Optimism grows that Tua will be healthy enough to start Sunday
There’s a degree of optimism internally that Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s thumb injury will be just a one-week absence.
Tagovailoa, who will regain his starting job once cleared medically, is preparing as if he is going to start Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, a source tells the Miami Herald.
While Dolphins coach Brian Flores has declined to speculate on Tagovailoa’s availability in Week 13, he did tell reporters Sunday that “it was very close to [Tagovailoa] being able to go [against the
Jets], but we have to make good decisions for him as well. We’ll see how he does over the course of this week in practice.”
Added Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey on Tuesday: “I think we kind of all realize how competitive he is. I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him after the game about how he felt. Knowing him, he wanted to play. I don’t know [his status] until we get back in the office Wednesday exactly what his status is, but I know he’s working hard to get ready. He’s a tough guy.”
The team decided late last week to hold Tagovailoa out against New York and start Ryan Fitzpatrick, who threw two touchdown passes without a turnover in a comfortable Dolphins victory.
Tagovailoa made the trip to New York and watched — and learned, the team believes — from the sidelines.
“He just tried to treat it as if he was playing,” Dolphins quarterbacks coach Robby Brown said Tuesday.
Despite Fitzpatrick’s success, the organization insists Tagovailoa will not lose his starting job due to injury.
In five NFL appearances, Tagovailoa has completed 62 percent of his attempts and has thrown six touchdown passes.
While Tagovailoa struggled enough to be benched in his last appearance, this could be the perfect week to get right.
The Bengals’ defense allows 26.3 points per game and ranks 29th in sack percentage (3.3 percent), 28th in yards per rush (4.8), and 27th in yards per play (6.0) and red zone defense (68.3 percent).
Tagovailoa gets the start even though the team acknowledges he is still behind Fitzpatrick, a 16year veteran who is in his sixth season in Gailey’s offense, in a number of aspects of the game. That includes mastery of the offense.
“[He’s] not to the level of Fitz,” Gailey said. “Very few people have that ability. He’s an amazingly smart guy. Tua hadn’t been in the offense six games yet. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. Is he where Fitz is? No, he’s not. But has he come a long way and making progress? Yes, definitely.”
Gailey said Tagovailoa can also improve on trusting his receivers on 50-50 balls, which has been a huge part of Fitzpatrick’s
success the last two years.
“Fitz had last year with all of these receivers, so he knows what to expect and how to read them and how to read body language, and know break points,” Gailey said.
“Tua has had what, four games with these guys? I think there’s the learning process that goes on there that you have to get a feel for it.
“Is Tua at that point yet? No, but I think we will get there at some point in time.
“I’m hoping it’s sooner
than later.”
Added Brown: “[Tagovailoa] has a great feel for football in general. He’s a competitive guy. I think the more and more reps he gets, whether it’s routes versus air, 7-on-7 reps, team reps in practice, game reps. All that kind of stuff is where you get a feel for that. I think his natural instinct will come in. ... He’ll get better and better at it as he goes.”