SBK Edge Rush: Nat Coombs studies this week's featured NFL match-ups

The Miami Dolphins will welcome back starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this weekend for their primetime game against the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The circumstances surrounding his extended absence due to a concussion are paradoxically well documented, but still seem rather murky and unclear. Why was he allowed to return to the game against the Bills when he had clearly suffered a significant blow to the head? That question is especially poignant given he demonstrated tell-tale signs of concussion in the immediate aftermath. 

An alarming site of his convulsions and subsequent removal from the next game – a Thursday Night Football match-up against the Bengals just four days later – following another hit, one that caused the young quarterback to lose consciousness, provoked further questions and has raised this issue of concussion protocol across the league. 

Who let him play in that game at all and risk his life? Experts will attest to the potentially lethal repercussions of suffering two concussions in quick succession. Of course, the player was never going to miss the second game after the diagnosis from the first hit was a back injury. No ‘official’ diagnosis? No problem. 

The silver lining from this unsavoury affair is that players will be protected more than ever with teams in the spotlight, necessitating caution. As James Sandrini pointed out on The Nat Coombs Show earlier this week, this will serve to push the value of backups higher and teams will invest more than before in a solid number 2.

In Miami’s case, they’ve got one of the best in the business in Teddy Bridgewater, but, somewhat ironically, he was taken out of his very first start of the season due to concussion protocol. So, the Fins have been scrapping with an untested third string rookie called Skylar Thompson – and now find themselves in a real fight in the AFC East after starting the season so strongly. With both the New York Jets and the New England Patriots confounding expectations and in contention, Miami needs a win to keep up the pace.

They should get it with the Pittsburgh Steelers in decline, despite their scrappy and insurgent win against Brady and the Bucs last week. That game saw the glorious return of the much-maligned Mitch Trubisky, and the vet might start again if new starter Kenny Pickett is ruled out because of, yep, you guessed it, concussion protocol. 

Miami’s offense was humming with Tua over the first three weeks of the season and pushed close to 28 points per game, and this is a Steelers defence that is giving up a similar amount on the road. The Brian Flores factor is fascinating – the former Fins head coach is now part of the Steelers – and he’ll have some key input into how to slow Tua down, or at least make life hard for him. But it doesn’t seem possible to keep Tyreek Hill quiet for long, and I think the Fins take this and kickstart their playoff bid. 

Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers heavyweight clash gained further edge with the overnight news that the 49ers had traded for Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers, who are in full freefall and have entered fire-sale mode. 

Christian McCaffrey: was traded to the San Francisco 49ers earlier this week

While he won’t see a huge amount of action, suggestions are that he will suit up and be used in red-zone packages. The longer-term potential for one of the best players of his generation who was slowed by injury is fascinating, with the innovation of Kyle Shanahan and the freedom to pinch hit with their new star, as opposed to lean on him most downs. We’ve seen this in recent years with Von Miller, who played for the Super Bowl winning LA Rams last year and is now with the current Super Bowl favourites, the Buffalo Bills, this time around.

McCaffrey could be the X-factor that the 49ers need to elevate themselves above the chasing pack in the NFC. In close view, their banged-up defence goes against a Jekyll and Hyde Chiefs – a hit and miss affair that’s somewhat perplexing. The new iteration of the Reid/Mahomes offence is predicated far more on short gains and long clock-eating drives, as opposed to take-the-lid-off sucker punches. 

Fully fit – as much as any NFL side can be – this is a pick’em but, even with the return of Nick Bosa, I feel the Chiefs edge their Californian counterparts this time out despite their own injury concerns in the secondary. 

NFL Gameweek Seven Predictions

Dolphins to beat the Steelers
Chiefs to beat the 49ers

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