The Miami Dolphins were supposed to be back in the playoff hunt this season. But due to the last-second drama in the London Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL finals are once again a distant memory. And that despite the comeback of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

London – Tua Tagovailoa sat on his white bench on the sidelines of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, staring into space.

His almost help-seeking look towards the sky truly spoke volumes. After a three-week injury layoff due to a severe rib injury, the quarterback was able to play again in the “NFL International Series” game in England against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the game took a dramatic turn in the end.

Playoffs a long way off

Although Tagovailoa, who was wearing a protective waistcoat around his ribs, didn’t do too badly in his comeback – he completed 33 of his 47 pass attempts for 329 yards, two touchdowns and an interception – the Dolphins lost 20-23 to the Jaguars in London on a last-second field goal.

That is, an opponent that had previously failed to win a season-high 20 games and for more than a year.

Miami as a rebuilding opponent. That’s not what head coach Brian Flores, quarterback Tagovailoa and company envisioned before this season.

The playoffs were supposed to be it. Finally, again. The last game in the NFL finals was a good four years ago, in the 2016 NFL season, a loss in the Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2017. Since then, Miami has been as far away from the playoffs as the sun is from the moon.

And this season, it doesn’t seem to be going beyond the Regular Season for the Dolphins either. After the loss to the Jaguars, Flores’ team is 1-5.

“The disappointment is obviously huge,” the Dolphins’ head coach was suitably contrite after the game. “I have to coach better, prepare the boys better so that they can play better in the end and, above all, become more consistent. Because that’s exactly what we lack: consistency. “

Disappointment with Tagovailoa

But he also saw “good things against the Jaguars, my players are doing a lot of things right on the pitch, it’s just the results that are missing”. But Flores also knows he will be judged on wins.

“You hear from the veterans that Flores is a great coach and that working with him is a lot of fun. But of course he also has to deliver at some point,” said Sebastian Vollmer, Flores’ former player and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, in an interview with ran.

That didn’t work against the Jaguars – despite Tua’s long-awaited comeback. “He did a very good job today, throwing strong passes and standing firm in the pocket,” said the Dolphins’ head coach. Still, it wasn’t enough.

“We have to continue to work hard and believe in ourselves. It’s not about individuals, it’s about all of us,” Flores appealed at the end of his statement and then disappeared into the Dolphins’ dressing room with his head hanging.

Tagovailoa presented himself in a similar manner, stating with a petrified expression: “I don’t care how I played today – we lost. And that’s what counts in the end.”

The disappointment was still written deep on his face even in the belly of the London Arena. “We just have to finish our drives. We didn’t manage to do that and that’s why we lost. That’s why it’s now a case of putting our heads down and continuing to work hard. We are a very conspiratorial team and I am sure we will get back on track. “

Interested in Deshaun Watson?

Whether that will continue to be the case with the Hawaiian in the future remains to be seen. Because in the “Sunshine State” they seem to have little patience for Tua and his development. Immediately after the loss to the Jaguars, rumours began to swirl about Deshaun Watson, who, as we know, no longer plays a role with the Houston Texans.

According to “ESPN”, Watson is even said to be interested in playing in Miami – and the Dolphins are said to be not averse. Either way, the turmoil in and around Miami in the coming days is almost guaranteed.

The next chance awaits after the bye week on matchday 8 at the Buffalo Bills. No easy task. But the Dolphins are under pressure.

It almost doesn’t matter what the opponent’s name is. Flores and Tagovailoa know that too.