Tua Tagovailoa faces challenge of staying upright on Sunday

The eyes in the sky and the spotter on the sideline will be watching Tua Tagovailoa closely on Sunday and the Steelers defenders know it.

On Sunday, the Dolphins will host the Steelers on Sunday Night Football and all eyes will be on Tua Tagovailoa.  The Steelers will probably blitz Tua as often as possible to keep him off balance but more importantly to see if he can take a hit.

After missing the last two weeks, Tua has a target on his back.

The Steelers’ game plan will be to keep Tua from getting into a rhythm of any kind. Miami’s offense runs at a faster pace with Tua at quarterback because his release is much quicker than Teddy Bridgewater or Skylar Thompson. What Tua can’t do is give up on a play. He needs to start doing so.

Tua has a habit of trying to extend plays. That’s great when you are trying to rally in the 4th quarter but it makes no sense when the game is in the first half. Tua has to learn to get rid of the ball and that has been a focal point of the coaches this week in practice.

If Tua can learn to abandon plays and get rid of the ball, he will be less likely to take unneeded sacks and avoid potential “spotters” from pulling him off the field.

It is going to be a touchy few games as he gets back into the swing of things as well as a more focused agenda by the NFLPA and the NFL.  Tua, sadly, is now the whipping boy for the NFLPA’s charge for player safety.