BREAKING: Miami Dolphins place quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Injured Reserve

It seemed like a good sign when Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t placed on injured reserve earlier in the week after suffering fractured ribs early in Miami’s loss to Buffalo.

That all changed on Saturday as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that the Dolphins are putting their starting quarterback on IR.

Rapport added that the team is hoping that Tagovailoa will be ready to return from his broken ribs after three weeks — the earliest a player can return after being placed on IR.

That means that coach Brian Flores and the Dolphins will lean on Jacoby Brissett for games against the Raiders, Colts and Buccaneers.

Brissett completed 60 percent of his passes against Buffalo, finishing with 169 yards and an interception. The team failed to find the end zone in the loss.

The Dolphins are choosing the safe approach with their franchise quarterback and are hopeful that he can return for Miami’s game against Jacksonville in London.

Until then, Miami will need Jaylen Waddle, DeVante Parker, Myles Gaskin and Will Fuller to do the team’s heavy lifting on offense. Keep in mind, even Brock Osweiler found some magic in Miami with help from his playmakers.

The Dolphins are less than 24 hours away from Sunday’s showdown in Las Vegas against the undefeated Raiders. Miami is making its first trip outside the division and will look to bounce back from Week 2’s loss.

The kickoff between the Dolphins and Raiders is slated for 4:05 p.m.