Jaylen Waddle distraught after crucial fumble late in fourth quarter against Vikings
MIAMI GARDENS — One of the top receiving performances of Jaylen Waddle's young professional football career was overshadowed by a pair of costly mistakes in the Miami Dolphins' 24-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Waddle caught six passes for 129 yards, averaging 21.9 per reception, but lost a fumble late in the fourth quarter as quarterback Teddy Bridgewater led the Dolphins on a potential game-tying drive.
The fumble sapped momentum from the Dolphins and energy from fans in Hard Rock Stadium, who flocked to the exits after Vikings running back Dalvin Cook scampered 53 yards for a touchdown two plays later.
“There are some plays that we want back, that I want back,” Waddle said of the mistakes.
“I just tried to make a play and the ball came out. They recovered it. Wish I could have that one back but it comes with the game.”
Instant Takeaways: Miami Dolphins lose to Minnesota Vikings, 24-16
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It was Waddle's second involvement in Miami's three overall turnovers against Minnesota.
In the second quarter, Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater hit Waddle on a route across the middle, but the pass deflected off Waddle's hands and was miraculously pulled in by Vikings safety Harrison Smith after several bobbles near the ground.
After the fourth-quarter fumble, teammates said they tried to lift up Waddle, who was visibly distraught on the sidelines over his errors.
"He was straining just to try to get to the end zone," Bridgewater said. "... Every time the ball is in their hands, they’re trying to just maximize every play, every rep, and I just love it. We’ll look at it like, 'oh, man, we can’t fumble in that situation,' but I’m just happy to see that strain out of him."
Jaylen Waddle also injured shoulder
The Vikings added injury to the day's lowlights when Waddle hurt his shoulder at the end of a long play in the fourth quarter as the Dolphins attempted to rally after Cook's touchdown run.
The second-year pro briefly left the field but later returned. Waddle said he was feeling "good" after the game, happy to avoid a growing list of injured Dolphins.
“It’s a physical game and it just comes with it," Waddle said. "That’s part of our job. Hopefully we can get some players back to get healthy and grow.”
Despite the turnovers and injury, Waddle finished with the third-most receiving yards for a single game of his pro career, overcoming more Dolphins quarterback turbulence.
Third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson injured his thumb in the second quarter and went to the locker room, drawing Bridgewater into the contest. Bridgewater was knocked out of Miami's last game after taking a huge hit on the Dolphins' first offensive snap.
Nonetheless, Waddle said the carousel of quarterbacks leading the Dolphins offense so far in 2022 hasn't made a huge impact in the offense's performance.
Miami may well have a new starting quarterback for the fourth straight game in next Sunday's matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Hard Rock Stadium.
With the severity of Thompson's injury unknown, Miami could turn to Bridgewater to start against the Steelers or see the return of Tua Tagovailoa, whose status has been heavily scrutinized after high-profile injuries in Weeks 3 and 4.
Waddle will clearly welcome Tagovailoa's return, whenever that may be.
“That’s our leader," Waddle said. "That’s our captain. I miss him out there battling with us. He’s good for the team.”
Eric J. Wallace can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle fumbles late to spoil big day vs Vikings
