to do the same. Joe Burrow is the difference-maker in this one.

    BENGALS 24-20

    New England (plus 3) at Cleveland

    The Browns (2-3) gave up 238 yards rushing to the NFL’s worst rushing team. Facing that kind of run defense, the Patriots (2-3) don’t need Mac Jones.

    BROWNS 23-21

    Minnesota (minus 3) at Miami

    The Vikings (4-1) facing the Dolphins (3-2) and third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson seems like a mismatch.

    VIKINGS 23-17

    Baltimore (minus 5) at New York Giants

    After knocking off the Packers in London, the Giants (4-1) get no respect from oddsmakers. The Ravens (3-2) should be undefeated if they could hold big leads.

    RAVENS 33-20

    San Francisco (minus 5 1/2) at Atlanta

    Jimmy Garoppolo is the DJ Khaled of the NFL. All he does is win.

    49ERS 24-20

    Carolina (plus 10 1/2) at Los Angeles Rams

    Welcome back to head coaching duties, Steve Wilks.

    RAMS 34-6

    Arizona (minus 2 1/2) at Seattle

    Kyler Murray and the Cardinals (2-3) are far better on the road than at home under coach Kliff Kingsbury.

    CARDINALS 28-17

    Buffalo (minus 2 1/2) at Kansas City

    A potential preview of the AFC title game that could determine who hosts the game in January. Bills (4-1) look to get even for their playoff loss in Kansas City last season. The Chiefs (4-1) have a short week after a Monday night win.

    BILLS 30-27

    Dallas (plus 5) at Philadelphia

    The Eagles (5-0) face their toughest test as they aim to remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL.

    EAGLES 23-20

    Denver (plus 5 1/2) at Los Angeles Chargers

    Russell Wilson hasn’t given the Broncos (2-3) and their fans what they expected. Justin Herbert and the Chargers (3-2) are back on track.

    CHARGERS 24-20

    2022 RECORD

    Last Week: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 6-9-1.

    Season: Straight up: 49-31. Against spread: 40-39-1.

    Best Bet: Straight up: 1-0. Against spread: 1-0.

    Season: Straight up: 4-1. Against spread: 4-1.

    Upset Special: Straight up: 0-1. Against spread: 1-0.

    Season: Straight up: 2-3. Against spread: 3-2

    ———

    Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Fins coach: Too early to say who will start at QB

    Fins coach: Too early to say who will start at QB

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    7:55 PM ET

    • Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN

    MIAMI — It’s too early to tell whether Miami Dolphins rookie Skylar Thompson will start Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, coach Mike McDaniel said Monday.

    With quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater both in concussion protocol with no firm timeline to return, the Dolphins may turn to 2022 seventh-round pick Thompson to make his first career start and, ideally, snap a two-game losing streak.

    It’s not, however, something McDaniel feels like he has enough information on to speculate this early in the week.

    “It’s too soon for me to really pinpoint that,” he said. “There’s, again, I kind of have to wait and assess the whole situation, which I do not have in scope. What I do know is that Skylar will be practicing on Wednesday and hopefully Wednesday I’ll have a better feel of the direction that we should go that’s best for the football team.”

    During Sunday’s 40-17 loss to the New York Jets, Thompson filled in for Bridgewater, who was placed in concussion protocol after just one offensive snap. Thompson finished the game with 166 yards on 19-of-33 passing. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble in what McDaniel called a “rough rookie outing.”

    Tagovailoa has been in concussion protocol since Week 4. He has been in the Dolphins’ building but hasn’t progressed enough yet to start doing football activities, McDaniel said, and is being evaluated every 12 to 24 hours.

    Meanwhile, Bridgewater continues to show no symptoms of a concussion after passing his evaluation during Sunday’s game. He was removed from the game after a booth ATC spotter believed he saw Bridgewater stumble after taking a hard hit from Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, triggering the recently added “ataxia” clause in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

    The amendment states that any player who is diagnosed with ataxia — which is an “abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue” — will be prohibited from returning to the game and will require follow-up care.

    Dolphins captains Terron Armstead and Tyreek Hill also sustained injuries in Sunday’s game. Armstead, the Dolphins’ starting left tackle, remained in New York overnight to see a specialist for a toe injury that has bothered him since Week 1. McDaniel said the appointment went well and that Armstead is back in Florida. The hope is for him to play Sunday but McDaniel said he trusts Armstead implicitly in the process.

    “The one thing I’ve learned with Terron is I can trust him as much as I’ve ever trusted any player,” he said. “So I know one thing, he will do whatever it takes to play Sunday. The one thing that myself, the coaching staff and his teammates know is if he’s not able to play, it’s because he’s physically unable to play. So [I’m] trusting that process and excited that he’s taken a step to get that thing healthy.”

    Hill left MetLife Stadium wearing a walking boot on his left foot but McDaniel said the wide receiver “looked pretty good” Monday. He called Hill a “fast healer” and said the Dolphins will take his status day by day.

    Starting cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones also missed Sunday’s game and while McDaniel said he doesn’t expect to activate Jones, who is on the physically unable to perform list after Achilles surgery in March, Howard has a better chance at playing Sunday.

    If Thompson does have to start Sunday, McDaniel said he is confident in what the rookie can accomplish after a week of getting starter’s reps — especially after what he was able to do in his first NFL action.

    “Being a backup quarterback in this league is not easy,” McDaniel said. “And what people don’t understand is you have a finite amount of reps during the week because you can’t deplete your athletes and you can’t have endless amount of reps. So typically, starters get anywhere from 80 to 100% of the practice reps. So a backup quarterback, especially a rookie, it’s a tremendous challenge because you have to own the whole game plan, visualize it, be able to call it, be able to line people up and then execute appropriately.”

    The Dolphins have lost consecutive games after starting the season 3-0. They have a favorable schedule coming up with only one of their next six games coming against an opponent with a winning record — this week’s game against the 4-1 Vikings.

    Regardless of their opponent, they’re not looking too deeply into these losses and are confident in their ability to bounce back.

    “You can have any excuse, any reason for any loss that you want and I think being a professional football player and being a guy in the locker room, you know the talent’s there,” fullback Alec Ingold said. “You know the coaches are there. You know the pieces of the puzzle are there. We’ve proven that, like you said. It’s just about us coming together as a team, finding our formula to win, having a standard and sticking to it.

    “I feel like those are all simple answers that you can give but it’s really hard to do on a week-to-week basis. That’s what separates good teams from great.”

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