The Dolphins are trailing the Titans 19-6 in the third quarter, and their chances of coming back to win have taken a hit with the loss of defensive end Jaelan Phillips.
Phillips has a knee injury and has been ruled out.
The Titans lost quarterback Will Levis and have turned to backup Mason Rudolph, and the Dolphins would like to have Phillips to put pressure on Rudolph. But with the Titans leading by 10, they’re likely to keep the ball mostly on the ground the rest of the way.
The Dolphins’ offense hasn’t been able to do much of anything since Tua Tagovailoa went on injured reserve with a concussion, and that’s continuing tonight in Tyler Huntley’s first start in Miami. The Dolphins are a mess.
The quarterbacks tonight in Miami are Mason Rudolph and Tyler Huntley, so perhaps it’s no surprise that no touchdowns have been scored.
Rudolph has led the Titans on three short drives that resulted in field goals, while Huntley has led the Dolphins on one drive that produced a field goal, and Tennessee leads Miami 9-3 at halftime.
The Titans nearly scored a touchdown on a fumble return, but the officials screwed up and blew the play dead, negating what appeared to be a potential defensive score.
Huntley started in place of two injured Dolphins quarterbacks, Tua Tagovailoa and Skylar Thompson. Rudolph came into the game after Will Levis left with a shoulder injury.
The NFL can change every rule in the books in the hopes of protecting quarterbacks, but they can’t protect quarterbacks from themselves.
Titans quarterback Will Levis, while diving in a futile attempt to gain a first down on Monday nigh in Miami, has injured his right shoulder.
Levis seems to be saying he hurt himself as he came to the sideline. He was then trying to throw while in a degree of distress before entering the blue medical tent on the sideline.
Mason Rudolph has entered the game while Levis is evaluated. He’s questionable to return, per the team.
And Rudolph has a chance to earn an extended look, given that the team has struggled under Levis.
A huge blown call by the officials cost Tennessee in the first quarter tonight in Miami.
Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley tossed a backward pass behind the line of scrimmage to Tyreek Hill, who failed to catch it and also failed to realize it was a backward pass. Thinking it was an incomplete forward pass, Hill left it on the ground, where Tennessee’s Arden Key picked it up with a clear path to the end zone.
But Key couldn’t return it for a touchdown because the officials on the field blew the play dead, wrongly thinking it was an incomplete pass. An assist from the replay official changed that call and rightly ruled it a Dolphins fumble and Titans recovery, but the Titans were denied a likely touchdown.
On the ensuing Titans possession, their offense went three-and-out. It’s still 0-0 in a game that would likely be 7-0 Titans if not for the officials’ mistake.
The Dolphins officially will not have running back Raheem Mostert, who injured his chest in the season opener. It will be his third missed game after playing only 31 snaps against the Jaguars in Week 1.
Mostert was questionable to return after limited practices all week.
The Dolphins also won’t have linebacker David Long (hamstring). He, too, is inactive after being given a doubtful designation. Long did not practice all week.
They join quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), left tackle Terron Armstead (concussion) and cornerback Kendall Fuller (concussion) on the sideline. Tagovailoa is on injured reserve.
The Dolphins’ inactives besides Armstead, Long, Mostert and Fuller are linebacker Mohamed Kmara and quarterback Skylar Thompson. Thompson is the emergency third quarterback.
The Titans won’t have defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who was doubtful with an elbow injury after not practicing all week. Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who was questionable, will play.
The Titans’ other inactives besides Simmons are defensive back Julius Wood, linebacker James Williams, offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan, tight end David Martin-Robinson, tight end Thomas Odukoya and outside linebacker Ali Gaye.
