The Miami Dolphins mounted an impressive 21-point comeback against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. And at the center of it all was third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Can that second-half performance serve as the launch pad he needs after an underwhelming start to his NFL career?
After an offseason of change, the Miami Dolphins entered the 2022 NFL campaign in a good position. They had a young and creative offensive mind at the helm, added an elite playmaker in Tyreek Hill, as well as more speed, and already had a talented defense. The team, on paper, was ready to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016 but there was a lingering question mark: the play of Tagovailoa.
The former first-round pick has had a tough, and somewhat unremarkable, start to his NFL career. That has made him one of the more polarizing players in the league and has cast doubts over his long-term future with the Dolphins. Tagovailoa would need to take a real step in his development to hold off the critics in 2022.
His Week 1 performance in a 20-7 win wasn’t sparkling. He struggled under pressure and put the ball in danger a few too many times. Despite the win, it was the same issues that have plagued Tagovailoa the last two seasons. And while it was his first game in a new offense, there were more questions than answers.
It’s not wise to cast grand proclamations after one game regardless of the performance. But the microscope was firmly hovering over Tagovailoa heading into Week 2. The Dolphins were coming up against a Ravens team with a lot of talent, especially in the secondary. The eventual result was a career day for Tagovailoa, throwing for a career-high 469 yards and 6 touchdown passes – tied for the second-most touchdown passes thrown in a game in NFL history.
The day started rough. Tagovailoa threw two poor interceptions, one as he tried to force the ball into a tight window for Hill, and the other on an errant deep pass. He looked fidgety under pressure and the lack of arm talent was on display. The usual question marks loomed. Tagovailoa made some nice passes, but the lack of consistency hampered him and the Dolphins trailed.
However, Tagovailoa was perfect in the second half. He was poised in the pocket, made all of the right decisions, and threw some beautiful passes. Sure, the two deep touchdown passes to Hill were aided by coverage busts, but everything clicked. McDaniel’s playcalling was excellent and the offensive line blocked well in the second half and combined with Tagovailoa’s much more assured play, led to a big fourth-quarter comeback, erasing a 21-point deficit.
It’s an incredibly positive performance for Tagovailoa and one that could prove to be a turning point in his career. But, to say it is the turning point in his career isn’t wise and might be jumping the gun. His second half performance was great, and could realistically be a sign of things to come, but Tagovailoa has struggled to maintain consistency in his career. This is no foregone conclusion even if the signs are good.
We’ve seen similar moments from Baker Mayfield against the Bengals two seasons ago, and Mitchell Trubisky against the Buccaneers while he was the starter for the Bears. Both of those players are now starting for different teams and their long-term futures are by no means assured. But that also doesn’t mean we should write Tagovailoa off. He’s in a much better scenario than Mayfield and Trubisky were.
What it does mean, though, is that we should temper our expectations and not put too much pressure on a quarterback still trying to find his groove. The Dolphins play the Bills in Week 3 – arguably the best team in the NFL – and a good performance isn’t a given. Right now, just take it game by game. This could be the turnaround that Tagovailoa needs, but we won’t know that until further down the line with a few more good performances under his belt. Patience is key.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: Tennessee Titans. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.