Dolphins take care of Texans, but not without injury to key player

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa heard MVP chants multiple times in the first half. Star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle provided fans with oohs and ahhs with their elite speed and pass catching. This was supposed to be an easy, blowout win for Miami.

Then Dolphins starting left tackle Terron Armstead left the game in the second quarter, and Tagovailoa began hitting the deck a lot more than fans cared to see during Sunday’s 30-15 win over the Houston Texans at Hard Rock Stadium.

Tagovailoa was sacked four times – all coming after Armstead left the game with a pectoral injury – before Tagovailoa left the game when the Texans narrowed the deficit to 30-6 in the third quarter.

Tagovailoa was bent backwards after taking a hit from Texans defensive lineman Malek Collins in the final seconds of the first half. Tagovailoa got up, spiked the football to stop the clock and set his kicker up for a field goal.

But it was still an ugly sequence, and a stark reminder of the season Tagovailoa has had this season since his concussion scare on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals in September.

“Yeah, I’m sure tomorrow will feel a little different, but yeah, felt good from that,” Tagovailoa said after the game. “I was just thinking get up so we could clock it.”

Now, the Dolphins’ biggest concern is the severity of Armstead’s injury and whether it may cause him to miss an extended amount of time heading into the stretch run.

“He didn’t get any cue as far as how serious it would be so we’ll find out more [Monday],” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of Armstead’s injury postgame.

“That was an injury, regardless of the score, I’m going to keep him out of the game.”

Armstead is not the caliber of player the Dolphins can afford to lose during aplayoff run in a resurgent season led by Tagovailoa and Hill.

The Dolphins are 8-3, in first place in the AFC East ahead of the Buffalo Bills with the tiebreaker in their favor. Miami is only trailing the Kansas City Chiefs for the top seed in the AFC playoff picture.

That’s the good news.

But the challenge ahead of Miami: Three consecutive road games, against the revamped San Francisco 49ers, Justin Herbert and the injured San Diego Chargers, and in Buffalo against Josh Allen and the Bills.

“Well, we’re enjoying our win right now, being 8-3, and we’ll come into work [Monday], see what we need to get better with, and then we’ll worry about the next team,” Tagovailoa said after completing 22 of 36 passes for 299 yards and a touchdown and a 96.9 passer rating.

Tagovailoa threw a touchdown pass to tight end Durham Smythe, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. scored a touchdown in his third straight game since joining the Dolphins, and cornerback Xavien Howard returned a fumble for another touchdown.

The Dolphins stormed out to a 30-0 lead at halftime, with the offense producing the first 20 points of the game until Armstead’s departure threw off Miami’s timing and playcalling.

McDaniel took responsibility for being too aggressive with his playcalling at the end of the second quarter, which also saw Hill take a tough hit from a Texans defender at midfield in the final minute.

“There were some playcalling decisions that I can definitely learn from. I put some guys in some unfair situations. I was way too aggressive, and it was something I told the team I’ll definitely learn from because it was not fair to them,” McDaniel said. “When you do have some lineup changes, you can’t be put in the positions they were put in.”

Tagovailoa’s performance was not reminiscent of the three-game stretch before Miami’s bye, when he completed more than 70 percent of his passes with three touchdowns in each game. His passer rating never dipped below 135.0.

But it was a reminder of how important Armstead has been to Tagovailoa’s success this season.

Armstead, one of the best left tackles in the NFL, was one of two premier signings (Hill being the other) the Dolphins made this offseason.

He is a major reason why Tagovailoa was sacked just eight times this season before Sunday’s game.

“It’s a blessing to be with him, and have him help you with the game. He helps you stay calm and he’s really big to our room,” said Greg Little, Armstead’s backup at left tackle.

“He makes everybody better. He’s elevated our games. That’s why we look up to him.”

If the Dolphins are forced to play without Armstead, the options are limited.

Right tackle Austin Jackson was the Dolphins’ left tackle before Armstead’s arrival this offseason. He played his first game Sunday since injuring his ankle earlier this season, but did not finish the game due to the injury.

Brandon Shell, who played well in Jackson’s absence at right tackle, assumed Armstead’s role at left tackle before finishing the game on the right side for Jackson. Little finished the game on the left side.

“I hope he’s okay,” Dolphins right guard Robert Hunt said of Armstead.

“He brings energy out there on the field, and we all love playing beside him. He gives us a coach-like vibe when he’s there. It’ll be tough without him.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dolphins lose Terron Armstead to injury in costly win over Texans