I think about having a sports activities automobile is fairly enjoyable.
Driving quick with the roof down blaring “Beer For My Horses” by Toby Keith whereas everybody else stops, stares and needs they had been you. I think about it’s fairly exhilarating.
Till winter comes. You then actually want you had an SUV.
That’s what the Miami Dolphins are. They’re the NFL’s convertible. And as an alternative of saving their cash for an improve, they received antsy and invested all of it right into a automobile that received’t get them the place they should go by paying Tua Tagovailoa.
The Tua Tagovailoa downside
If you happen to simply have a look at stats alone, you’d say Tua is among the greatest quarterbacks in soccer. During the last two seasons, he’s had a passer ranking over 100, thrown 54 touchdowns, is fifth in EPA per play, fourth in adjusted EPA per play, and sixth in CPOE. The Dolphins additionally led the NFL in whole offense in 2023 and had been second in factors.
Nonetheless, Miami has been dreadful with regards to enjoying the good groups throughout the NFL. Final season (together with playoffs), the Dolphins had been 1-6 in opposition to playoff groups. In these video games, they averaged 16.6 factors per sport and Tua threw eight touchdowns to seven interceptions.
They weren’t simply dropping these video games, they had been getting humiliated. Of their six mixed losses to the Payments, Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs, they had been outscored 203-91. On a per-game foundation, that averages out to a 34-15 loss. And in the event you return to 2022 (together with playoffs), they’re 5-12 in opposition to groups that completed the yr with successful data during the last two seasons. To check, the Payments are 12-7 in opposition to groups that completed with successful data during the last two seasons (together with playoffs).
Miami has been all splash and no swim with Tua, particularly when the climate will get chilly. Miami is 0-11 of their final 11 video games when the temperature at kickoff is below 40 levels. Taking part in in a convention the place it’s important to go to Cincinnati, Kansas Metropolis, Buffalo, Baltimore Pittsburgh, Cleveland, New York and so on. as a way to get to a Tremendous Bowl, that’s greater than sufficient to low cost the Dolphins as severe contenders by itself till they show they will win within the chilly.
The shortage of successful pedigree in opposition to the highest tier groups of the NFL mixed with Tua’s lackluster performances in these video games and the shortcoming to carry out within the chilly are all huge pink flags that Miami ignored whereas sitting on the negotiating desk, and that may all however actually come again to hang-out them when they’re despatched dwelling each January between now and the tip of Tua’s new extension.
NFL coaches don’t concern Tua Tagovailoa
If any of the earlier proof was damning sufficient for Tua, the opinions of NFL coaches must be.
In a bit for Sports activities Illustrated written by Matt Verderame, a number of NFL defensive coordinators are quoted as saying that Tua isn’t feared across the league, one among which mentioned how they put together to play the Dolphins and the way a lot of that prep is allotted in the direction of stopping Tua.
“One of the best ways to have a look at it’s, you put together for the velocity at ability positions and Mike McDaniel, after which Tua,” one coordinator stated. “He doesn’t prefer to get hit or learn protection. When is he at his greatest? RPOs and the short sport. Subsequent query to ask your self is what number of quarterbacks would you are taking earlier than him?”
The final a part of that quote is possibly a very powerful. Are you taking Tua over Trevor Lawrence? Kyler Murray? Hell, Brock Purdy? I’m not. General, I’d take 18 quarterbacks over Tua, and relying on how Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Anthony Richardson look this season, that quantity will in all probability climb to 21.
The Dolphins shouldn’t have handcuffed themselves to Tua just because his numbers are gaudy. Take a look at what number of groups in current reminiscence have carried out that as a result of they felt like their fingers had been tied. The Jacksonville Jaguars did it with Blake Bortles and the New York Giants did it with Daniel Jones. Whereas Tua is healthier than these two, at the very least Bortles and Jones can say they’ve received playoff video games.
The Dolphins have had the league’s most explosive offense within the common season with two of the very best receivers in soccer for 2 years, and so they have as many playoff wins as you the reader do to point out for it. And whereas transferring on might have been a threat, it could have been higher to take that leap of religion than to marry a quarterback that lowers their ceiling.
