Led by Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins step up pace of rebuilding

The Miami Dolphins made the switch to start rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in their week off. Most assumed, and rightly so, that the road would be bumpy with glimmers of superstardom mixed into the crease.

A good ending to the 2019 season gave hope that the team was only a few years away from perfecting the puzzle and becoming a playoff team, but that timeline quickly shrunk.

Not only did they tie their winning tally from last season in half the games, but Sunday’s performance showed why Tagovailoa looks like the solution to so many questions that have haunted the organization over the past 20 seasons.

The Dolphins not only upset the Cardinals, but improved to 3-1 on the road and went 3-1 against NFC West – a division many would call football’s best.

It’s important to keep in mind that Tagovailoa wasn’t the only reason the Dolphins won on Sunday, but the rookie, in his second career start only, exceeded expectations to secure the victory.

The first half of Sunday’s game gave the full gamut of what to expect from a rookie quarterback. He was sacked twice and the Dolphins shifted the offensive line as Jesse Davis moved to right guard and rookie Austin Jackson intervened to left tackle.

You could say that Tagovailoa sometimes played too cautiously, taking sacks when he could have thrown the ball. He also received an intentional take-down penalty after throwing a pass at the foot of Robert Hunt and was nearly intercepted while attempting to throw the ball out of bounds.

Rookies, especially early in their second careers, are bound to make mistakes. However, the last few days weren’t devoted to the hiccups plaguing young quarterbacks, as for every mistake there was a play that left the jaws on the floor.

The 34 points scored are the second most scored by the Miami Dolphins this season and the offense found the end zone twice in the first half. Tagovailoa’s favorite target, especially at the start, was Preston Williams. The second-year wide receiver ended the game with four receptions on five targets for 60 yards before coming out with an injury that is labeled “day to day.”

Tagovailoa teamed up with Williams to take a 21-14 lead early in the second quarter. While Williams had a nifty hurdle to make the landing worth six points, this game felt like a simple pitch-and-catch.

It’s important to point out that Tagovailoa did the correct reading but got a lot of help from Mike Gesicki. Miami’s big, tight end drew three defenders to the back of the end zone, opening up space below for Williams.

As mentioned earlier, there were a handful of games where Tagovailoa seemed reserved, but that thought process evaporated as the game developed. Tagovailoa never seemed to panic and seemed comfortable letting the games develop. This completion to tight end Durham Smythe was executed to perfection by the Miami attack.

Tagovailoa watched defenders right and left, before Smythe snagged the reception and landed the offense on the outskirts of the end zone.

It’s pretty common for young players to get caught trying to do too much, which seemed to be the case to start the fourth quarter with the Dolphins at seven. Miami was in Arizona’s 30s and was looking to start the fourth quarter with the Dolphins at seven. to equalize the score.

A six-man run swept through Miami’s offensive line and Tagovailoa was forced to scramble. It’s common ground for the Dolphins, a team that has struggled to develop an offensive line.

Tagovailoa met a Cardinals defenseman and the worst was to be expected with a quarterback making his second career start (I don’t think we can stress that enough).

A sack would have created a tough third attempt for the offense, but that situation was avoided as Tagovailoa mimicked what the Cardinals offense has in Kyler Murray.

Not only did he pass the defenseman, but he blew through two more on the line of scrimmage and descended to the 11-yard line. Training would then end with a touchdown from Mack Hollins who had a 16.4% success rate according to Next Gen Stats – the most unlikely completion of a Miami quarterback in the past three seasons.

Tagovailoa’s 248 yards and two touchdowns in the air, as well as 35 rushing yards gave the Dolphins everything they needed to escape Arizona with a win.

The Dolphins have flirted with the playoffs time and time again – just short.

At the end of the third quarter, trailing by seven, Miami’s offense was sustained inside its own 10 and facing a 3rd and a 9. A punt would surely put the Cardinals in excellent position on the field with an opportunity to increase its lead – the Dolphins were desperate for a play.

It was, in my opinion. Tagovailoa’s most critical game. Five defenders invaded the line of scrimmage and were facing Tagovailoa.

With both feet in the end zone and the pressure to come, this play highlighted the difference between “the same dolphins” and a team looking to turn the page on 20 years of mediocracy.

Tagovailoa doesn’t get fired and he doesn’t panic. Instead, he places a ball over DeVante Parker’s left shoulder, who boxes his defender and keeps the player alive with a strong gain.

In fact, that throw is what ignited Miami’s 93-yard run to tie the game off at 31. Instead of a few highlights and moral wins, the Dolphins are not just positioning themselves to develop one of the youngest players. football, but also to race. for the playoffs this season.

Suddenly, Miaim’s multi-year plan takes shortcuts and Tagovailoa is one of the main reasons.

More coverage of the Miami winning streak can be found on Phinsider Radio, hosted by myself and Josh Houtz.