National Football League

Dolphins entering tough stretch, but Tua Tagovailoa is more than ready

Updated Nov. 29, 2022 3:57 p.m. ET

Look at the Miami Dolphins' schedule, and it would be easy to say the toughest stretch remains ahead of Tua Tagovailoa. He might respectfully disagree.

Sure, on paper, the Dolphins have a punishing midwinter immediately before them, with five teams on the docket all above .500 who have a combined record of 34-21, plus the who-knows-what-now Green Bay Packers.

Yet Tagovailoa, as things continue to go well in South Beach and "MVP" chants reverberate at Hard Rock Stadium with increasing frequency, could be forgiven for pointing out that at least in his view — he hopes — the toughest part is firmly behind him.

For two solid years, the Dolphins quarterback found himself in a brutally trying situation that he hasn't received enough credit for enduring. He was a rookie, coming off hip surgery in 2020, and suffered the ignominy of often being benched mid-game, not always with good reason.

Last year, he operated behind an offensive line about as useful as a cardboard stop sign, got hurt and had to endure trade chatter persistently linking Miami with alternatives like DeShaun Watson and Tom Brady.

Even when things began to flow this season and Miami sprinted to a hot start, he suffered injuries in consecutive weeks — first a back issue that was initially described as a head injury and saw him return to the field in questionable circumstances. Then, against the Cincinnati Bengals, he was hurled to the ground, carried off the field and missed the next two games.

Yet here he is, surging, clocking off the weeks and the wins — having taken his team to the top of a division, the AFC East, that is collectively flying. Five straight victories have the Dolphins right where they want to be, before a calendar that includes the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills, back-to-back-to-back.

Get through that unscathed, and the Super Bowl talk will be unavoidable.

"(Tua) is super accurate," said FS1's Colin Cowherd, on "The Herd." "And, with a little protection, is very productive."

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel not surprised with Tua Tagovailoa's success

Emmanuel Acho and Joy Taylor discuss whether people should be surprised by Tua’s success this season. Joy says she's with McDaniel, having predicted this last year but admits she is very impressed by the first-year head coach's work with his quarterback.

When Tagovailoa has played either the entire game (or three quarters before being rested, like last weekend), the Dolphins are 8-0. His numbers are phenomenal: 2,564 yards, 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

He is moving through the campaign with all the hallmarks of a confident player, leading some to question where that confidence came from, given the shaky start to his professional career.

Last weekend, one potential answer started to emerge.

Miami first-year head coach Mike McDaniel, it turns out, believed enough in Tagovailoa after getting the job to comprise a 700-play highlight reel of the QB's best moments and sat through watching it with him. It was an exercise aimed at restoring belief. It seems to have worked.

McDaniel figured that Tagovailoa was in his own head, that the criticism and uncertainty had made him feel like a bad player. That part was true — Tagovailoa has admitted he used to look in the mirror and wonder "if I sucked."

"I would not want to trade places (with) anybody really to be drafted super high and then fall short of the franchise's expectations," McDaniel said. "That is a tough place to live in. That was the motivating factor behind everything. Understanding that, wow, it's hard enough to play an opponent. There (were) a lot of things that are telling me that this player may not have the confidence that he should."

Tagovailoa doesn't always speak particularly effusively, and likes to downplay questions rather than lean into them. But while he may never love the presence of microphones, it was clear he was grateful for McDaniel's technological effort.

"I think anyone here can attest to someone believing in them and how that changes how they see themselves but also things around them," Tagovailoa told reporters. "There's a lot of details that entail me sitting down with him and other things as well, but it's awesome. It's really cool."

Ahead of this weekend's clash with the 49ers, it was not all feel-good news. Left tackle Terron Armstead has a torn pectoral muscle that will keep him out for most of the regular season, at best.

And when things have gone best, it has normally been when Tagovailoa has been most stoutly protected.

But this is a version of Tagovailoa that looks ready to handle the strain. Rather than being cowed by his struggles, he has grown from them. For he remembers when his time in Miami seemed to be done. When his status as a genuine NFL starter was under threat.

When all the hype seemed to be for nothing.

All he has to do now is play games. Challenging ones, but just games. The toughest part, the one littered with doubts and demons, is gone now.

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