Things are not looking pretty for the Miami Dolphins. Sitting at 8-8, the team has one game left this season to make it to the playoffs. What’s worse is that it’ll need some luck for the team to make it. And an unfortunate cherry on top: QB Tua Tagovailoa would probably be out of this one as well due to his hip injury. Talking about injuries, the 26-year-old gave a promising update on his playoff appearance.

“If the cards play out the way they should, and the way we know and think they can. Imma be available next week, there’s no if and or buts around, I’ll be playing,” that’s what Tua Tagovailoa had to say about his appearance in the post-season if the team was to make it. The QB made this statement owing to his hip injury resulting in him missing out on the week 17 game. And he’ll not be playing vs the Jets this week as well.

Tagovailoa injured his hip in week 15 vs the Houston Texans, and to make matters worse, the team lost that one 12-20. The injury was not a repeat of his 2019 one, thankfully, which resulted in a dislocated hip and a pelvic fracture. Luck seems to be on the QB’s side this time around! Well, the Maxwell award winner is surely all set to go out even this week: “When it comes to pain, I think I’m good with all of that. It’s just the restriction of what the doctors are saying.” But it’s “unlikely that Tua will see any action” vs Gang Green as McDaniel clarified in a presser this Friday.

Per Mike McDaniel, Tua’s injury is not a ‘bruise’ or a ‘pain tolerance’ issue: “I wouldn’t say it was a bruise, but it’s kind of a unique muscle issue.” However, he also cleared, “it’s not a surgical solution, it is a stop aggravating [the injury] by pushing through and trying to regain some security and strength” situation.

To keep it plain and simple, Tua was not hurt enough to be benched in the game after the one vs Texans, as he graced the gridiron vs the 49ers and pushed through and landed a 23-17 win as well. However, things didn’t look good post that game, so Tua rested last week vs. the Browns to not aggravate anything. No plans were fouled though for the Miami team as QB Tyler Huntley took the reins and led to team to a 20-3 victory. Well, Huntley will probably be taking the reins this week as well. Notably, Tagovailoa isn’t the only key player suffering from injuries, and the team’s HC cleared the picture around that.

Tua Tagovailoa and Co: Teeming with injuries

If we were to paint a positive picture. Let’s just say some players might be able to return to the gridiron soon if the team makes it beyond week 18. Even though Mike McDaniel stated he was ‘optimistic‘ about certain players—think Jaylen Waddle and Justin Poyer—things are not hunky dory for the Miami team yet. The team will still be missing out on the Cheetah—Tyreek Hill—due to his wrist issues.

Moving on to some more positive developments, Mike McDaniel is leaving OT Terron Armstead ‘open‘ as he’s a ‘hard guy to rule out‘ for him. The HC, while being ‘hopeful‘, stated: “I wouldn’t say I’m pessimistic nor optimistic. I really don’t have a feel.” It is going to boil down to “that hour and half timeframe before the game” for the team to confirm whether Armstead will play or not.

On a more somber note, Anthony Walker Jr. will not be able to make an appearance for this game as well. The LB got his hamstring injured vs Patriots more than a month ago and it’s been a niggling injury for him, one that’s keeping him off the gridiron here and there. Walker Jr. couldn’t perform last week vs his former team, the Browns, as well and the 29-year-old “is hanging in there” in the words of HC Mike.

The Miami team will be going against a struggling Jets who are sitting at an abysmal 4-12 this season. While ‘Gang Green‘ has nothing left to lose, this is a do-or-die situation for the Dolphins. I mean the Chiefs also need to win their next one vs Broncos for Miami to reach playoffs for a third consecutive season. Any guesses on how this will unfold?