‘Got to have those tough conversations.’ Relax, there’s no beef between Tua and McDaniel
Whether Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel are at odds is certainly a worthwhile question.
Once seemingly a perfect match, the duo’s relationship has come under fire amid the Miami Dolphins’ 1-6 start. Tagovailoa, however, downplayed the existence of an internal rift.
“You turn the ball over the way I’ve turned the ball over this year, you can’t expect to help the guys win the game,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday, later praising McDaniel’s tough-love approach. “You got to have those tough conversations, and I’ve had those tough conversations with him this week.”
The topic of said conversations?
“How can we get our guys going,” Tagovailoa said, later adding “but more importantly, how can we stay in there offensively, put points on the board and help our guys win games whenever that opportunity comes.”
McDaniel doubled down on that notion.
“We had a great hour-and-a-half meeting yesterday, we had a great hour meeting the day before,” McDaniel said. “As Tua and I have always operated, I think there’s zero uncertainty with Tua on my conviction in him and my belief in him. I think we’re both very, very eager to do better at our jobs, and we’re both very committed and trusting of each other to respond to what is necessary for the team to do better.”
The semblance of a tension began after the Los Angeles Chargers game when Tagovailoa seemingly threw his teammates under the bus. Some national pundits even believed it to be a dig at McDaniel’s leadership style.
“It starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys, and then what we’re expecting out of the guys,” Tagovailoa said Oct. 12. “We’re expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that? We have guys showing up to player-only meetings late. Guys not showing up to player-only meetings. There is a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make that mandatory? Do we not have to make that mandatory? So it’s a lot of things of that nature that we got to get cleaned up. It starts with the little things like that.”
While McDaniel initially supported what he called “direct communication,” his opinion had changed roughly 24 hours later.
“Regardless of intent and what was on Tua’s mind after a loss as the franchise quarterback, that’s not the forum to displace that. I think he knows that now,” McDaniel said Oct. 13. “I do honestly believe there was no ill intention, but you’re talking about I think kind of a misguided representation of player-orchestrated film sessions.”
Tagovailoa would later apologize, explaining that he was frustrated, but McDaniel’s comments took many by surprise as it was one of the first outward criticisms of his franchise quarterback
Then came Tagovailoa’s disastrous performance against the Cleveland Browns. The 27-year-old completed 52.2% of his passes for 100 yards to go along with three interceptions. McDaniel even yanked Tagovailoa in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers after his third pick.
“That was just the head boss’ decision,” Tagovailoa said of the quarterback switch. He then had a rather puzzling comment about his growing responsibility, something many viewed as a dig at McDaniel. “I have to be a lot better, and I’ve been better for the Miami Dolphins in years past, but this isn’t years past, this is this year, right? Just trying to maneuver everything and trying to build a collection of guys to kind of bring along with me and I have to be able to multitask if that makes sense. To be able to do that, while continuing to get whatever it was last year and the years prior for myself to get going again. And get in that flow.”
McDaniel, obviously, wasn’t happy about Tagovailoa’s performance. And while he certainly said all the right things, a little dig at the start of his Monday press conference could be seen as a shot at his quarterback.
“Yeah, he’s going to take the snaps this week, and he’s going to be our starter this week,” McDaniel replied when asked if Tagovailoa will remain QB1, “and my expectation is that we don’t throw 10 picks.”
The “10 picks” that McDaniel referenced referred to Tagovailoa’s number of interception, tied with the Raiders’ Geno Smith for most in the NFL. also downplayed the multitasking comment, explaining that it’s part of the franchise quarterback’s job.
“Multitasking is the quarterback’s position, and I think what he’s referring to is the layers of that when you have in-game injuries,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “For a quarterback, that changes substitution, that changes the tempo. You’re figuring out when people are coming in and out, who’s at what position, and it’s a challenge for everyone involved on game day when you have in-game adjustments like that. That’s part of the position, and I think there was a couple fast moving ones in that game so that’s probably what he’s referring.”
With the Dolphins’ season slowly slipping away, the very last thing this team needs is for a disagreement between quarterback and coach. Luckily, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
