I know, I know. What I talked about earlier is The Miami Dolphins saved their season last week, but this week we'll be talking about another Miami Dolphin who has more responsibility this season, QB Tua Tagovailoa. One of my biggest criticisms of the Dolphins signal-caller was his play outside of structure. He has a tendency to get a little cloudy in his reads and fall apart when forced to hold the ball, which limits the Dolphins' offense.
But since returning from injury, Tagovailoa has flipped the script. In the four games since his return, he has performed extremely well outside of structure, capitalizing on plays and helping keep the offense moving. Since returning in Week 8, Tagovailoa has helped the Dolphins out of a precarious position by going 13-of-15 outside the pocket and 17-of-22 when pressured.
We're doing research for the pod to back up what the movie says about Tua's playwriting this season.
I think it's safe to say he's made some progress. pic.twitter.com/bjsgtAsQWQ
— Travis Wingfield (@WingfieldNFL) November 19, 2024
When your face is in the top right corner of the graphic, it means something good is happening.
He played an active role again against the Raiders and led the Dolphins to another victory. Let's break down what he did outside of the structure that kept this offense flowing.
I think the biggest thing for Tua after his return was a sense of security. Despite missing his playing days with a concussion, Tagovailoa returned less gun-shy and more willing to take matters into his own hands. This is head coach Mike McDaniel's third year with Miami's offensive system, and it's clear he has ultimate faith in the system and his ability to improvise. On this play, the Dolphins are trying to get WR Tyreek Hill to go deep and give WR Jaylen Waddle a backside curl. In fact, the Raiders have covered this quite a bit, forcing Tua to move away from his original read. Without panicking in the pocket, Tagovailoa was able to escape, find Waddle and move the chains.
Tagovailoa has been in a bit of a shambles since returning from injury, and that's helped him get the offense back on track in addition to the normal things he does within the organization. Sunday's touchdown to Hill was an example of this chaotic play working. Tagovailoa wants to give Hill this bargain on first read, but the Raiders cover it pretty well. The clever stunt puts pressure on Tagovailoa, forcing him to scramble. Earlier this season, Tua might have taken a sack or given the ball away here, but since returning from injury he has decided to focus on volatility more often. Tagovailoa was able to slip out to his left and find Hill, who continued running inside the zone for a touchdown.
Miami has a serious chance to make the playoffs backdoor, but it's going to have to be done with this version of Tagovailoa. The combination of being comfortable in a third year on offense and perhaps using that time to evaluate where he can improve has really helped elevate Tua's game from working on structure to being more proactive. Like I said, it's a small thing, but it helps keep this offense on the field and generate more explosives when things don't go well (like Jimmy Garoppolo in the Niners offense) (See Brock Purdy Difference). I think that would also do a great job of influencing Tagovailoa's public perception.
Many (including myself) view him as a point guard, someone who has to plan everything to the point of perfection to keep the offense afloat. Being able to do this on a consistent level could help change that mindset, especially if Miami can make the playoffs again.
