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SKYLAR THOMPSON SUFFERS 'PAINFUL' RIB INJURY IN LOSS TO SEAHAWKS

AP

SEATTLE -- Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson left midway through the third quarter of Sunday's 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks after suffering what coach Mike McDaniel called a painful rib injury.

Making his first start of the season in place of the injured Tua Tagovailoa, Thompson took a hard hit on Miami's second drive of the third quarter and remained down for several minutes while medical trainers attended to him. He was ultimately able to leave the field and return to the Dolphins' locker room under his own power.

Third-string quarterback Tim Boyle entered the game for Thompson. Boyle was signed to the Dolphins' practice squad prior to Week 1 and was elevated this past week after Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve.

McDaniel said Thompson suffered a rib injury and wanted to play through it; ultimately, the Dolphins will not know the full extent of Thompson's injury until Monday.

"I haven't talked to Skylar as of the end of the game," McDaniel said after Sunday's game. "It was a rib injury that was pretty painful. And half the pain or half of the frustration for him, I think, was he was trying to find a way to not come out of the game. And ultimately it was pretty painful. He fought through it, but we'll get a chance to look at him tomorrow."

Before leaving, Thompson completed 13 of 19 passes for 107 yards. He was sacked five times in his fourth career start.

McDaniel didn't reveal what the Dolphins' plan is for the upcoming week if Thompson is unable to go for Miami's home matchup against Tennessee next Monday night. Miami did sign Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad last week, but he was not active for Sunday's game. Huntley was listed as the team's emergency quarterback.

Boyle completed 7 of 9 passes for 79 yards, adding a 6-yard scramble on the ground as well.

He nearly led the Dolphins to their lone touchdown drive of the day but threw an incomplete pass on fourth down at the Seattle 2-yard line; the Dolphins earned nine first downs in the game, four of which came on that drive.

"It's an attitude game. Go out there, we're down a couple scores. But you got to go out and prove what you've got," Boyle said. "It builds a lot of character as a person, as a competitor. I'm glad we put a couple drives together. Obviously, we got stopped there on fourth down at the goal line. When you're struggling like that, you're trying to find completions, you're trying to find positive yards and put a drive together."

Boyle said nothing about his preparation would change if he were to start next week's game against the Tennessee Titans; it's unclear whether he or Huntley would get the nod in the event Thompson is not cleared to play.

- Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN

DOLPHINS PLACE QB TUA TAGAVAILOA ON IR AFTER CONCUSSION

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left Thursday night's game after suffering the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins placed Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve Tuesday after the quarterback suffered another concussion in Thursday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Per NFL rules, Tagovailoa must remain on injured reserve for at least four games. There is no timetable for how long Miami plans to keep him on IR as he focuses on his health before his return to the field.

It is the third diagnosed concussion of Tagovailoa's NFL career.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel on Monday said Tagovailoa wouldn't be placed on IR until more information became available, but the decision was made Tuesday after further evaluation.

Miami signed quarterback Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad. Per NFL rules, the Dolphins must allocate a spot on their 53-man roster to Huntley for at least their next three games.

"We got to learn firsthand a nice reminder of how it only takes one play and what you think your depth is changes abruptly," McDaniel said. "So that's a move for moving forward to secure some depth in case of the unforeseen, which is timelines for us as it relates to Tua."

Third-year quarterback Skylar Thompson will start Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks now that Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out.

Thompson did not play during the 2023 season, but he started three games as a rookie in 2022, including a playoff loss on the road to the Bills. McDaniel said the move to add Huntley "was not any direct reflection on Skylar" and was made to bolster the team's depth.

Huntley has started 10 games in his four-year career, mostly for the Ravens. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 after helping guide them to the playoffs in place of Lamar Jackson. He started Baltimore's playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I do think that it helps the dynamics of the [quarterbacks] room to add another guy with starting history to this team," McDaniel said of Huntley. "He's a guy that's a signal-caller that a team can get behind. ... I think this is more directly to back up Skylar, and then you always let competition play out when it's out on the field. But this is a depth move, for sure."

Third-year quarterback Skylar Thompson will start Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks now that Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out.

Thompson did not play during the 2023 season, but he started three games as a rookie in 2022, including a playoff loss on the road to the Bills. McDaniel said the move to add Huntley "was not any direct reflection on Skylar" and was made to bolster the team's depth.

