‘We have to be perfect for him:’ The Miami Dolphins’ plan to get the most out of Tua
Operation Tua:
The Dolphins’ not-so-secret plan to make sure Tua Tagovailoa’s second start goes better than his first.
“We have to be perfect for him,” Dolphins guard Solomon Kindley said Wednesday. “That was his very first game. ... The offensive line has got to do a little bit more to get him comfortable. All week, this week, that’s what we’re emphasizing so we can give him the amount of time that he needs even more.”
Added receiver Preston Williams, who had two drops in three plays against the Rams: “I just try to be there when my number’s called. Me dropping balls isn’t helping at all. I’m harder on myself than anyone can be hard on me. Being one of the receivers that they count on, I just try to make every play.”
If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a locker room to develop a quarterback.
Yes, Tagovailoa could have played better in his debut. He admitted as much Wednesday.
But his teammates failed him at times, too. From balls that should have been caught to defenders that should have been blocked to play calls so conservative, it was tough job truly evaluating the rookie quarterback, Sunday’s season-low offensive output (145 total yards and eight first downs) was a group effort.
Teams can get away with that when they get touchdowns on defense and special teams.
But those type of games happen only once every couple of years.
For the Dolphins to beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, they will likely need a lot more firepower — starting with the No. 5 pick.
“I believe my job is to do whatever play call we’re given,” Tagovailoa said. “If it’s a run 20 times and it’s a pass one time, I have to make it work that one time a pass is given and I’ve got to carry out my fakes those 20 times. I trust, and I think our offense trusts, what Chan [Gailey, Miami’s offensive coordinator] has planned for us offensively. We go into the week, knowing the game plan, knowing what we’re going to do. We’re going to try to attack their defense. We have full trust that whatever Chan calls, we have to go out there and do good with it.”
Tagovailoa completed 12 of 22 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL start. The Dolphins had just one drive of 30 or more yards.
But what Tagovailoa said he needs to work on most doesn’t show up in the boxscore.
“I think the biggest thing for me is pocket presence, being able to step up into what feels like pressure,” Tagovailoa said. “And then also just making the throws that I need to give receivers good run after the catch.”
That was an issue on his first drop back. He couldn’t handle a collapsing pocket and paid for it — both with a lost fumble and his first hard hit since the one that mangled his hip a year ago.
Expect Gailey to challenge Tagovailoa to do more in start No. 2, particularly since an already shaky running attack got a little shakier this week. Leading rusher Myles Gaskin will miss the Cardinals game with a knee injury, and his top backup, Matt Breida, is dealing with a minor hamstring strain that kept him out of practice Wednesday.
Plus expect ex-Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who is now the defensive coordinator in Arizona, to test Tagovailoa with his aggressive and multiple scheme.
That’s why the Dolphins are going to need help from everyone — particularly Williams, who has big-play potential but lacks play-to-play consistency.
“It was Tua’s first game so they were just trying to get him warmed up with a couple of quick passes there,” Williams said. “But I watched Tua in college. I think Tua is a 50/50 guy too, also. He’ll throw it up. I think Tua can make any throw he wants to make.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 2:42 PM.
