NFL Sunday takeaways: Dolphins lose Teddy Bridgewater, Giants thriving

Rookie Skylar Thompson, a seventh-round draft choice from Kansas State, took over at quarterback. The Dolphins trail the Jets, 19-14, at halftime.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association said Saturday that their concussion protocols were followed “as written” in Tagovailoa’s case, but the outcome was “not what was intended” under the protocols. They announced a modification to the protocols that prevents any player who demonstrates abnormal balance, stability or motor coordination from returning to a game.

That change to the protocols was in effect for Sunday’s games leaguewide, and Bridgewater reportedly was ruled out from returning to the game under the new provision.

The Giants are thriving

Don’t get carried away quite yet. But the New York Giants just might be for real.

The first-ever NFL game in London to feature two teams with winning records served as further evidence that the Giants are making immediate and significant progress under their new football brain trust of Coach Brian Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen. They rallied, then held on late to beat the Green Bay Packers, 27-22, to improve their record to 4-1.

The injury-plagued Giants were desperately shorthanded at cornerback and wide receiver. Quarterback Daniel Jones played despite an ankle injury and had a bloody right hand during the game. Tailback Saquon Barkley left the game with a shoulder injury but returned.

Yet the Giants found a way. Jones threw for 217 yards on 21-for-27 passing accuracy. Barkley ran for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Giants regrouped after trailing, 17-3, in the second quarter.

The defense stopped the Packers on a fourth-and-one attempt from the New York 6-yard line with just more than a minute to play and the Giants leading, 27-20. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a pass batted away for an incompletion. The Giants handed the Packers a safety in the final seconds rather than punting out of their own end zone but sealed the victory with a sack of Rodgers on the game’s final play.

The NFC East is surprisingly competitive, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys also thriving thus far. But after a decade of on-field futility following their most recent Super Bowl triumph to conclude the 2011 season, the Giants at least have hope again.

All eyes on Kenny Pickett — and maybe Bailey Zappe

It has not been a season for rookie quarterback exploits in the NFL. The quarterbacks mostly were afterthoughts in this year’s NFL draft, and not a single one began this season as a starter.

Even so, rookie quarterbacks will be in focus on Sunday in Week 5. Kenny Pickett makes his first NFL start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in an early-afternoon game at Buffalo. And Bailey Zappe could make his first start when the New England Patriots host the Detroit Lions at 1 p.m. Eastern time in Foxborough, Mass., with usual starter Mac Jones listed as doubtful because of his high ankle sprain.

Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin officially named Pickett the starter Tuesday, two days after going to Pickett in favor of struggling starter Mitchell Trubisky at halftime of a 24-20 loss at home to the New York Jets.

NFL, NFLPA change concussion protocols, complete Tua Tagovailoa review

The move was inevitable. The Steelers made Pickett, a University of Pittsburgh product, the only quarterback chosen in the first round of the draft in April. But the switch came sooner than Tomlin would have preferred, with the Steelers sputtering along at 1-3 in the first season after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. Tomlin never has had a losing season in a head coaching tenure with the Steelers that began in 2007.

Pickett excelled during preseason, showing poise and passing accuracy. He undeniably provided the Steelers with a burst of energy against the Jets, with a pair of second-half rushing touchdowns. But he also threw a trio of interceptions in a 10-for-13, 120-yard passing performance. Tomlin and the Steelers probably will have to live with a few mistakes along the way.

Zappe likewise had his moments last Sunday. He was pressed into service during the Patriots’ game at Green Bay, with Jones sidelined and veteran backup Brian Hoyer’s day cut short when he suffered a head injury. Zappe threw a touchdown in a 10-for-15, 99-yard showing. The Patriots took the Packers to overtime but lost, 27-24, on a field goal as time expired in the 10-minute extra session. They also are 1-3.

The Patriots reportedly are holding out some hope that Jones could play Sunday. But they do seem confident in Zappe, an unheralded fourth-round draft pick from Western Kentucky. They’ll probably need to score points in bunches Sunday. The Lions are ranked first in the NFL in total offense and last in total defense. They’re coming off a 48-45 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, who had totaled only 47 points in their three games this season before that.