Huntley has started 10 games in his four-year career, mostly for the Ravens. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 after helping guide them to the playoffs in place of Lamar Jackson. He started Baltimore's playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I do think that it helps the dynamics of the [quarterbacks] room to add another guy with starting history to this team," McDaniel said of Huntley. "He's a guy that's a signal-caller that a team can get behind. ... I think this is more directly to back up Skylar, and then you always let competition play out when it's out on the field. But this is a depth move, for sure."

Tagovailoa suffered the injury while scrambling up the middle for a first down and making forcible contact with his helmet to the forearm of Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa immediately went into a fencing response with his arms in an unnatural position.

Medical trainers attended to Tagovailoa for several minutes as players kneeled around him. He was ultimately able to walk off the field and into the locker room under his own power but was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.

The next four games will push Tagovailoa's career total of games missed due to injury to 14 since 2020. He played all 18 of the Dolphins' regular-season and playoff games in 2023.

Also Tuesday, the Dolphins announced the signing of offensive lineman Jackson Carman to the practice squad and the release of wide receiver Robbie Chosen.

- Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN

NFL ROUNDUP: RAVENS THRASH DOLPHINS, GRAB NO. 1 SEED IN AFC

Lamar Jackson. USA TODAY Sports 

Lamar Jackson passed for 321 yards and matched his career high of five touchdown passes and the Baltimore Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 56-19 dismantling of the visiting Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Isaiah Likely had two touchdown receptions and Zay Flowers (106 receiving yards), Justice Hill, Patrick Ricard and Charlie Kolar each had one for the Ravens (13-3). Gus Edwards and Melvin Gordon III each rushed for a score for Baltimore, which has won six straight games and 10 of its past 11.

Roquan Smith and Geno Stone had interceptions for the Ravens, who have won eight games by 14 or more points this season. Miami star linebacker Bradley Chubb was carted off with a potentially serious knee injury with 3:05 remaining.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 22 of 38 passes for 237 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Miami (11-5) but sustained an injury to his left (throwing) shoulder. He was injured while sliding during a scramble with 7:55 left and missed the rest of the contest. De'Von Achane rushed 107 yards and caught a touchdown pass for the Dolphins.

49ers 27, Commanders 10

Brock Purdy threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns as San Francisco clinched the top seed in the NFC by beating Washington in Landover, Md.

Elijah Mitchell carried 17 times for 80 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers (12-4) locked down the top record in the conference after losses by Detroit on Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday. Mitchell took over for Christian McCaffrey, who was sidelined with an ankle injury early in the third quarter after rushing 14 times for 64 yards.

Brock Purdy. USA TODAY Sports 

Sam Howell completed 17 of 28 passes for 169 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (4-12), which dropped its seventh straight, its longest single-season losing streak since 1998.

Chiefs 25, Bengals 17

Harrison Butker booted six field goals while Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice each gained over 100 yards from scrimmage as Kansas City clinched the AFC West with a victory over visiting Cincinnati.

Harrison Butker. USA TODAY Sports 

Patrick Mahomes finished 21-of-29 passing for 245 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs (10-6), who clinched their eighth straight division title. Pacheco totaled 130 yards on 18 carries and had seven receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown, and Rice finished with five catches for 127 yards.

Justin Watson. USA TODAY Sports 

Jake Browning completed 19 of 33 passes for 197 yards. He threw for a TD and rushed for another for the Bengals (8-8), who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. Cincinnati led 17-7 in the second quarter before Kansas City scored the final 18 points.

Bills 27, Patriots 21

Quarterback Josh Allen rushed for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns and Buffalo held off a late rally by New England to earn a victory in Orchard Park, N.Y.

The Bills (10-6) will go into the final week of the regular season holding the AFC's second wild-card berth but not yet assured of a postseason spot. Allen put Buffalo up 27-14 with 10:42 remaining in the third quarter when he snuck into the end zone with the help of a push from running back Latavius Murray.

Josh Allen. USA TODAY Sports 

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a 6-yard score early in the fourth to pull New England (4-12) within six, and the Patriots ended up getting the ball back with 6:41 left in the game. However, New England failed to get past its 11-yard line, and the Bills then ran out the clock.

Bears 37, Falcons 17

Justin Fields passed for 268 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 45 yards and a score to lift host Chicago over Atlanta.

