Kelly: Tua Tagovailoa keeps Dolphins season from capsizing
It’s quite fitting that the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins equated his evolution as a player, his growth as a passer, his influence on this once struggling team with a nautical device called the Seakeeper, which is a computer-controlled gyroscope that’s supposed to reduce boat roll and pitch to create a smoother, more comfortable ride at sea.
That’s exactly the type of stabilizing influence the fifth-year quarterback prides himself on having in 2024.
“If anyone in here has a boat or anyone knows much about boats, boats that don’t have Seakeepers and there’s waves, the boat will start to rock,” Tagovailoa said, referring to the balancing tool that starts at $16,000. “You turn the Seakeeper on while there’s waves, the boat kind of -- there’s like a gyroscope thing in there that sort of counters the weight of the waves and [controls] how the boat is moving.
“So that’s essentially what we sort of have,” Tagovailoa said referring to the 4-6 Dolphins, which are still in the postseason hunt courtesy of its two-game winning streak. “It’s like turn the Seakeeper on….”
And there’s completed passes (league-leading 73.4 completion percentage), third down execution (42.6 percent, which ranked ninth), red zone efficiency, double-digit play drives, possessions that end in points (27.7 points average since Tagovailoa’s return), and a team that chartered its way out of being the NFL’s worst scoring offense, which Miami was in the four games Tagovailoa missed because of the concussion he suffered in game two.
His level of proficiency has Tagovailoa on pace to become the NFL’s 10th starting quarterback in NFL history to put together three straight seasons of 100-plus passer rated play.
In his first two seasons in Mike McDaniel’s offense Tagovailoa delivered an NFL high 105.1 passer rating in 2022, and led the NFL in passing yards while producing a 101.1 rating in 2023. This year he has a 101.5 rating headed into Sunday’s home game against the New England Patriots (3-8).
And the company he’s among is quite impressive.
Aaron Rodgers has had 10 seasons with 100-plus passer rating, and did it six straight seasons (2009-14).
Drew Brees has also had 10 seasons with 100-plus passer ratings. He also finished his career with six straight seasons (2015-2020) with 100-passer ratings, and had a career passer rating of 98.7.
Steve Young had eight 100-passer rating seasons and four of them were consecutive (1991-94).
Tom Brady’s produced eight seasons with 100-plus passer rating years, and did it for three consecutive seasons (2015-17).
Peyton Manning has had two separate stretches where he’s produced three consecutive seasons of 100 passer rating, having done it once with both the Colts and the Broncos.
Russell Wilson had four straight seasons of 100-plus rating (1018-21), and seven in total.
Patrick Mahomes, Philip Rivers and Kirk Cousins have each done it for three consecutive seasons. And like Tagovailoa, Detroit’s Jared Goff and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, two of this year’s top passers, are on pace to achieve the 100-plus trifecta this season.
Now, in fairness to some of the NFL legends like Dan Marino, John Elway and Jim Kelly, 100 passer rating seasons weren’t common until football evolved into the pass-first, second and third offense we see today in the last three decades.
That’s why Marino only has one season with a 100 passer rating (108.9 in 1984), and has a career passer rating of 86.4.
But that doesn’t mean what Tagovailoa’s flirting with should be watered down because it serves as proof he’s one of this era’s better quarterbacks.
How is Tagovailoa achieving such efficient play?
Opposing defenses have used two-safety-high looks against Miami’s defense most of the game, most of the season, which has neutralized the deep ball Tagovailoa feasted on the first two seasons with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
As a result, the Dolphins have operated a pick-your-poison offense, leaning on underneath routes, generally to open players, and it’s become a death by 10-yard lashings.
“Tua has done a great job understanding the value of progressions and playing on time, but also distributing the football,” McDaniel said.
This is next level quarterbacking, defensive dissection that’s reminiscent of what Brees, a Hall of Famer, was able to do during the majority of his career.
Coincidentally, Brees happens to be the quarterback I’ve compared Tagovailoa to since he left the University of Alabama to become the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
They are similar because no matter what defenses do, they can quickly find the answer, produce the counter.
“Tua is the best in the world at anticipation and accuracy,” said left tackle Terron Armstead, who also protected Brees’ blindside during his career, which started with New Orleans. “He’s that guy.”
He’s Miami’s Seakeeper.
