NFL Sunday preview: Hey, Tua Tagovailoa — maybe turn off your phone

The awful Tua Tagovailoa incident in Miami’s loss Thursday in Cincinnati remains a big-buzz NFL talking point.

The Miami QB was concussed after his body was swung and slammed into the ground by a Bengals pass rusher, his head bouncing hard off the artificial turf.

Tagovailoa was quickly ruled out with a concussion. Hospital doctors hours later cleared him to fly home with his team.

The furor that ensued was not about that incident, but rather that Tagovailoa was playing at all, four days after he seemed to be concussed against Buffalo, when he wobbled after his head smacked into the turf.

The NFL and NFLPA are investigating why doctors did not diagnose a concussion.

Tagovailoa on Friday tweeted “I’m feeling much better and focused on recovering, so I can get back out on the field with my teammates.”

Hey, Tua — one way to help that along? Limit your cellphone, TV and tablet usage. While the science is evolving, many if not most doctors advise as much, to not overwhelm the injured brain.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa on the flight home “pulled out his phone and started playing my cult favourite classic movie MacGruber that he watched and was laughing with me.”

PLAYER UNION TURFS DOC

According to numerous reports Saturday, the NFL Players Association — as is its right — fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) on the Miami Dolphins sideline last Sunday.

Outrage followed the decision last Sunday by the Dolphins team doctor and assigned UNC to permit quarterback Tagovailoa to return to the game against the Buffalo Bills when it appeared, for all the world, as though he had been concussed after coming up both wobbly and shaking his head, after the back of his head hit the ground hard.

The club insists the QB suffered a back injury, not a brain injury in that incident. Four days later, Tagovailoa was found to be concussed after his head hit the ground hard at Cincinnati.

The NFL and NFLPA jointly make all decisions pertaining to player health, including protocols regarding concussion care and the hiring of UNCs on each sideline during a game.

According to the protocol approved by the league and union, a UNC must be “impartial and independent from any club, is board-certified in neurology, emergency medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or any primary care (sports-medicine-certified) physician, or board-eligible or board-certified in neurological surgery, and has documented competence and experience in the treatment of acute head injuries.”

Every sideline UNC in every game must be on hand to observe, and even participate if they choose, whenever a team’s doctor (or his medical-staff designee) administers the NFL/NFLPA’s brief sideline or detailed locker-room brain-injury tests on a potentially concussed player.

Indeed, per the protocol, the UNC should be “working in consultation with the head team physician or his/her designee to implement the concussion evaluation and management protocol (including the locker-room comprehensive concussion assessment exam) during” a game.

The UNC also must be “present to observe (and collaborate when appropriate with the team physician) the sideline concussion assessment exams,” during an initial sideline concussion examination under the blue tent.

After either examination, no player may return to a game unless cleared to do so by both his team doctor as well as the UNC.

Strangely, multiple reports said the NFLPA concluded that “several mistakes” were made by the UNC. This, following interviews conducted by the league and union on Friday.

That’s strange because the UNC, in concussion assessments, does almost nothing unilaterally. That is, without the team doctor. It’s a joint assessment, essentially.

What is particularly disturbing is NFL Network’s report Saturday afternoon that the NFLPA asserts the UNC failed “to understand his role” in the concussion assessment and, furthermore, was later hostile “during the investigation process.”

So, essentially, the NFLPA just fired a person it co-hired in the first place.

The NFL has promised at some point to reveal all it can regarding the joint investigation of the incident.

BEARS PLACEKICKER OUT

Placekicker Cairo Santos did not travel with the Chicago Bears to New York to play the Giants, for personal reasons. The Bears signed former Los Angeles Chargers kicker Michael Badgley to their practice squad and elevated him, per ESPN.

CHIEFS PLACEKICKER OUT

Kansas City downgraded its placekicker, Harrison Butker, to out for Sunday night’s game at Tampa Bay. He has been battling an ankle injury.

Matthew Wright — signed this week to replace last week’s Butker backup, Matt Ammendola, whom K.C. cut after the loss at Indy — was elevated Saturday from the Chiefs’ practice squad.

MEYERS OUT AT GREEN BAY

It was bad enough that the New England Patriots will play at Green Bay without starting QB Mac Jones. On Saturday, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was downgraded to out. On Friday, Meyers was listed as questionable with a knee injury.

EXTRA POINTS

Unsurprisingly, Cleveland downgraded DE Myles Garrett — who walked away from a rollover car crash on Monday — to out at Atlanta … The Washington Commanders are debuting all-black uniforms at Dallas. Black helmets, black jerseys (with gold numbers and trim), black pants and presumably black socks … Las Vegas cut offensive lineman Jackson Barton.

FIVE BIG QUESTIONS

THE BIG NUMBER

61

Percentage of third downs the Buffalo Bills have converted so far, to lead the league — 25-of-41. What’s more, the Bills have converted 4-of-6 fourth downs (67%).

FUNKIEST FACTOID

Lamar Jackson co-leads the NFL with four touchdown passes on third downs. Thing is, outside of those four plays, the Ravens QB has completed only 21% on third downs (4-of-19) for just 61 yards and two interceptions.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m here to be great. I could have a stomach virus, I could be pooping my pants and I still want to play.”

— Micah Parsons, Cowboys pass rusher.