Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is one game from an achievement that’s been reached by only Joe Montana during the NFL’s AFC/NFC era.
In each of his past seven games, Tagovailoa has completed at least 70 percent of his passes. The only quarterback to complete at least 70 percent of his passes in eight consecutive games in the same season is Montana, who did so in 1989, when he led the San Francisco 49ers to their fourth NFL championship in a nine-season span.
Tagovailoa’s streak wouldn’t still be going except for his performance in overtime during the Dolphins’ 32-26 victory against the New York Jets on Sunday.
RELATED:WITH ‘NO ROOM FOR ERROR,’ TUA TAGOVAILOA, DOLPHINS RALLY FOR OVERTIME VICTORY
The former Alabama All-American entered the extra period having completed 27-of-40 passes in the game – 67.5 percent. But Tagovailoa completed his final six passes in overtime to get Miami into the end zone for a victory without the Jets offense ever getting on the field and get his completion rate for the contest to 70.2 percent.
“I don’t think two years ago this game occurs,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said during his postgame press conference. “He continues to get better. I think he had 47 pass attempts this week. He had 40 last week. I think it’s been since the Monday night game (on Nov. 11) that he’s turned the ball over. It’s a lot of work, and all of his work is paying off because he’s a naturally gifted quarterback, not only the skill sets but people gravitate towards him. He makes people better. That’s an incredibly important part of that position. …
“What he’s doing is he’s mastering the art. The hardest thing to do -- you could argue the hardest position to play -- is quarterback out of all the positions in sports. And the biggest differentiator with quarterbacks is: It’s a big moment. There’s a lot of stuff on you. And to be able to play clear-minded and let the game come to you – case in point, 47 pass attempts and zero interceptions again – it’s really cool to see.”
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees completed 74.4 percent of his passes in 2018 to establish the NFL single-season record. (Brees also had a streak of eight consecutive games completing at least 70 percent of his passes, but they came in the final five games of 2017 and the first three games of 2018.) Tagovailoa is at 73.8 percent for the 2024 season.
Over Miami’s past three games, when Tagovailoa has completed 99-of-133 passes for 1,013 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions, the Miami quarterback has put his name beside some of the game’s greats.
With three consecutive games with at least 300 passing yards, two or more touchdown passes and no interceptions, Tagovailoa became the seventh quarterback to achieve that feat in the NFL’s AFC/NFC era, and there have been only two longer streaks – five games apiece by Peyton Manning (straddling the 2012 and 2013 seasons) and Brees (in 2011).
Tom Brady had three such three-game streaks, and Patrick Mahomes has done it twice. The other quarterbacks to accomplish the feat are Brian Hoyer and Aaron Rodgers.
Tagovailoa’s past three games have included an even rarer streak. He’s the first player in NFL history to put together three consecutive games with at least 40 passes, two or more touchdown passes and no interceptions in a single season. Kirk Cousins also had such a three-game streak as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback, but the first two games were the final two contests of the 2020 season, and he got Game No. 3 to open the 2021 campaign.
For the first time in his NFL career, Tagovailoa has passed for 300 yards in three straight games. That’s tied for the Dolphins record with four such streaks by Dan Marino, which occurred in the 1984, 1988, 1994 and 1998 seasons.
Tagovailoa is the second quarterback from Alabama to post three consecutive 300-yard passing games in a single season, following Jeff Rutledge. In 1983, Rutledge made four starts for the New York Giants and passed for at least 325 yards in each of the final three. Rutledge’s only other 300-yard passing game in the NFL occurred seven years later. (Joe Namath had a three-game 300-yard streak, but it came in the final two games of the 1967 season and the first game of the 1968 campaign.)
Miami plays the Houston Texans at noon CST Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
The Texans have allowed one quarterback to throw for 300 yards this season. Cooper Rush completed 32-of-55 passes for 354 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Dallas Cowboys’ 34-10 loss to Houston on Nov. 18.
Two quarterbacks have completed at least 70 percent of their passes against the Texans in 2024, and Houston lost both games – to Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers 24-22 on Oct. 20 and Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans 32-27 on Nov. 24.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OURNFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at@AMarkG1.