Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa leads NFL in interceptions.
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Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa leads NFL in interceptions.
Don’t look now, Miami Dolphins‘ fans, but in case you haven’t noticed – and judging by the attendance you haven’t – your team has managed to win a few here and there. The Dolphins are the owners of a two-game win streak and a pristine 4-7 record, which is good for a tenuous death grip on third place in the AFC East.
The Dolphins are a bigger mess than we thought they’d be back in August, but less of a mess than we thought they’d be back in October. Call it what you want, but that and the fact that head coach Mike McDaniel still has a job, is progress.
One of the many problems this season has of course been quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tua is 21st in the NFL in passing yards this season with 2,123. It’s fine when you are Jalen Hurts running an oddly anemic Philadelphia Eagles offense, because he doesn’t turn the ball over and his team is 8-3. That said, Tua is four spots behind Hurts on this list (2,284).
Darrell Bevell makes excuses for Tua Tagovailoa’s play
On Monday, Dolphins’ QB coach Darrell Bevell was asked about Tua’s performance so far this season. He hasn’t been complete garbage, but I don’t think anyone is seeing four years, $212.4 million either.
“[I] would say it was up and down, just basically how you described it,” Bevell said, not responding to me but it would be hilarious if he was. “He’s had good moments, and he’s had not-so-good moments. And we’re, what we’re trying to do is kind of recapture what we’ve done in the years previous.”
Bevell was also asked about Tua’s NFL-leading (tied with Las Vegas Raiders Hall of Famer Geno Smith) 13 interceptions this season.
“There’s things that the defense presents to us,” Bevell said. “There’s players in certain positions, obviously, that we’re trying to put in situations to give them opportunities down the field. I think back to the two in the Buffalo game, we got the exact look that we were looking for. And we said, ‘If we get this look, this is what I want you to do.’ So Tua is following the instructions.
“There’s times where you really want to put pressure on the defense, particularly if you can find the matchups or find one-on-one opportunities we want. We don’t want to necessarily throw it down there when you’ve got too high safeties, and guys are just camping back there. You want to do it versus the right looks.”
Or not have Tua throw up one of his famous punts.
Tua Tagovailoa’s footwork is a problem
When it comes to evaluating Tua’s play this season, of course people will point out the poor throws and interceptions. But, what is probably the root cause of a lot of misfires is his footwork. If any quarterback’s feet aren’t in order, it’s going to be a disaster.
“That’s something we preach and believe in wholeheartedly here, and that your base needs to be under you,” Bevell said. “There was a couple of throws in the last game where it was not so every time that it’s not where we want it to be.
“We point it out. We coach it. We work it on the field. We practice it. But there’s no question that your feet are a huge part of throwing and helping you throw accurately.”
It remains to be seen what the the Dolphins end up doing with Tua. His contract is brutal, but it’s tough to convince the fan base that he’s your franchise moving forward. Quite a spot they’ve gotten themselves into!