Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa will be encouraged to slide when he makes his expected return vs. Cardinals

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — When Tua Tagovailoa returned to the field from a concussion that briefly hospitalized him in 2022, he scrambled in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers and initiated contact by lowering his shoulder into the defender.

Coach Mike McDaniel later said Tagovailoa came to him on the sideline and said he “needed that” contact after missing time with his head injury.

But as Tagovailoa prepares to start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals in his first game back from another concussion, McDaniel's message is much different.

“My answer would be: ‘You don’t need that one’ this time around,” he said, speaking on Tagovailoa's need to “be smart” in how protects himself on the field.

Medical experts deemed it safe for Tagovailoa to play football again after he suffered a concussion in Week 2.

Tagovailoa's scrambling has been a topic of discussion between the quarterback and his teammates since his latest concussion, which came when he initiated contact with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on a scramble instead of sliding

“We’ve been talking to him ever since his injury,” running back Raheem Mostert said. "I’ve been telling him, ‘Hey, you need to work on sliding.’ And we all joke around and laugh, but on a serious note, he knows that he has to protect himself a little bit better.”

The Cardinals have a quarterback in Kyler Murray whose scrambling is a big part of his game because of his elusiveness and speed. He's third among NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 325 yards and had a 44-yard rushing touchdown in Arizona's Week 7 win over the Chargers.

“We certainly have to account for that," Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “He is so special from a speed standpoint. You could be perfect, and you think you have an angle, and he's going to outrun you. ... He's looks like Tyreek (Hill) playing quarterback.”

As much as the Dolphins will try to limit one of the things Murray does best, they are hoping to lean on Tagovailoa's strengths to jumpstart their waning offense.

“He’s going to be accurate; ball is going to be catchable, real good, soft in your hands, on time, all of that," Hill said. "It’s going to be sharp, so it’s expected.”

Murray said it's sometimes tough to make split-second decisions on when to stay in the pocket and throw versus taking off to run, admitting he missed on open Marvin Harrison Jr. on a play in which he decided to scramble.

He said defenses do feel a strain with his ability to make plays with his feet, though.

“I don’t think that defenses like playing a mobile quarterback, no,” Murray said. "I’d rather play a guy that can’t move.”

Defensive adjustment

The Cardinals’ defense suffered another blow this week after learning that LB Dennis Gardeck is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Gardeck was leading the Cardinals with three sacks and has been an important piece on special teams.

It’s a common theme for the defense, which has also lost LB BJ Ojulari (knee), DL Justin Jones (triceps) and DL Bilal Nichols (stinger) for the season. On Monday, the Cardinals still managed to cobble together a good performance, giving up 395 total yards but no touchdowns.

Murray to Harrison

The Murray-to-Harrison combo has had some ups and down through seven games.

There have been some good moments, such as the two TD catches against the Rams in Week 2. But there have also been a handful of games like Monday, when Harrison caught just three passes for 21 yards. Harrison – the No. 4 overall pick in April — has been targeted 43 times this season, but has just 20 catches.

“I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of what we can be,” Murray said. “I know it’s frustrating for fans and it’s frustrating for us, too, because I want him to have 10 catches a game, 100 yards a game. We all want that, but again it takes time, it takes work and that’s where we’re all striving to be. We’re striving to be great, and I believe we will get there.”

Ramsey’s assignment

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver joked that he's been tempted to play cornerback Jalen Ramsey at inside linebacker because of how versatile he's been in the mix of coverages the Dolphins have put him in.

Ramsey is a big reason for Miami's No. 1 passing defense entering Week 8. He has allowed 109 yards in pass coverage this season, just 9.1 yards per reception, along with five pressures on six blitzes.

Ramsey will likely draw the assignment of covering Harrison, but secondary coach Brian Duker said the All-Pro cornerback could cover tight end Trey McBride, too.

“Wherever we think Jalen could have the most impact, we like to put him there,” Duker said.

Tua story

Offensive coordinator Frank Smith was sitting at his desk at the Dolphins' practice facility at 5 a.m. and looked up to see Tagovailoa standing at his door with a cup of coffee in his hands.

“'Hey boss,' what are you doing?'" Smith recalled Tagovailoa saying. "I'm like, ‘What are you doing?’”

It was around two weeks ago and was an example of how eager Tagovailoa was to be involved in the Dolphins' gameplan while he waited for medical clearance to return to football. Tagovailoa remained active on the sideline while he was out, coaching up Miami's quartebacks and being a line of communcation between the coaches and players.

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AP Sports Writer David Brandt contributed.

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Alanis Thames, The Associated Press