How Tua Tagovailoa’s Absence Drastically Impacts Patriots

Tua Tagovailoa sustained another concussion in Week 2 of the NFL season, adding the latest of his career. The Miami Dolphins quarterback heads to injured reserve through the end of October, which signals a shift for the New England Patriots.

New England, despite a 1-1 start, is still slated for heavy struggles in 2024 that could result in a high pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With that said, the door is open to compete with Miami and ruin the Dolphins’ chances of a run in the AFC East against the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills.

Tagovailoa’s presence quite literally made all the difference in Patriots-Dolphins matchups since he entered the league in 2020. The Alabama quarterback is 6-0 as the starting quarterback against New England and helped the Dolphins sweep the Patriots in the season series in two of the last three years.

Without Tagovailoa on the field in that span, the Patriots are 2-0. Cam Newton bested Ryan Fitzpatrick in the 2020 season opener at Gillette Stadium before Mac Jones outlasted Skylar Thompson and Teddy Bridgewater in Week 17 of the 2022 season.

Expectations are and should still be low for the Patriots this season. This injury update might have opened the door for one more New England win this season. With that being said, Miami absolutely still holds a talent advantage on offense with pure speed in Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane. They just need a quarterback to get them the ball.

The Patriots and Dolphins meet at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 6, which could feature a Tom Brady broadcast on FOX at 1 p.m. ET. The teams rematch in Miami on Nov. 24.