The Miami Dolphins ended up actively playing out the ultimate minutes of a specially distasteful defeat Sunday when issues went from bad to worse.
The to start with-string protection experienced previously been humbled and overwhelmed by the Baltimore Ravens when star linebacker Bradley Chubb dropped to the floor, flat on his again and unable to move because of a knee injury. A though later on, the team’s sack leader was lifted onto a cart and driven into the tunnel.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel lamented his conclusion to keep Chubb on the field in the waning minutes of what grew to become a 56-19 reduction.
“In hindsight, I would have definitely not desired him out there if I knew he was heading to get harm, for sure,” McDaniel mentioned. “Which is a acknowledged part of the position that I comprehend totally. It isn’t going to look incredibly wise at all.”
While it seems unlikely that the sixth-calendar year professional will return to enjoy this period, McDaniel grimaced and held out hope for a favorable prognosis.
“We really don’t have the info to obtain out what it is but. We’ll be ready to uncover out (Monday),” McDaniel claimed.
All in all, it was a horrible day for a staff intent on upsetting the Ravens and earning the leading seed in the AFC.
“We came into this game with substantial hopes of enjoying to the regular we wanted to perform,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa reported. “When those people standards aren’t met, it is really extremely disappointing.”
The Dolphins fell guiding by 22 factors early in the 3rd quarter, and a harried Tagovailoa could not make up the deficit in a lopsided setback that prevented Miami (11-5) from clinching the AFC East.
In a matchup involving the groups with the two very best records in the meeting, Baltimore (13-3) dominated the Dolphins to receive a to start with-round bye and the chance to participate in each individual match at home in the postseason primary up to the Super Bowl.
If Miami won’t be able to defeat viewing Buffalo upcoming week, the Payments would get the AFC East title and the Dolphins would start off the playoffs on the road.
Miami led 10-7 ahead of the Ravens went on a 28-3 run bridging the next and third quarters. Final 12 months, Tagovailoa rallied Miami from a 35-14 gap to a 42-38 victory.
But this Baltimore team would have none of that. Not only did the Ravens select off two passes and complete with three sacks, but Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson ripped apart the Miami defense for 321 yards passing and 5 touchdowns.
Miami could however finish up with the No. 2 seed in the AFC if it beats Buffalo. The Dolphins haven’t completed atop the division due to the fact 2008 and have absent a lot more than 3 decades devoid of securing a top rated-two seed.
But they’re going to very likely have to do it devoid of Chubb, who has 11 sacks to go with 74 tackles, which include six on Sunday ahead of the personal injury.
“I want to say a large shout-out to Bradley Chubb,” Tagovailoa said. “We’re pondering of you, brother, and we’re praying for you as well. It can be tricky looking at just one of our guys go down like that. It truly is regrettable.”
Miami’s major-rated offense was without standout large receiver Jaylen Waddle and workhorse working back again Raheem Mostert, both equally of whom were being inactive with accidents. Waddle ranks second on the crew with 72 catches and 1,014 yards acquiring, and final year he experienced 11 receptions for 171 yards and two TDs in Miami’s get at Baltimore.
Tyreek Hill had 6 catches for 76 yards, but he also dropped a sure landing in the back again of the conclusion zone.
“I performed almost certainly one particular of the worst online games of my vocation,” Hill reported. “As a chief of this workforce, just got to erase it and go forward.”
In last year’s activity concerning these teams, the Ravens took a 35-14 lead into the fourth quarter. In this a single, it was 35-13 prior to a landing pass from Tagovailoa to rookie functioning again De’Von Achane with 13:57 still left gave Miami hope of mounting yet another rally.
But Baltimore subsequently rumbled 75 yards in 7 performs to make it 42-19 with 9:38 remaining.
Tagovailoa was eliminated with just around four minutes remaining with a sore shoulder that he insisted was not an situation. At that point, it was very a great deal time for the Dolphins to turn their awareness toward the finale from Buffalo, a rematch of a sport the Costs received 48-20 at residence in Oct.
Besides the defense remained on the area, and Chubb paid out the price tag for actively playing for the duration of garbage time.
