Much of the Miami Dolphins’ six-game winning streak can be attributed to the drastic improvements the defense has made, but on offense, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been instrumental in masking the unit’s deficiencies and playing some of his best professional football in his own right.
Tagovailoa will look to take his show to primetime when the Dolphins play at the New Orleans Saints for the first Monday Night Football start of his career.
“It’s pretty cool,” Tagovailoa said in a web conference following Miami’s Wednesday practice. “I grew up watching primetime football, whether it was Sunday night, Monday night, Thursday night, so being able to be a part of that and being able to play on Monday night, I think that’s super cool. Just being in the NFL, as it is, has always been a dream of mine.”
Tagovailoa has played in one night game previously — and it wasn’t even a start. He entered early in the second half for Jacoby Brissett against the Baltimore Ravens in a Thursday night win on Nov. 11. Tagovailoa, not starting because he was nursing a finger injury on his throwing hand, replaced Brissett after he went down clutching his knee. Tagovailoa went 8 of 13 for 158 yards and a rushing touchdown in the second half that night.
“I think his approach has got to be like any other game,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said. “His preparation, it needs to stay the same as far as getting to know the Saints (7-7)and what the players on their roster, their schemes, how they want to play situationally. We know it’s a tough opponent.”
That Saints defense is coming off a shutout of the defending Super Bowl-champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It is top 10 in the NFL in scoring defense, rushing defense and third-down defense.
It also will be a hostile environment at the Caesars Superdome on Monday night, but Tagovailoa has experience playing in front of rowdy Louisiana football fans from facing LSU while at Alabama. In his one start at LSU in college, he was 25 of 42 for 295 yards and three total touchdowns. He also lost at home to Joe Burrow and the Tigers the following year.
“It’s tough when we went down there to play LSU,” said Tagovailoa, who later played in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship that 2018 season, falling to Clemson. “I got to play at the [Superdome] when we played Clemson. We all know what happened there. It was loud, but it was really 50-50, their side and our side and it was still loud. I’m excited to see what a full stadium is going to sound like.”
It’ll be just the Dolphins’ second road game since their Halloween loss at the Buffalo Bills that capped the seven-game losing streak preceding this win streak. Miami didn’t handle the crowd noise and communication well that time away from home.
Tagovailoa will also have to bounce back from his worst game since the return from his two injuries this season, the finger and earlier ribs fracture that landed him on injured reserve for three weeks. He threw two interceptions in a 16-of-27 performance in the 31-24 win over the Jets. His 75.5 quarterback rating was his lowest since that loss to the Bills.
“I think you prepare the same way, but you always have to take into consideration those mistakes,” Tagovailoa said. “That’s something that I need to be better with, as far as the turnovers. … That was bad football. Got to, obviously, not make those same mistakes and move on from it.”
Added Flores: “We always want to be smart with the football, be accurate with the football, and no one’s tougher on themselves than he is on those things and how important that stat is. So, we’ve got to protect it, and he understands that.”
Tagovailoa had to make a lot of tight-window throws against New York because, with Jaylen Waddle out, his pass catchers weren’t getting much separation on their routes, although he also underthrew Albert Wilson when open deep early. Waddle’s return this week should help.
“He’s a threat vertically and just speed-wise,” Tagovailoa said. “He gives us good opportunities for matchups, whether it’s a [line]backer or their down safety, and if they do switch it out, it opens up other guys out there on the field.”
In that start against the Jets, Tagovailoa showed something that hadn’t been seen much from him when he bowled over New York defensive back Michael Carter on a scramble up the middle. While the play provided a spark for the Dolphins (7-7), Flores indicated Wednesday he’d like to see his quarterback play it safe.
“I’d prefer that he slides and keeps himself out of harm’s way,” he said. “But I’m not the one that’s out there and I’ll tell him that. He’s got to make decisions out there. But he got up and moved on to the next play.”
In 2019, veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick actually led Miami in rushing. Flores didn’t particularly have an issue with it then, but Tagovailoa is also a second-year quarterback the franchise took with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft and has an injury history.
Source: Berkshire mont
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