The Bears (7-9) relied on a balanced attack that outgained Atlanta 432-307 to win for the fourth time in the past five games. Khalil Herbert led the ground game, rushing 18 times for 124 yards and a touchdown.

The Falcons (7-9) lost for the third time in four games as their dim NFC playoff hopes took a hit. Taylor Heinicke finished 10-for-29 passing for 163 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions before Desmond Ridder entered in relief late in the fourth quarter.

Texans 26, Titans 3

C.J. Stroud passed for 213 yards and a touchdown in his return from a two-game concussion absence and host Houston kept its postseason hopes alive by thumping Tennessee.

Stroud completed 24 of 32 pass attempts and tossed a 12-yard touchdown to Brevin Jordan in the second quarter to extend the Houston lead to 10-0. Eight seconds later, the Texans (9-7) produced their first defensive touchdown of the season when Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble by Titans quarterback Will Levis 13 yards for a score.

Levis suffered a right foot injury while being sacked by Jerry Hughes on the play. Levis labored walking to the sideline and was carted to the locker room. Ryan Tannehill replaced Levis and passed for 168 yards. The Texans recorded five sacks of Tannehill while limiting the Titans (5-11) to 187 yards of total offense.

Colts 23, Raiders 20

Gardner Minshew threw for 224 yards and a touchdown while Jonathan Taylor ran for 96 yards and another score as host Indianapolis kept its hopes for an AFC South title alive by beating Las Vegas.

Matt Gay added second-half field goals of 38, 33 and 45 yards as the Colts (9-7) remained in a three-way tie with Jacksonville and Houston in the division. They will have to beat the visiting Texans next week in their regular-season finale and hope the Jaguars lose at Tennessee to claim a division crown.

Aidan O'Connell hit on 30 of 47 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns for Las Vegas (7-9), which was eliminated from playoff consideration. Davante Adams caught 13 passes for 126 yards and two scores.

Jaguars 26, Panthers 0

Brandon McManus kicked four field goals and Jacksonville's defense dominated as the hosts shut out Carolina.

The Jaguars (9-7) snapped a four-game losing streak and moved closer to repeating as AFC South champions. Sunday's win came with backup quarterback C.J. Beathard at the controls for the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence, who sustained a shoulder injury a week earlier, missed a game for the first time since he arrived in the NFL in 2021, ending a string of 49 straight games played.

Bryce Young had 112 yards and an interception on 19-of-32 passing for the Panthers (2-14).

Rams 26, Giants 25

Matthew Stafford passed for 317 yards and a touchdown and Kyren Williams rushed for three scores to help Los Angeles defeat New York in East Rutherford, N.J.

Stafford completed 24 of 34 passes with two interceptions, Williams rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries and Puka Nacua caught five passes for 118 yards for the Rams (9-7), who have won six of their past seven.

Tyrod Taylor passed for 319 yards and a touchdown and Darius Slayton caught four passes for 106 yards and a long touchdown for the Giants (5-11), who have lost three in a row. New York failed to convert a two-point conversion try to take the lead with 3:27 left, and Mason Crosby missed a 54-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining.

Cardinals 35, Eagles 31

James Conner rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 32 seconds to play and Arizona stunned host Philadelphia to leave the NFC playoff picture in disarray.

Needing a stop to halt their December slide, the Eagles saw their defense fall flat, allowing touchdowns on all four second-half possessions to permit 29 points as Philadelphia (11-5) dropped out of first place in the NFC East.

Kyler Murray was rarely pressured after a first-half interception and completed 25 of 31 passes for 232 yards and three TDs for Arizona (4-12). Conner had 26 carries for 128 yards. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles had only 275 total yards to Arizona's 449.

Saints 23, Buccaneers 13

Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes, New Orleans forced four turnovers and the visiting Saints stayed in contention for a postseason berth with a win over Tampa Bay.

Baker Mayfield was 22-of-33 passing for 309 yards and two touchdowns but had two interceptions. Tampa Bay (8-8), which had won four in a row, missed an opportunity to clinch its third consecutive NFC South title, but can still do so with a victory at Carolina next weekend.

The Saints (8-8), who avenged a 26-9 home loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4, can win the South with a win over Atlanta and a Bucs loss to the Panthers in Week 18.

