The NFL, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins announced a major schedule change for their upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 15.
The Bills and Dolphins will now face off in a prime time match up on NFL Network on Saturday, December 17th at 8: 15 p.m. ET.
The Bills announced the schedule change on Twitter writing, “Our Week 15 game against the Dolphins will be on Saturday, December 17 at 8:15 PM on NFL Network.”
The Week 15 showdown will be a rematch of the Week 3 game where the Miami Dolphins defeated the Bills 21-19 despite the Bills knocking out Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a short time during the game.
Many fans speculated Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the game when Bills linebacker Matt Milano shoved him to the ground. Following the hit, Tagovailoa got up, shook his head, and then collapsed back to the ground.
TUA with a concussion. Definitely done. #dolphins #bills pic.twitter.com/aWKzXKesBM
— Browns Rally Possum (@BrownsRally) September 25, 2022
During the game, the official Dolphins Twitter account reported that “Tagovailoa has a head injury and is questionable to return.”
However, return he did. And he lead the team to the 21-19 victory and at the time improved the team to 3-0.
Following the game, head coach Mike McDaniel revealed it wasn’t a head injury, but a back injury, ““Now, Tua, he went out with a lower back, and I hadn’t had that rep with him yet.”
McDaniel added, “He kind of got bent back pretty significantly on a quarterback sneak earlier. I was kind of with everyone else. When he hit his head on the ground, I assumed it was a head injury, but his legs got wobbly because his lower back was completely loose and as he described it, he said his lower back was like Gumby or something.”
Tagovailoa also addressed the media explaining it was a back and ankle issue, “I would say it was more the back than the ankle. The ankle was just, I would say, after the game soreness when my legs got caught up under whoever it was on the quarterback’s knee.”
When asked about his head, he responded, “I’m fine.”
Not only did that Week 3 matchup feature the controversy surrounding Tagovailoa’s injury, but it also saw Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey smash his tablet immediately following the team’s loss.
Bills OC Ken Dorsey was not happy at the end of the game. pic.twitter.com/F7Jp5IMlFP
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 25, 2022
That frustration came at the end of a series of wild events. First, Bills QB Josh Allen underthrew his WR Isaiah McKenzie on a 4th and goal opportunity to take the lead with less than two minutes to play.
Bills OC Ken Dorsey was not happy at the end of the game. pic.twitter.com/F7Jp5IMlFP
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 25, 2022
After turning the ball over on downs, the Bills defense forced the Dolphins to punt. The punt went awry when it bounced off the backside of a Dolphins’ player.
The Bills were awarded a safety when the ball bounced out of the end zone.
THE PUNT GOES OUT THE REAR OF THE END ZONE! #FinsUp
📺: #BUFvsMIA on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/AgvEitKLgz pic.twitter.com/Ry39X0bkrK— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022
The Bills would get the ball back and march into field goal range, but they ran out of time before they could spike the ball and stop the clock in order to get their field goal team on the field.
What an ending to the Bills-Dolphins game! #BUFvsMIA pic.twitter.com/yjlc3H0wUi
— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022
On top of a rematch during one of the more entertaining and drama filled games of the season, this Week 15 matchup also has playoff complications as the Bills currently sit in first place in the AFC East with 9-3 record while the Dolphins are just behind in second with an 8-4 record.
What do you make of the Bills and Dolphins game being moved to a prime time match up on NFL Network?
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