Dolphins confirm that Tua Tagovailoa is set to start vs. Jags if all goes well

The Jacksonville Jaguars now know who they will be facing Sunday when it comes to quarterbacks on the Miami Dolphins’ roster, and barring any setbacks, it will be Tua Tagovailoa. Head coach Brian Flores confirmed this information with reporters over in the United Kingdom Friday as the second-year quarterback was on schedule to come back Sunday.

“I let those guys know that assuming everything goes well in practice today, Tua’s gonna start the game,” Flores said Friday.

Tagovailoa will return after missing the last three games for Miami due to fractures to his ribs in Week 2’s game against the Buffalo Bills. However, the arrow was trending upward for him as soon as last week when he started the process of throwing again.

Tagovailoa will enter this week’s game 17-of-31 (54.8%) for 215 yards, one touchdown, and one pick. As a starter in 2021, he’s 1-1 in terms of the team’s record, aiding the Dolphins to a Week 1 win against the New England Patriots, and of course, the game where he exited early against the Bills was a loss.

Tagovailoa will be up against a Jags defense that is struggling to defend the pass. They will enter Sunday’s game ranked 26th against the pass allowing a 286.6 average through the air per game. However, if the young quarterback shows signs of rust or the defense takes a step from the unit we’ve seen the first five weeks (or both), the chances for the Jags to acquire their first win should be high.