After several years of defeat, 2022 was projected to be the year of the Miami Dolphins, so far, the season has not lived up to fan’s expectations.1973 marked the last year the Miami Dolphins won the Superbowl, so fans were excited that this year they had the chance. They were 3-0, starting with an exhilarating win against the team’s nemesis, the Buffalo Bills. On a winning streak, the Dolphins had won all of their preseason games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26-24), the Las Vegas Raiders (15-13) and the Philadelphia Eagles (48-10).

The Dolphins continued that winning streak into the season by beating the New England Patriots (20-7), the Baltimore Ravens (42-38) and the Buffalo Bills (21-19). Because of the Dolphins’ winning streak, fans were excited about the possibility of more victories.

That was until Miami Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, received two head injuries in the game against the Bills. The third-party neurotrauma consultant misanalyzed him, leading Tagovailoa to continue playing. Tagovailoa continued to play in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals where he was tackled by defensive lineman Josh Tupou. The tackle occurred in the second quarter of the game, leaving him motionless on the field for several minutes. 

“When Tua first got injured, I was shocked, because it looked really bad. Then he ended up playing the next week, which [I] do not even know how because it looked like he had a concussion, and then he got the second injury with his hands, and I was honestly freaked out because it looked really bad, I truly thought he was paralyzed at first,” Miami Palmetto Senior High School sophomore Isaac Mesnekoff said.

He was carried out of the game on a stretcher resulting in the team’s first loss of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals (15-27). Tagovailoa is in no condition to play and the length of his outing from the injury is yet to be determined.

“I still think we have a chance to make it to the Superbowl, our backup quarterback could be way better than Tua, and Teddy Bridgewater, he plays solid and I think he could honestly be better than Tua, and the rest of the team is doing pretty good this season so I think we have a solid chance,” Mesnekoff said.

Though the rest of the season for the Dolphins is unpredictable, fans still hope that they will pull through and bring home the victory of a super bowl for the first time in 49 years.