Tagovailoa brings juice to offense, but questionable calls were costly
If the Dolphins didn’t reach rock bottom Sunday, they’re nearing the nadir of the 2021 season after a 23-20 loss to the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars in London. It wasn’t just a loss to an 0-5 team but one that hadn’t seen a victory since Sept. 13, 2020, and was still somewhat mired in the off-the-field controversy involving head coach Urban Meyer.
Here are five more thoughts from the Dolphins loss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:
1. Tua was impressive in first game back. Tua Tagovailoa’s return to the starting lineup wasn’t going to magically turn around the Dolphins’ season and Sunday was another reminder of that. But Tagovailoa, playing for the first time since fracturing his ribs in
Week 2, gave the offense a bit of juice.
He wasn’t dealt a great hand, with DeVante Parker and Preston Williams out because of injuries and Will Fuller on injured reserve. But Tagovailoa was able to throw for more than 300 yards and convert several key thirddown opportunities throughout the game.
Tagovailoa did have moments when he looked like a novice but was resilient despite mistakes. He acknowledged he inexplicably threw the ball — maybe illegally — on a third-down play instead of running for the first, but followed it with a fourthdown completion to Mack Hollins. He made a boneheaded decision to double-clutch and then target Jaylen Waddle on a pass that was intercepted right after the defense got a key turnover. But he didn’t let that faze him either, leading a 91-yard touchdown drive the next time he touched the ball.
Tagovailoa said how he played didn’t matter because the team lost. While it’s admirable for him to take a team-first approach, his play was encouraging. Tagovailoa might not be the Dolphins’ biggest problem. Whether he can be the ultimate solution remains to be seen.
2. Dolphins can’t close out bad team
.As the first half progressed and the Dolphins couldn’t separate from Jacksonville, you could see how this game was going to go. Miami was leading 13-3 and pinned in its own territory with just over two minutes remaining. The Dolphins didn’t need a score but maybe a first down or two to keep the ball away from the Jaguars and make them burn their timeouts before halftime. Instead, Miami went three-and-out, Michael Palardy sent a bad punt 37 yards down the field and Jacksonville scored six plays later. Until that point, the defense had rattled top-pick Trevor Lawrence, but that drive got him in a groove and he didn’t look back the rest of the game.
3. Questionable final offensive play. On the Dolphins’ final offensive play, Malcolm Brown was asked to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-1 run from shotgun formation that probably needed just a few feet to move the chains. You can nitpick every play but it would have seemed more logical to have Jacoby Brissett try a quarterback sneak. Or even put the ball in the hands of Tagovailoa, who was throwing the ball well after his bad interception. The Dolphins haven’t had success running the ball and the failed play was another sign that the offense has yet to form an identity.
4. Gaskin struggles after a career game.
Myles Gaskin was one of few bright spots in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, catching 10 passes and two touchdowns. But his ball-handling was unreliable against the Jaguars. He dropped multiple passes, including a key one late in the fourth quarter, and fumbled early in the game but recovered the ball. Gaskin finished with five carries for 9 yards, ceding some playing time to Brown and Salvon Ahmed.
Gaskin is better than his showing Sunday but it was the type of game that makes fans wonder why the team didn’t select highly touted prospects like Jonathan Taylor or Najee Harris in the past two drafts.
5. London crowd was amazing. It looked like every seat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was full and the crowd was into the game from kickoff. After a lot of unwatchable games in London, it was good for the fans in the United Kingdom to be treated to a down-to-thewire matchup, even if it came from two bad teams. It’ll be interesting to see what the turnout is in Germany as the NFL looks to expand its International Series. Hard pass on placing a franchise in Europe but a game or two every season is great for the growth of the global appeal of the league.