Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke to the media Thursday in preparation for their next game against the New York Jets and talked about the immense impact wide receiver Tyreek Hill has on the team. During his press conference, he said the offense in the loss to the Tennessee Titans last Monday “got a little out of sorts” when Hill wasn't on the field according to The Miami Herald's Daniel Oyefusi.
Hill suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of the Monday night football game as he originally thought his “ankle was gone.” However, he would be in and out for the rest of the contest which any viewer can tell, it changed the complexity of the Dolphins offense which led to the defeats.
There's no doubt that the connection between Tagovailoa and Hill was strong as each were putting up arguably their best seasons as individual players. For Hill, he was on the quest to be the first player ever with 2,000 receiving yards in a season and he was even on pace to do that before the game agains the Titans.
So far though, he has 97 catches for 1,542 yards to go along with his 12 touchdowns. As for Tagovailoa in his second season under head coach Mike McDaniel, he's been exceptional as he has thrown for 3,697 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions on the season.
McDaniel speaks on Hill's importance to the Dolphins
Speaking of McDaniel, he talked about how important Hill is for his creative and arguably inventive offense as the star receiver is used in a multitude of ways. One of the more underrated attributes about Hill is that he creates an uneasiness that the opposing team has to worry about everyone else besides the featured wide-out.
“I think that is kind of inherent, at least for me as a play-caller, is you’re trying to distribute the ball. There are times where there’s a glutton of opportunities that go Tyreek’s way – generally, that’s momentum based, but collectively we’re our strongest when you have to worry about everyone,” McDaniel said. “So there’s always that type of mindset and wanting to involve people, and then you just don’t fight how the game presents a lot of times. When you’re one of the best players in the National Football League, regardless of positions, you’re always going to get your opportunities, but it’s important for us to always make sure players are involved in their strength, whatever that is.”
McDaniel on Hill's status for Sunday
In terms of the injury, Hill is being labeled as “day-to-day” in terms of his status for Sunday's game against the Jets. However, McDaniel said on Tuesday that he's “optimistic” though he acknowledged it might be too early to know if he is playing.
“I’m optimistic about Tyreek (Hill) in general. I know if there’s a will, there’s a way. It’s a little early to be that confident. Either way, that was a painful ankle (injury) that he took the time to warm up, work and get to a point where he could feel like he could provide what we need him to provide. He’s given me only reason to be confident in his ability, but until he flat out tells me that there’s no doubt that he’s going to play, you always have to plan for everything, and I haven’t talked to him today.”
After the loss to the Titans, the Dolphins could use a game like this upcoming contest against the Jets as the rest of the schedule is grueling as they have the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills to finish off the year.
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