Dolphins fan confidence drops in Week 5 as Bengals loss, injuries lead to worries

All season, the fan confidence in the direction of the Miami Dolphins has remained at an all-time high, including last week when 99 percent of the fans said they were confident in Miami’s direction. After a Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and injuries beginning to show up for the team - headlined by the concussion sustained by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa - the fan confidence took a hit this week.

Miami is still in the top spot in the AFC, despite falling to 3-1 on the year. They now face the New York Jets, opening the annual two-game series between the AFC East rivals, with the hope to overcome the injuries and get back to winning. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is slated to start for the Dolphins in place of Tagovailoa, who does not yet have a timetable for his return.

With the loss and the changes, 10 percent of the fan responses moved from confident in the Dolphins to not confident, dropping the overall rating from 99 percent to 89 percent. A Bridgewater-led win over the rival Jets in Week 5 could help see that number rebound in Week 6.

Even with the fall off this week, the vast majority of fans still expect the Dolphins to make the playoffs this year. Even with Tagovailoa’s injury, 85 percent of the fans are expecting Miami to end their playoff drought this season.

We also asked about who should be starting at quarterback for the Dolphins in Tagovailoa’s absence. After a strong preseason from rookie Skylar Thompson, there is some talk among fans that the Dolphins could use Tagovailoa’s injury to see exactly what they have in Thompson. However, 64 percent of the fans prefer to see Bridgewater get the start.

Make sure to check back next week when we release the next SB Nation Reacts Poll.

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