While concussed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa continues to sit on the sidelines while recovering from a hit, wide receiver Tyreek Hill has struggled with his production in recent weeks.
That was highlighted on Monday Night Football, when cameras caught an angry Hill apparently yelling at the Miami Dolphins staff while the team was losing late in the game against the Tennessee Titans.
It’s unclear what Hill was saying, but cameras focused on Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel intensely scanning the field before a crucial 4th-and-11 play late.
Tyler Huntley, who fills in as the team’s third quarterback, ended up completing a pass on the next play to extend the drive, ultimately leading to a touchdown and Miami’s final points of the night in a 31-12 loss.
Huntley, who is not only replacing Tagovailoa but also injured backup Skylar Thompson, finished the night completing 14 of 22 passes for 96 yards, as well as eight carries for 40 yards and a rushing touchdown.
An upset Tyreek Hill was seen yelling at Dolphins employees on the sideline on Monday.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was too focused on the play to notice Hill’s outburst.
Hill, on the other hand, only finished with four receptions on seven targets for 23 yards and zero touchdowns. He also ran the ball three times for 19 yards.
Miami, one of the favorites to win the AFC East division this season, was expected to take a big step forward this season with its sights set on the divisional round of the AFC playoffs after back-to-back wild-card round eliminations.
Now, with just one complete game from a healthy Tagovailoa, the Dolphins are 1-3 and looking at the rest of the division, including a fellow 1-3 team in the New England Patriots thanks to conference winning percentage.
It’s unclear exactly when Tagovailoa is expected to return after suffering his third known concussion of his NFL career against the Buffalo Bills. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports he could return as early as Week 8.
Tagovailoa collided head-on with Bills safety Damar Hamlin in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football, and the quarterback’s body almost instantly entered the “fencing response” that indicates head trauma .
Since then, concern has focused on Tagovailoa’s health, but also on the Dolphins’ offense as a whole.
With Tua at quarterback, the Dolphins scored a combined 30 points in the first game, plus the Bills’ first three quarters of the game before he was injured.
Since then, the Dolphins have scored just 15 combined points in two games with Thompson and Huntley at quarterback.
Since a concussion downed Tua Tagovailoa, Miami’s receivers have been struggling
Catchers in particular have struggled the most in Tagovailoa’s absence.
In the first two games of the season, the Dolphins managed a combined 531 yards. Since Tagovailoa’s injury, his two reserves have combined for just 218 total yards when accounting for sacks.
Hill has had a serious lack of production as a result of Tua’s injury.
In his first game of the season against Jacksonville, he had seven receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. In the three games since, he has totaled 10 receptions on 18 targets for just 87 yards and no touchdowns, good for a 29-yard average.
It’s clear that Miami is at a crossroads with its season and with Tagovailoa not interested in retiring due to his concussions, it’s unclear what the team’s options are when it comes to the trade market.
So it’s entirely possible we’ll see similar frustrations expressed by Dolphins players in the coming weeks.