Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played with a visor in Sunday’s 34-10 win over the Dolphins because he woke up that morning with his left eye swollen shut, but it didn’t hinder him on the field.
Tagovailoa threw four touchdowns in the win and the Dolphins said that it would not have kept him from practicing on Monday. Tagovailoa, who is also listed with a left thumb issue, was listed as a full participant on Monday’s estimated practice report.
Edge rusher Bradley Chubb (shoulder, foot) would not have been able to practice Monday and his status will be one to watch heading into Thursday’s game against the Ravens. Safety Ashtyn Davis (quad), cornerback Storm Duck (knee), wide receiver Dee Eskridge (shoulder), and tight end Julian Hill (ankle) were also listed as out. Duck will be placed on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (thumb) was the only player listed as limited. Defensive back Elijah Campbell (quad), safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (thumb), fullback Alec Ingold (neck), cornerback Jason Marshall (hamstring), safety Dante Trader (shoulder), and wide receiver Malik Washington (knee) would have been full participants.
Cornerback Storm Duck returned to the Dolphins lineup on Sunday after missing six games due to an ankle injury, but it proved to be a short stint.
Duck left Miami’s win over the Falcons with a knee injury and head coach Mike McDaniel said at a Monday press conference that Duck will miss the rest of the season.
Duck started the season opener against the Colts and played 15 defensive snaps before leaving on Sunday. He had two tackles and a pass breakup after posting 35 tackles in 14 games for the team in 2024.
Jack Jones, Rasul Douglas, Kendall Sheffield, Ethan Bonner, and JuJu Brents are the remaining corners on the 53-man roster for the Dolphins.
The Falcons have been an enigma in 2025.
The team has put together strong performances against the Commanders and Bills. But then, the club was shut out by the Panthers in Week 3 and on Sunday fell 34-10 to the previously one-win Dolphins.
Sure, the Falcons were playing their backup quarterback in Kirk Cousins, and top receiver Drake London was out.
But the team’s expectations of performance are much higher.
Still, head coach Raheem Morris said he’s not entirely surprised by the team’s inconsistency.
“This is the National Football League,” Morris said postgame. “If you don’t come ready to play, and clearly we weren’t today, these things can happen. We’ve got to go out and fix those things.”
How do they do that?
“You’ve only got one thing you can do, is practice,” Morris said. “You’ve got to be able to go out and practice, you’ve got to go out and teach. You’ve got to go out and make sure you get better. That’s our jobs.”
Morris didn’t have an update on Penix or London, but the Falcons have to get things right quickly, as they have a big road matchup with the Patriots next Sunday.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was added to the injury report with an illness on Sunday morning, but he was in fine form on the field later in the day.
Tagovailoa threw four touchdowns while wearing a visor in a 34-10 rout of the Falcons. Tagovailoa donned the accessory because he found there was something wrong with his left eye when he woke up in the morning.
“Probably one of the worst experiences I’ve had in terms of waking up and that happens on a game day,” Tagovailoa said in his postgame press conference. “My eye was swollen shut. Thanks to the medical staff, they ended up helping with antibiotics and whatnot. I’m just glad I was able to go out there and play.”
Tagovailoa said he and the medical staff will work to figure out exactly what caused the reaction when they are back in Miami, although one wonders if he might keep the visor for Thursday night’s game against the Ravens given how well he played after two weeks that had people wondering if he might get sent to the bench.
The Falcons came into Sunday’s home game against the Dolphins as heavy favorites, but anyone backing them wound up regretting that call.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdowns and the Dolphins defense shut down the Kirk Cousins-led Falcons offense in a 34-10 win. It’s the second win of the season for the Dolphins and a welcome change of fortune for the quarterback.
Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in Week 6 and three more in Week 7, but he was on his game for the entirety of Sunday’s contest. He opened the scoring by hitting running back De’Von Achane for a short touchdown late in the first quarter and then added scoring passes to Malik Washington, Jaylen Waddle, and rookie Ollie Gordon over the rest of the afternoon.
Tagovailoa finished the day 20-of-26 for 205 yards while Gordon and Achane ran 28 times for 113 yards. Eight receivers caught passes and Waddle led the way with five catches for 99 yards.
Cousins made his first start since being benched late last season and there was little reason for the Falcons to second guess their decision to go with Michael Penix. Cousins was 21-of-31 for 173 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge when Atlanta was down by 31 points.
It didn’t help Cousins that running back Bijan Robinson never got going against a previously leaky Dolphins defense. He ran nine times for 25 yards and the Falcons were missing wide receiver Drake London in addition to Penix. They’ll hope to have both players back in New England in Week 9 and they’ll also be hoping that safety Jessie Bates’ ankle injury isn’t a serious one.
The Dolphins will have a quick turnaround to host the Ravens on Thursday night and they’ll be looking to keep things rolling after snapping a three-game losing streak.
