The Miami Dolphins again lost a big prime-time game on the road that they needed to win. Even though their playoff chances were slim to begin with, a win on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers could have signaled that this team (and its quarterback) were ready to compete among the AFC's elite.
However, as has been the case in similar situations in recent memory, the Dolphins proved they're not at that level. More distinctively, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is not at that level.
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa miserable in cold weather again in MNF showing
Supporters of Tua may run to the box score to make their claim that he wasn't the problem against the Steelers on Monday night. But all they would be doing is telling on themselves for not actually watching the game.
Tagovailoa's two touchdown passes and 113 QB rating were drastically inflated by Miami's fourth-quarter performance in garbage time. Entering the final quarter, the Steelers were already up 28-3 (and Tom Brady wasn't in the building to mount the comeback), Tua's QB rating was below 50, and the Dolphins hadn't even totaled 100 yards of offense. In fact, Miami had -20 yards of offense in the third quarter. Pittsburgh merely pumped the brakes in the end because they knew they could.
In the first quarter, Tua threw his lone interception of the game on a dud intended for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. undercut the route and snagged the easy pick. The Dolphins had been driving and were in Pittsburgh territory with a 1st-and-10 when the INT occurred.
On the following drive, Tagovailoa was forced to tuck the ball and run on a 3rd-and-2. There was enough open space for him to pick up the first down, but as he has often done this season, Tua started his slide early and was short of picking it up, forcing Miami to punt.
Again slides short. Now 1 first down on 20 runs this year for Tua. Discouraging
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 16, 2025
Tua was sacked four times on the night, but at least three of them can be blamed on him, as he continued to hold the ball for too long and refused to throw it away.
Read More: Mike McDaniel may have waved the white flag for his own job
Despite the padded stat sheet, this was one of Tagovailoa's worst performances -- and there have been plenty in 2025. His winless streak in games under 40 degrees now stands at 0-6, and his overall showing on Monday Night Football earned him a spot in the weekly losers' column vs. Pittsburgh, where he's been on several occasions.
A lot of questions will need to be answered this offseason in regards to Tua. And although his contract may make it tough for Miami to simply release or trade him, Tagovailoa gave the Dolphins every reason to at least draft his replacement in 2026.
One could argue that Tua and head coach Mike McDaniel are a package deal. After all, it was McDaniel who vouched for his starting QB when Tagovailoa was seeking a new contract from Miami and got it. That tied the two to the hip if they hadn't been already.
Yet, as McDaniel may have waved the white flag himself in terms of his own employment based on how the Dolphins' offense approached the fourth quarter, it's clear that all parties need a fresh start. And for McDaniel and Tua, that means somewhere outside of South Florida.