Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa named Week 2 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been named Week 2 AFC Offensive Player of the Week, the NFL announced Wednesday, after throwing for a career-high 469 yards and six touchdowns in a comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens.
It’s the first ever honor for Tagovailoa, who led the Dolphins (2-0) from a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Ravens on the road, 42-38. Tagovailoa threw the game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with 14 seconds remaining. Previously, NFL teams were 0-711 when trailing by 21 at any point in the fourth quarter.
“It was cool. That’s my first one,” Tagovailoa said after Wednesday’s practice. “But I’ve said this in many other interviews that individual success is only done within team success. If we never won that game, if the defense never did what they did, if our offense didn’t go out and put points on the board, none of that would have been possible. I amend that to our team.”
Tagovailoa’s 469 passing yards are the fourth-most in a game in Dolphins history and his six touchdown passes tied Dan Marino and Bob Griese for most in a game in franchise history.
After two games, Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 739 passing yards and is tied for the league lead with seven touchdown passes.
As Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, is off to the best start to a season in his young career, his odds to win league Most Valuable Player have quickly risen. He went from 40/1 odds to win the award last week to 16/1 this week, according to BetOnline, the seventh-best odds in the league. Tagovailoa opened the season at 50/1 odds.
The last Dolphins player to win an Offensive Player of the Week award was Ryan Fitzpatrick, who received the honor after Week 16 of the 2019 season.
“It’s a team award to me, but an award that he tremendously deserves,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said, “because when you’re around the guy and you see him work amongst noise, who doesn’t appreciate an earned achievement?”
This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 8:33 AM.
