Patriots

What Bill Belichick said about preparing for the Dolphins without Tua Tagovailoa

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa will not play on Sunday.

December 28, 2022

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will miss Sunday’s game against New England with a concussion, coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Wednesday.

Teddy Bridgewater will start in his place.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said that he doesn’t expect major changes to Miami’s offense despite the quarterback change.

“We’ve been in that situation before. You can’t go into the game with two different offenses, it’s impossible,” Belichick said. “One’s right-handed, one’s left-handed, that definitely affects some things right there. But we could be looking at a different quarterback just like we were at Arizona on the first series of the game. You have to know who you expect to play, but certainly that could change.”

Bridgewater, a Miami native, has played in four games with the Dolphins this season with one start, which Miami lost. He has completed 37 of 60 passes for 522 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.

“I’ve always had a ton of respect for Teddy,” Belichick said. “Good athlete, good arm, smart kid, athletic, presents a lot of the same problems that Tua does.”

When asked specifically about how Miami’s play calling will change to accommodate Bridgewater, Belichick said: “I’d say it’s a high-percentage of the offense. I’m sure they’ll do some things specifically for one guy or the other, but generally speaking it’s the offense.”