Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick
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Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa feels ‘no extra, added pressure’ heading into Week 17

The Miami Dolphins are on the cusp of making the NFL playoffs as all they’ll need is a win over the division rival Buffalo Bills to secure their spot in the postseason.

However, things have drastically changed for the Dolphins ahead of the Week 17 showdown with the Bills. Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is no longer an insurance policy for the shaky rookie Tua Tagovailoa after testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

With Fitzpatrick unable to bail out the rookie as he did last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, all eyes will be on Tagovailoa with a playoff berth on the line this weekend, but he’s not feeling the pressure ahead of the biggest game of his NFL career thus far, via Miami Herald.

“I’d say for me there’s really no extra, added pressure,” Tagovailoa said. “The expectation for myself is very high in how I perform and how I go out there and try to lead the guys to victory.

“Obviously, this past weekend, I didn’t play to that standard,” Tagovailoa continued. “It’s more so me knowing that we’ve got to go out here and get the job done. If you can’t get the job done, then that’s on you. That’s on no one else.”

Although Tagovailoa has shown some flashes of brilliance on the football field during his rookie campaign, he’s also shown signs for concern for the Dolphins, which have led to Fitzpatrick taking over on more than one occasion.

Despite his struggles this season, the Dolphins still have a lot of faith in Tagovailoa and that will be put to the test against a very good Bills team in Week 17 when the team plays for a playoff spot.

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