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For the second time this season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has entered concussion protocol and will not be active for their Week 17 matchup against New England Patriots. This means that backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will be getting the start, as indicated by Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
This is concerning as it is Tagovailoa's third head injury this season and the second recorded concussion sustained by him so far. Tagovailoa finished the game on Christmas Day against Green Bay Packers without showing any symptoms of a concussion, but reported some discomfort on Monday.
Tagovailoa has done a good job this season, completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,548 yards with 25 touchdown passes and eight interceptions.
What is the outlook for the rest of the Miami Dolphins season?
The Miami Dolphins have not clinched a playoff spot heading into Week 17, but are currently the seventh seed in the AFC with two weeks to go. With a 8-7 record right now, they are a game up on the remaining contenders for the final Wild Card spot.
The Dolphins wrap up the regular season with a Week 17 matchup on the road against New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon. They will proceed to finish the season with a home game against New York Jets on January 8th. That Week 18 game could potentially be a "Win or Go Home" contest as both teams will be fighting for the playoff spot.
In order to clinch the postseason place this week, they need to defeat New England Patriots and hope for New York Jets to lose on the road to Seattle Seahawks. If the Jets are able to defeat the Seahawks and the Dolphins fall to the Patriots, the Week 18 matchup could have serious playoff implications.
It will be interesting to see how Teddy Bridgewater looks against the Patriots and if he can help Miami seal the deal as we wait for Tua Tagovailoa to return.
