The 3 elements Tua Tagovailoa needs to improve upon
By Matt Serniak
![MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 09: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins waves to fans as he leaves the field after the 33-24 win over the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 09: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins waves to fans as he leaves the field after the 33-24 win over the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fphinphanatic-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2018-2F08-2F1363703276-850x560-3b3635cd99cdcbc99134a44879743fbffb5c901de090a2dc850de712bb76e103.jpg)
Tua isn’t Michael Vick but I think there’s a little room for him to use his legs a bit more often
We saw last year that were a few times that Tua Tagovailoa could have taken off, picked up a few yards, and got the first down and he didn’t. I love how he always has his eyes downfield but there comes a time where you just have to tuck it and run for it.
Tua isn’t going to run by many guys and he’s not going to use run many guys over even though the picture above suggests otherwise. But he still has enough speed and wiggle to pick up key first downs.
Tua ran 43 times for 128 yards with three TDs last year. Obviously, the missed games cut into those numbers. If you want to make the argument that he’s too fragile to be running around out there, go ahead and make it. I’m not looking for him to run into the line and take on linebackers as Tim Tebow did.
Instead, if the Dolphins are running the read option, maybe keep the ball and go around the end that dives down to stop the back. There were times Tua handed it off last year instead of taking it himself.
What I’m really hoping for is that Tua is running a fair amount of bootlegs where he’s out on the perimeter. There will be times when everything is covered and the only play is for Tua to run forward between a defender who is covering the fullback out of the backfield near the sideline and a defensive end or OLB who is gaining ground due to biting on the fake. Tua needs to split them and get what he can and slide when it’s time.
Also, he very much needs to eliminate those throws where he’s in the middle of the pocket and the walls are starting to close in on him and he just sails one to the middle of the field. That’s the worse throw for him and he needs to not force that and take off and get whatever he can even if it’s a yard. He will never have the arm to throw off platform ropes in the middle of the field so taking off with the ball is the better play.