Can Teddy Bridgewater lead the Dolphins to the playoffs if Tua is out?

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has entered concussion protocol, if out for the rest of the season can Teddy Bridgewater lead the team to the playoffs?

Just 4 weeks ago the Miami Dolphins were 8-3 and putting up numbers that were not seen since the days of Dan Marino back in the 90s, now the Dolphins are 8-7 and have possibly lost their QB Tua Tagovailoa for the rest of the season.

Tua Tagovailoa entered concussion protocol for the second time this season, and until cleared is designated as out vs the New England Patriots for week 17.

If we count the hit vs BUF, the hit vs CIN, and this most recent hit vs GB, Tagovailoa has now suffered 3 concussions in 3 months which can be incredibly dangerous.

The Miami Dolphins need their starting QB more than ever, there are only 2 games left in the regular season, and the Dolphins have little to no room for error to lock in their playoff spot. But we can’t ignore Tua’s health, that means QB Teddy Bridgewater is very likely the starter moving forward.

Miami has lost 4 straight games, and with no Tua Tagovailoa at QB, the road to 6 straight losses seems more likely than ever.

Or is it?

QB Teddy Bridgewater saw some time on the field vs the Jets where he was taken out instantly with a concussion, and vs the Vikings where he played poorly.

But does Bridgewater have a vintage moment in him?

Teddy Bridgewater just last year led the Denver Broncos to 7 wins in a “boring” offense, well those same Denver Broncos have now fallen apart after Russell Wilson put up some of the worst QB performances Broncos fans have ever seen.

Is Teddy Bridgewater capable of winning vs the Patriots?

Just a couple of years ago in 2019, Teddy Bridgewater led the Saints on a 5-0 streak after Drew Brees went down with an injury, Bridgewater showed poise, leadership, and a strong character.

Unfortunately, Teddy Bridgewater has not shown any of those flashes he had with the Saints, or even any of the salvageable moments he had with the Broncos.

Bridgewater has also not shown any signs of caring deeply for the team, which is odd to see since Teddy Bridgewater was a South Florida kid who dreamed of once playing for his hometown. So why not show more heart?

It could be that Bridgewater just has not gotten enough chances to prove himself, he was taken out by an NFL spotter during his debut for the Dolphins vs the Jets, and then had to come in as a backup with no practice reps vs the Vikings after Skylar Thompson got hurt.

Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t need to play as he did for the Saints to win, the Dolphins just need one performance where Teddy B looks like the Bridgewater from the Broncos (which is nothing to be excited about) but it’s good enough to get the job done.

Nothing crazy, a stat line like 1 TD, 1 INT, 180 Yds, 78 passer rating could be all the Dolphins need from Teddy Bridgewater, of course, if Mike McDaniel decides to care about the running game instead of making Bridgewater throw 37 times.

After a 4 game skid, I’m sure Dolphins fans would be ecstatic with “good enough to get the job done”  QB play because even that would be a huge improvement on the performances that the Dolphins have put out recently.

They say history repeats itself, and this wouldn’t be the first time we see a QB who was bound to be in the MVP conversation suffer a season-ending injury, only to be replaced by a backup QB who is more famous for other things rather than their play on the field.

All hope is lost and the backup leads the team to the playoffs, they make an unbelievable playoff run and… beat Tom Brady in the Superbowl?

Miami is not Philly, in our case the dream likely ends with stinking it up in week 17 vs the Patriots, but hey, a man can dream can’t he?

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