Tagovailoa is focused on Titans’ defense
The Miami Dolphins’ game at the Tennessee Titans on Sunday is already big enough without considering who the quarterback on the other side is.
A win catapults Dolphins playoff chances and puts them in a win-and-in scenario in their regular-season finale against the New England Patriots. A loss, and there are scenarios where Miami could even be eliminated this weekend.
For Dolphins fans, whatever emotions the final result incites will only be amplified by Titans quarterback, longtime Miami signal-caller Ryan Tannehill, being the one it comes against. The Dolphins will either go through him to boost their playoff chances or have those hopes crushed by him — or at least his team.
While Tannehill, who spent seven years in Miami, was once the franchise’s first-round quarterback, now it’s Tua Tagovailoa, and he’s not consuming himself with any storylines surrounding the inevitable comparisons that will come between the franchise’s former and current QB.
“Ryan’s not playing corner or he’s not going to be pressuring me, so I’m not going to be watching film on Ryan,” Tagovailoa said in a Wednesday post-practice web conference call. “We’re focused on what their defense can do to stop us.”
That said, Tagovailoa, who was 19 of 26 for 198 yards, a touchdown on a pitch forward at the 1-yard line and an interception in the Monday night win over the New Orleans Saints, has an understanding of what it means with Tannehill playing against the Dolphins (8-7) for the first time.
“I have a lot of respect for the things he’s done throughout his football career, being here and also what he’s doing there at Tennessee,” he said.
Tannehill threw for 20,434 yards, 123 touchdowns and 75 interceptions, completing 62.8 percent of passes in 88 starts with the Dolphins from 2012 to 2018. In his third season with the Titans (10-5), he has thrown for 9,888 yards, 70 touchdowns and 27 interceptions, completing 67% of passes.
But Tagovailoa’s focus is right where coach Brian Flores wants it to be, especially against a Tennessee defense that is top 10 in rushing defense, third-down defense and sacks.
“He’s going to have to do a good job from a preparation standpoint — a great job from a preparation standpoint — of getting to know their defensive players, their front, their second-level players,” Flores said Wednesday. “We have to make good decisions with the football. Obviously, it’s going to be a loud and tough environment, so we’ve got to deal with that, as well.”
In the secondary, safety Kevin Byard, who was a Pro Bowl selection this season, has five interceptions and is the Titans’ leading tackler. Tagovailoa might be looking to avoid him.
“Definitely got to be aware of where he’s at and who he’s covering and look, pretty much, elsewhere for our matchups,” Tagovailoa said. “He’s really good at what he does. In the back end, he’s their communicator. He gets guys aligned in the back end. He communicates out where everyone needs to be, who’s pressuring, who needs to replace him, all of that. He’s the captain for them in the back end.”
And up front, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons is one of the best in the business against the run and providing a pass rush up the middle while defensive end Denico Autry and outside linebacker Harold Landry complement him.
“Interior pressure wreaks havoc,” Tagovailoa said. “For the pass game, stepping up, it’s hard to step up into the pocket with interior pressure. … It’s going to be a tough task for us offensively to know where [Simmons] is at offensively and get him blocked.”
Having big game after big game that essentially serve as elimination games from the playoffs take Tagovailoa back to his experience in college at Alabama.
“All those games are electric,” he said. “They’re fun. I would say it’s just a different stage where all these games mean a lot getting toward the ending of the season. All of these games are big-time games, and we got to do all that we can to prepare the right way to hopefully get a win.”
Tagovailoa never had any time in Miami in common with Tannehill, but a few offensive players on the Dolphins’ current roster did.
“I like Ryan a lot,” said tight end Mike Gesicki, who was a rookie in Tannehill’s final season in Miami in 2018. “I’m happy for his success. He’s a good guy, a good player. … I’m looking forward to us competing against his team this week.”
Added fellow fourth-year tight end Durham Smythe: “He was actually in the locker right next to me in 2018. Great guy, great football mind. He’s one of those guys that can look at a defense and tell you a lot of things just by really subtle things the defense does. It was nice having him, honestly, around my rookie year as a guy who could teach us a little bit coming right out of college.”