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Tua Tagovailoa encouraged to slide when he makes his expected return

When Tua Tagovailoa returned to the field from a concussion that briefly hospitalized him in 2022, he scrambled in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers and initiated contact by lowering his shoulder into the defender.

Coach Mike McDaniel later said Tagovailoa came to him on the sideline and said he “needed that” contact after missing time with his head injury.

But as Tagovailoa prepares to start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals in his first game back from another concussion, McDaniel’s message is much different.

“My answer would be: ‘You don’t need that one’ this time around,” he said, speaking on Tagovailoa’s need to “be smart” in how he protects himself on the field.

Medical experts deemed it safe for Tagovailoa to play football again after he suffered a concussion in Week 2.

Tagovailoa’s scrambling has been a topic of discussion between the quarterback and his teammates since his latest concussion, which came when he initiated contact with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on a scramble instead of sliding.

“We’ve been talking to him ever since his injury,” running back Raheem Mostert said. “I’ve been telling him, ‘Hey, you need to work on sliding.’ And we all joke around and laugh, but on a serious note, he knows that he has to protect himself a little bit better.”

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa on return from IR: ‘Willing to play the odds’

The Cardinals have a quarterback in Kyler Murray, whose scrambling is a big part of his game because of his elusiveness and speed. He’s third among NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 325 yards and had a 44-yard rushing touchdown in Arizona’s Week 7 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

“We certainly have to account for that,” Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “He is so special from a speed standpoint. You could be perfect, and you think you have an angle, and he’s going to outrun you. … He’s looks like Tyreek [Hill] playing quarterback.”

As much as the Dolphins will try to limit one…


Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/tua-tagovailoa-encouraged-slide-when-he-makes-his-expected-return

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Publish date : 2024-10-25 15:58:20

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