Five Miami Dolphins storylines to follow through preseason

The progression of Tua Tagovailoa

This is the one thing that fans will be keeping both eyes on. Unfortunately for those watching at home, Tua isn’t likely to get an extended look against Chicago-maybe a series or two. Week two against Atlanta is when we can expect to see a little more playing time for the second year signal caller. There are a few areas of emphasis that fans should pay extra close attention to.

Aggression

So far in camp, Tua has been extremely aggressive and has made big throws each practice. In 2020, we didn’t get to see him push the ball downfield very often. Some of that may have had to do with his comfort level and grasp of the playbook, but it seems that he was held back-at least in part-by play calling.

"“Last year, I even noticed his playbook was condensed to slants and bubbles. They really wouldn’t let him show his arm and now seeing in training camp, he’s got a lot more deep routes, they’re allowing him the opportunity to throw it deep.” -Eric Rowe on Tua’s growth"

He won’t have an entire game to do it, but it would be great for fans to see one or two big throws with each preseason contest. The coaches aren’t likely to open to playbook all the way for these games, but hopefully we will get a little bit of fireworks.

Deep ball accuracy

Tua Tagovailoa is an incredibly talented deep ball thrower. He had the third highest rate of catchable passes at least 20 yards down the field in 2020, but was let down on several occasions by his supporting cast. Not each throw was perfect, but he gave his receivers a chance more often than not. That arm talent has been on display so far in training camp.

"“Really its just coming out and working on your timing with the guys, seeing the speed of players, not everyone is really fast. I guess, just being able come out here and practice and work on it.” -Tua Tagovailoa on his improving deep ball accuracy"

His work this past off season with receivers seems to be paying off in the chemistry department. Like his quote alludes to, a big part of having a successful deep passing attack comes down to timing. If you can’t gauge exactly where your pass catcher is going to be, how can you possibly know what part of the field to target? A couple well placed deep passes each contest would go a long way towards exciting the fan base.

Command of the offense and team

This one comes down to leadership and execution. By all accounts, Tua has been a much more active and vocal leader this year. How will he respond when one of his receivers runs a route to deep or shallow or when the offensive line fails to pick up a blitz properly? This is his team and his offense now and fans want to see him own it.