Miami Dolphins: 10 observations from Week 12 win vs. Texans

10 observations from Miami Dolphins Week 12 victory

2. Tua’s pocket presence is outstanding

He may not be labeled as a “mobile” quarterback, but Tagovailoa’s pocket presence is nothing short of outstanding. Not only does he have the awareness to move up in a collapsing pocket while remaining focused on his receivers, but he can also make pass rushers miss with his ability to wiggle behind the line.

One of Tagovailoa’s best plays of the season came in Week 2 against the Ravens when he spun away from a defender and threw a touchdown pass, and he added one for the highlight reel against the Texans. On his lone touchdown pass of the game, Tua eluded late pressure by changing direction multiple times before rolling left away from the pressure, throwing a dart to Durham Smythe in the end zone.

3. Tua was left in too long…or was he?

The Dolphins were up 30-0 at halftime, and fans on Twitter were en masse in calling for Mike McDaniel to take Tua Tagovailoa out of the game to avoid injury. The starting quarterback played in two possessions in the second half before being pulled, which was two possessions too late according to many.

But the mood changed quickly as Miami’s offense became stagnant with Skylar Thompson under center, and calls for Tua to actually return to the game filled the feed as the Texans began to chip away at the lead. I still believe McDaniel made the decision a bit too late, but perhaps he knew how unprepared the team would be to have Thompson leading the offense.

4. I love seeing Tua standing with McDaniel

I’m not sure if all quarterbacks do this and I am just fawning over Tua, but seeing him stand next to McDaniel on the sidelines after being pulled from the game was awesome to see. Tagovailoa was leaning in to listen as the coach relayed plays to Thompson and reading the play sheet on his wrist band.

Instead of sitting on the bench and enjoying an easy victory with his teammates, Tua was locked in to the game action. It isn’t surprising, as we’ve seen how disappointed he can be in his performances when they’re not perfect, and he is likely soaking up every piece of information in order to be better next week. I love to see it.