Dolphins lose Skylar Thompson to harm, then sport to Vikings

MIAMI — Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson was bodily unable to return to Sunday’s 24-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings after he left within the first half with a thumb harm to his throwing hand, coach Mike McDaniel stated.

Thompson, who made his first profession begin, appeared to hit his proper hand on a Vikings defender’s helmet whereas making an attempt a go within the second quarter. He left for the locker room and didn’t return till the third quarter — however solely to the sideline, to not the sport.

The seventh-round choose accomplished 7 of 13 passes for 89 yards earlier than leaving. McDaniel confirmed he would have “undoubtedly stayed with” Thompson had he been capable of proceed however famous he “did not have any power holding the ball.”

Teddy Bridgewater completed the sport rather than Thompson, finishing 23 of 34 passes for 329 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

It marked the third straight week that the Dolphins’ beginning quarterback was unable to complete the sport. Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in Week 4, and Bridgewater was positioned in concussion protocol after only one snap in Week 5.

Miami is also now on a three-game dropping streak after beginning the season with three straight wins. McDaniel, nevertheless, stated he refuses to isolate the group’s quarterback luck because the driving drive behind the losses.

“You’ll be able to take a look at it as a motive for X, Y or Z — I problem the blokes to not,” he stated. “Now we have loads of religion in all of the gamers that now we have on this group, and the quarterbacks that we have been working with since final April, any one in every of them now we have excessive expectations to go execute and succeed. Now, after all it isn’t superb. You need the blokes that get all of the reps throughout the week to play, however you all the time know that that is a chance.

“I will demand that the group doesn’t level at that to be a motive for what’s occurred or a motive for the loss. I feel that is the simple factor to do. I feel that is the trail of least resistance, and customarily the trail of least resistance does not lend the outcomes that an bold, convicted, all-in gamers’ group, group needs. Yeah, there’s all the time difficulties and adversity inside NFL soccer video games. I believed we had the potential to beat that, and we did not.”

Thompson wasn’t the one Dolphins participant to depart Sunday’s sport with an harm. Cornerback Nik Needham was carted off the sphere with a decrease leg harm {that a} supply confirmed is a torn Achilles tendon that may sideline him for the remainder of the season. Linebacker Trey Flowers and cornerback Keion Crossen additionally left with foot and knee accidents, respectively, and didn’t return.

Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol Saturday and is predicted to start out subsequent week towards the Steelers, a supply beforehand informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

His return will probably be welcome for a Dolphins offense that has struggled to attain with out him.

McDaniel reiterated that he will not take the “simple out” of blaming Miami’s quarterback accidents for its three-game dropping streak. He admitted it is “not superb” however added that he is assured within the Dolphins’ skill to proper the ship with their subsequent 5 sport coming towards groups with dropping information.

“Each indication that I’ve had since I have been within the constructing, I haven’t got something to fret about how gamers are — how the group, how workers, how the teaching workers, how individuals are going to reply,” he stated. “We are going to discover out if — that is the beauty of the sport of soccer. It checks you. There’s nowhere to cover and you’re employed actually exhausting, and as a group we fell brief. It is one in every of my favourite issues about soccer, is that it isn’t for everyone, and that is troublesome, however so? We have had three video games in a row the place we have completed a sport with a distinct quarterback than we have began with. And? I do not suppose anyone has the mindset that, nicely, that is the explanation why we’re dropping.

“We’re absolutely able to profitable this sport. I feel that is apparent to all people. It is a easy, easy system. You take a look at the tape. You do not disguise from it. And then you definately transfer ahead and attempt to use the training expertise to get higher within the center stretch of the season, pushing ahead to the tip.”