Steelers 30, Seahawks 23

Najee Harris rushed 27 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns as Pittsburgh continued its playoff push with a victory against host Seattle.

Mason Rudolph, starting for the injured Kenny Pickett, completed 18 of 24 passes for 274 yards for the Steelers (9-7). Geno Smith was 23-of-33 passing for 290 yards and one touchdown for the Seahawks (8-8), who had a two-game winning streak snapped and saw their postseason chances diminish.

The Seahawks reached the red zone before stalling, settling for Jason Myers' 24-yard field goal with 2:01 remaining to make it a one-possession game. The Steelers recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

Broncos 16, Chargers 9

Jarrett Stidham threw for 224 yards and a touchdown in his first start in nearly a year, but Denver was eliminated from the playoff hunt despite beating visiting Los Angeles.

Stidham took over starting duties from Russell Wilson this week after the Broncos (8-8) lost three of their previous four games, and he completed 20 of 32 passes without a turnover. Denver was eliminated when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.

Easton Stick completed 24 of 38 passes for 220 yards in his third straight start for the Chargers (5-11) since Justin Herbert went down with a broken right index finger against the Broncos on Dec. 10. Alex Erickson caught seven passes for 98 yards for Los Angeles, which has lost four in a row and seven of eight.

Packers 33, Vikings 10

Jordan Love passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one more and Green Bay cruised to a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Love completed 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards for Green Bay (8-8), which boosted its playoff hopes while reducing the Vikings' chances to near zero. The Packers can clinch a playoff berth with a win against the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Jayden Reed had six catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay.

Nick Mullens completed 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (7-9), which lost its third game in a row. Mullens entered the game in the second half as a replacement for starter Jaren Hall, who completed 5 of 10 passes for 67 yards and an interception.

--Field Level Media

DOLPHINS TOP COWBOYS, SECURE PLAYOFF SPOT ON-LAST SECOND FIELD GOAL

AP

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Jason Sanders kicked his fifth field goal of the game, a 29-yarder as time expired, and the Miami Dolphins secured a playoff berth with a 22-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 293 yards and a touchdown for the AFC East-leading Dolphins (11-4), who beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season. He connected with Tyreek Hill twice on the decisive drive, which covered 64 yards and took the final 3:27 off the clock.

Hill, who leads the NFL in receiving yards, had nine catches for 99 yards after missing last week's victory over the New York Jets with an ankle injury.

Dak Prescott went 20-of-32 for 253 yards and two touchdowns for the Cowboys (10-5), who have already clinched a playoff spot but fell a half-game behind Philadelphia in the NFC East.

Prescott put Dallas in front 20-19 with an 8-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Brandin Cooks in the corner of the end zone. But the Cowboys were haunted by their red zone struggles earlier in the game, including a fumble by Prescott on first-and-goal from inside the 1 on Dallas' first possession.

Sanders' first field goal was a career-long 57-yarder in the first quarter. He added kicks of 52, 54 and 35 yards to help the Dolphins take a 19-10 lead late in the third.

HILL'S SPECIAL TD CATCH AND HOLLAND'S 99-YARD INT RETURN LEAD DOLPHINS PAST JETS 34-13

AP Photo 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tyreek Hill got into the end zone, found his new wife in the stands and tossed her the ball for a special celebration.

The game got even better for the newlywed Hill and the Miami Dolphins from there.

Jevon Holland returned an intercepted first-half Hail Mary attempt 99 yards for a score, Raheem Mostert ran for two touchdowns, and the Dolphins cruised past the New York Jets 34-13 in the NFL's first game played on Black Friday.

“It was a momentum swing going into the half,” Holland said. "They threw a ball, they threw a Hail Mary, kind of desperation. They knew we were getting the ball after the half.

“Then, boom, you just let up a touchdown.”

Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted twice, including one returned for a score by Brandin Echols, but Miami was in control for most of the game. The Dolphins (8-3) cushioned their lead atop the AFC East by sending the Jets (4-7) to their fourth straight loss.

Tagovailoa finished 21 of 30 for 243 yards with the TD to Hill and the two INTs.

Tim Boyle started at quarterback for the Jets in place of the benched Zach Wilson, but New York's stagnant offense failed to get much going other than Boyle's 1-yard TD pass to Garrett Wilson with 4:37 remaining.

TUA TAGOVAILOA SCARY INJURY VS. BENGALS