Tua Tagovailoa desperately needed a new head coach, and not just any coach, but one that truly believed in him that could get him to showcase the talent we all saw when he played with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The 8-3 Miami Dolphins have drastically improved from their 9-8 2021 campaign. Much of their success could be attributed to the play of the former fifth-overall pick.
Just this year alone, Tua has thrown 19 touchdowns with only three interceptions this season for a 115.7 QB rating in nine games this season. Back in 2021, in 13 games, he had 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 90.1 QB rating.
Since the hiring of Mike McDaniel, Tua has gone from potential bust to the franchise QB. He hinted McDaniel was the reason for his success, but in doing so, he seemed to put Brian Flores on blast.
“Well, having some that believes in you makes all the difference,” Tagovailoa said. “Having someone that calls me randomly just telling me how much I mean to him and the things that he’s trying to accomplish and we’re trying to accomplish as a team, it’s cool. I’ve never had that, I’ve never experienced that. This is my first time having that kind of relationship with someone with that type of authority, being the head coach of an organization.”
McDaniel told reporters following Sunday’s win that Tagovailoa’s skillset simply wasn’t maximized under the previous regime.
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“I felt like he was put behind the 8-ball in a way with the — basically his strengths, he couldn’t play to,” McDaniel said. “…[He] got with (quarterbacks coach) coach (Darrell) Bevell and (assistant quarterbacks coach) Chandler Henley, and they’ve not done anything but tried to work on technique, fundamentals, and how to play the position at an elite level, and they’ve done an outstanding job with that.”
The Dolphins have a record of 8-0 this year in games Tagovailoa starts and finishes. This cannot be overlooked as we get closer to the postseason.
The Dolphins will need to continue on their winning ways to hold off the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets who have found resurgance in benching Zach Wilson for Mike White. The patriots can’t be counted out as well.
Up next for the Dolphins is a date with the 49ers on the road.
