Tua Tagovailoa made his presence known the second he got on the field. After a rousing applause for the Miami Dolphins fans at Hard Rock Stadium, Tua led his offense down the field in a nearly perfect drive.
Miami finished the drive with a touchdown, giving the the team an impressive start in Tagovailoa's return. The only plays that kept this from being perfect was a fumble by the quarterback, but that was recovered by the Dolphins. At the goal line, Tua shuttle passed the ball to Miami's worst tight end Julian Hill, who fumbled it. The Dolphins recovered that as well.
While Tagovailoa was fantastic on the drive, Raheem Mostert punched it from three yards out. For the first time in 2024, the Dolphins' offense looked more like it did last season.
Offense setting the tone!@RMos_8Ball finds the end zone on the first drive 🏄♂️ pic.twitter.com/OPca227eUT
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 27, 2024
Tua Tagovailoa gives Dolphins fans hope in Week 8 return
Miami media has been talking about the vibe that has changed in the locker room with Tua back and on the opening drive, it showed. This could be a long day for the Cardinals. Tua missed only one pass on the play, a drop after contact by Tyreek Hill, who was targeted four times.
The Dolphins need to keep this going and they need continue to play smart. Mike McDaniel's play-calling was well-balanced, but he does need to get Julian Hill off the field. With Jonnu Smith a much better option, there is no reason why HIll should be on that field.
Durham Smythe didn't start today, either. Could that be an indication that his future with the team could be in jeopardy? Maybe.
There is an entire game left to be played, but the Dolphins made a statement on their opening drive and Tua made it clear that he is back and in control of this team.