National Football League

These two plays show Tua Tagovailoa is back on track to be a franchise QB

Updated Nov. 1, 2022 7:45 p.m. ET

Tua Tagovailoa found himself in a unique situation Sunday. The Miami Dolphins quarterback did something he has never done before in the team's 31-27 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 8.

Trailing three points in the third quarter, Tagovailoa faced a third-and-3 from the 11-yard line. He stood in shotgun and absolutely flew through his reads on the play. Finally, Tua found tight end Mike Gesicki in the back of the end zone for a score. It was special — at least according to Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.

McDaniel was asked postgame to share plays by Tagovailoa that stood out. He immediately thought of this particular play. Here's why.

"There was the touchdown to Mike Gesicki because that was the first time we've ever hit that route on that concept," McDaniel said. "You rarely ever see it, and it's something that was No. 4 in the progression that he progressed through very quickly."

So far as I can gather, this is a fair breakdown of what Tua was seeing.

First: Receiver Trent Sherfield. He ran a slant at the top of the screen, but the Lions had a bracket on him with cornerback Jeff Okudah and safety JuJu Hughes. That option wasn't there. And Tagovailoa realized it's zone coverage — not man. This was something he probably should have recognized before the snap (thereby skipping Sherfield in his progression). But the good news was that Tua recovered quickly.

Second? Surely, Tyreek Hill was open. He's always open. Alas, a linebacker jumped the route. No separation. And Tyreek's momentum was completely stopped. That was a PBU waiting to happen.

Third?! "Halfback" Jaylen Waddle. The receiver lined up in the backfield as a running back. He slipped into the middle of the field near Hill. Neither wideout created separation.

Fourth?!?! Well, tight end Gesicki was just barely open in the back of the end zone. Tua didn't hesitate. He fired the ball into the small window for a touchdown and the lead, which Miami held onto for the rest of the game.

Tagovailoa processed that information and got rid of the ball within 2.5 seconds. It's the type of play that helps the Dolphins feel better about his spot as the team's top QB — even if it's against a historically bad Lions secondary, ranked last in the NFL in passing yards allowed.

"The thing that I love most about that play — and about plays throughout that entire game – is that you can see him visibly going through his progression," said trainer Nick Hicks, who works with Tagovailoa in the offseason. "He lets it fly. It's the perfect dime. Just watching him go through his reads, he just looked so confident and so comfortable."

That touchdown wasn't the only play McDaniel mentioned as being a standout throw from Tagovailoa. There was another effort that drew the head coach's attention.

On third-and-13 in the first quarter, he lofted a deep ball to Hill for 36 yards. On first glance, the pass looked like poor execution: an underthrow. But a closer look at the play showed that Tagovailoa stepped into pressure — staring down a free blitzer — and threw a catchable ball for Hill for a (very) long conversion. Could it have been a touchdown? Maybe. But it was impressive for Tagovailoa to have even completed the pass.

"[Tua] knows that we're going to be hot, they're in [Cover 0], he buys as much time as he can in the pocket and then throws a ball that's not easy to throw to a really fast guy. That one stood out," McDaniel said.

In a year when quarterbacks have seemed developmentally stuck in the mud, Tagovailoa has been an outlier. The Dolphins quarterback has taken leaps forward as a passer under his first-year head coach. It has helped that Miami acquired Hill and that Waddle has developed into the best WR2 in the NFL. But Tua has made strides on his own and these plays serve as solid examples.

In Tagovailoa's absence with a concussion, the Dolphins showed just how important he is, because Miami flopped. The team, which had been so explosive, couldn't move the ball efficiently without Tua. That proved he's a crucially important piece in their offense. And it's because he has evolved into the type of passer McDaniel needs in his offense.

"He had a lot of plays that I was very, very happy with," McDaniel said postgame. "That was a game that we all know he's capable of. He was relentless during the game with worrying about the right stuff. I didn't see him press and make forced decisions. He took what was there and protected the ball while being aggressive."

Given the Lions' woes in their secondary, Tagovailoa's performance won't be some sort of crowning jewel. But the film shows a quarterback who is comfortable and competent and back on track in his development.

Last year, you'd never know Tagovailoa was in Year 2. He was a mess. This year, he absolutely looks like a third-year quarterback who has command of his offense and the speed of NFL play. Tua is back on track to be a franchise quarterback. It's becoming clearer by the week.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.