6:09 p.m. ET
Marcel Louis Jacques ESPN
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is unwilling to blame injuries for the team’s 23-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, despite four starters being ruled out before the game.
Terron Armstead, Xavien Howard, Bradley Chubb and Tua Tagovailoa each missed Sunday’s loss, and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater also left the game in the third quarter with a finger injury.
It seemed like a microcosm of the Dolphins’ season as they suffered season-ending injuries to four starters. However, Miami’s first-year coach declined to call it a challenge to his team’s roster depth.
“I don’t really see it that way just because I trust the players that we have in the dressing room,” said McDaniel. “We’ve won a lot of games with guys who rise to the occasion and fill in for starters who weren’t available. … It feels right now like we’re going to have to adjust lineups more often than I can remember.
“Whether that’s the case, I know one thing: there’s nobody in the dressing room staring that loss because deep down they know we were able to get the job done and we didn’t did.”
Bridgewater left the game late in the third quarter when he injured a finger on his right hand trying to make a tackle after an interception. He was placed in the medical tent for an extended period of time before briefly going into the dolphins’ locker room. He returned to the touchline late in the fourth quarter but did not return to the game, ending his day on 12 of 19 for 161 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
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McDaniel said he was still unsure of the severity of Bridgewater’s injury; Rookie Skylar Thompson filled in in the fourth quarter, completing 12 of 21 passes for 104 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
It’s the second time this year that Bridgewater has been forced out of the start, with Thompson taking over after just one game against the New York Jets in Week 5.
“I feel like it’s kind of a deja vu from the conversation we had earlier in the year. It’s never a situation that you happen to want to come into play,” Thompson said. “It’s hard to see Tua going down with an injury last week and Teddy going through one this week because these guys mean a lot to me. But I have to be ready when my number is called. It’s frustrating because I want to win and I think – I know everyone in this organization and in this dressing room wants to win and it’s frustrating. It’s frustrating when you just can’t get over the hump in some situations.
“There are pieces I left out there that I wish I could have back, but one thing I will always hang my hat on, every time I step between the lines I will give everything I have.” have. I’ll fight my butt to win. I’ll keep grinding.”
It’s also unclear if Tagovailoa will return next week after being diagnosed with a concussion and added to league minutes on Monday. McDaniel said several times throughout the week that the team is focused on Tagovailoa’s long-term health and is taking things one day at a time.
The Dolphins have a crucial season finale against the Jets in Week 18 as their current five-game losing streak has officially left them out of the playoff picture. They can still secure their first playoff spot since 2016 with a win over the Jets and a loss for the Patriots to the Buffalo Bills next week.