Tua eases concerns, health and otherwise
Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins dealt with their fair share of adversity before escaping with a comeback victory on the road against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The offense entered the game missing two running backs, lost a receiver in the game due to injury and shuffled their offensive line midway through the first half. And Tagovailoa’s position coach was one of five assistants unable to work the game due to COVID-19 protocols.
Yet, the Dolphins were able to extend their winning streak to four games, win their fifth in six contests and sneak into the seventh and final wild-card playoff spot in the AFC.
The Dolphins proved they are a team that can with stand some difficulties thrown their way. And they have a quarterback who can also look past those hardships aswell.
“He has a tremendous feel for the game and that allows him to see some things and do some things and throw the balls in some spots that other people might not do,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said of Tagovailoa on Tuesday.
“I think he just went out and played the game. He didn’t care who was there and who wasn’t there. He was playing the game. That’s what you like about him. He doesn’t think about adversity. He thinks about ‘okay, how canwe go be successful?’
“That’ll carry a person a longway,” Gailey added.
If there’s another observation one could make about Tagovailoa after his performance: He looked like his old self.
Tagovailoa completed 20-of-28 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns, including a decisive 10-play, 93-yard drive that ended with his touchdown pass to receiver Mack Hollins that tied the game at, 31, in the fourth quarter.
Tagovailoa also had no qualms about running confidently with the football, finishing with 35 yards on seven carries, including a 17-yard scamper during that pivotal drive which saw him ducking and weaving through defenders, including one of the NFL’s best safeties in Cardinals star Budda Baker.
“It looks like it to me. I can’t see a real difference,” Gailey said about how Tagovailoa looked following the performance.
“Physically is the one thing you had the concern about, and I think he relieved all our thoughts about that the other night.”
Tagovailoa also showed significant progress on how he responded after being sacked four times during the game, including three times in the third quarter as the Dolphins lineup changes affected him before he adjusted to them.
The Dolphins also shuffled their offensive line during thegame, benching rookie right guard Solomon Kindley to start the second quarter. Rookie Austin Jackson retook his position at left tackle and rookie Robert Hunt stayed at right tackle, while veteran Jesse Davis moved to right guard where he played every game during the 2018 season.
Dolphins receiver Preston Williams left the game with a foot injury, shortly after catching a touchdownpass from Tagovailoa.
But Miami’s offense was already without rookie Lynn Bow den Jr ., who was placed on the COVID-19 list, and former receiver Isaiah Ford, whowas traded to the New England Patriots before the trade deadline lastweek.
The Dolphins also were without leading running back Myles Gaskin, whois on injured reserve with a knee sp rain, and veteran Matt B reid a, who is dealing with a hamstring strain. Rookie Salvon Ahmed, active for the first time all season, led Miami with 37 rushing yards.
The Dolphins needed Tagovailoa, their No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, to play like the stand out player he was at Alabama.
And he delivered.
Now, Gailey wants Tagovailoa to growmore comfortable as he notches more starts.
“He has to see and understand defenses more and more. And that just comes from doing it,” Gailey said .“We’ ve worked against the same defense all offseason. You didn’t have any preseason games to say ‘This is what another team does. This is what another team does.’ He’s getting that on the fly.
“I think just understanding defense, what they’re trying todo, how they’re trying to attack you, what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are. Those type of things will be the strides I hope he makes here in the next few weeks,” the longtime NFL coach and coordinator added.
Coaching shorthanded
If there’s one person who deserves praise for the Dolphins’ coaching staff being able to pull off Sunday’s shorthanded win in Arizona: It’s Dolphins coach Brian Flores.
The Dolphins were without outside linebackers coach Austin Clark, defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander and defensive line coach Marion Hobby on defense, while quarterback coach Rob by Brown and offensive quality control coach Kol by Smith were not available to coach.
Tight ends coach George Godsey, who previously coached quarterbacks with the Texans and Lions, was seen helping with Tag ovai lo a. But not many other people on the Dolphins sideline will get much individual credit for their efforts.
But they couldn’t do so without Flores’ leadership, which stems from having a coaching contingency plan already in place since the pandemic began in March.
“I just thought everybody collectively, that’s what a team is. I feel like that’s what coach Flores has built here,” Dolphins first-year linebackers coach Anthony Campanile said as just four assistant coaches were available to speak to the local media on Tuesday.
“That’s really the length and shadow of one man. That’s him. That’s what he’s been preaching ever since I’ve been here, is that everybody has to pull in the same direction.”