The Miami Dolphins’ 2-7 record has created such a crisis within the franchise that not only did the NFL team part ways with its general manager last week, but $212 million quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is now playing to keep his job.
At least, that’s been the over-the-air scuttlebutt.
“At some point in time, we all expect (Miami) to be searching for a new quarterback,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said on his podcast on Thursday.
That was a day after Tagovailoa had been asked about an NFL Network report on playing to keep his job.
“I haven’t heard about any of that,” Tagovailoa said. “No social media for me, so that’s the first time I’m hearing it.”
But Tagovailoa still addressed the question.
“I wouldn’t say I’m playing to keep my job,” Tagovailoa said. “I think I’m playing to try to help our team win every time. I think that’s the objective for every quarterback that’s playing, for every football player that’s playing as well. The objective is: How can I help my team win games? And so I would say if you’re looking at it in that sense, I would say my performance needs to be better, and my performance doesn’t reflect me trying to keep my job because that’s not the standard in which I’ve been playing all these other years.”
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Across the 2022 through 2024 seasons, Tagovailoa had the highest completion percentage, the second best passing-efficiency rating and the third best passing-yards-per-game average in the NFL.
This season, the former Alabama All-American ranks 12th in completion percentage, 22nd in passing-efficiency rating and 25th in passing yards per game.
“Confidence is there,” Tagovailoa said. “But it’s looking back at the film with the way I’ve been playing prior, and just, man, what was going on there? Like, just was in the flow state throughout that and just trying to get back to that or figure that out again.”
In two of Miami’s previous three games, the Dolphins were limited to two field goals. The other game, Tagovailoa threw for four touchdowns in a 34-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 26.
“I think there’s a lot of things that we can look at when we’re talking about improvement for all of us,” Tagovailoa said, “but I think that first starts with me in my phase of the way I’ve played in years past and the conviction that I’ve wanted to play with this year. It helps with the trickle-down effect with (wide receiver Jaylen) Waddle and then all the other guys.”
But Miami coach Mike McDaniel wants to make sure Tagovailoa knows he doesn’t need to play hero-ball.
“One thing about being a franchise quarterback in the National Football League is your expectations for yourself are very high,” McDaniel said, “and you can feel as though your job is to do even more than really what your job is. And there’s 11 players on the field playing every play, and they need him to help make them the best players they can be. That’s the power of the quarterback and focusing on the things that you know -- how he addresses his teammates, how he gets the team in and out of the huddle, how convicted he is. Those things are the bedrock of his game, and he doesn’t have to do more than that.
“I think it’s important to you when you’re not getting results as a team to make sure individuals don’t try to be Captain America or Superman.”
The Dolphins will try to regain their footing against the Buffalo Bills. The AFC East rivalry game kicks off at noon CST Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Miami has lost its past seven games against Buffalo.
“We haven’t beat Buffalo since the first year Mike has been here,” Tagovailoa said, “so we look at this as like we got to win every time we play Buffalo. That’s kind of how we look at it. I don’t think you can look at it any other way. And for us as a team, collectively this year, I mean, we got nothing to lose. We got to go all in with this.”
The Dolphins lost to the Bills 31-21 on Sept. 18. Miami trailed 28-21 when Tagovailoa threw an interception with three minutes to play and the Dolphins on the Buffalo 21-yard line.
“On the game-winning drive, can’t throw an interception,” Tagovailoa said about what he had learned from the first meeting with the Bills this season. “So yeah, just got to find a way to finish better and place our team in a better position than that when we’re able to go down and potentially tie the game up.”
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