Tua Tagovailoa can finally say he won a game in weather below 46 degrees. He still can't say that he led the team to that victory, however. The Dolphins' big Week 14 win came more on the legs of the Dolphins' running backs.
Tagovailoa continued his streak of subpar games. He was 13 of 21 for just 127 yards, but several of his missed throws could have been intercepted. The Dolphins' quarterback started on fire, driving the field with confidence.
Miami scored on its first three drives, but when the defense started to get pressure and collapse the pocket, Tagovailoa's game began to regress.
Dolphins continue to prove they can win without Tua Tagovailoa playing perfectly
Miami is finding that its investment in Tagovailoa is not being reciprocated. The quarterback has struggled since they played the Falcons. In that game, he had one of his best games of the year. He threw for over 200 yards and four touchdowns. A week later, he would do enough to beat the Buffalo Bills, but Miami relied on its run game heavily in that win.
The Dolphins will eventually need Tagovailoa to step up and play well. They have games against the Steelers, Bengals, Buccaneers, and Patriots coming up. These games will showcase the kind of team the Dolphins are. Miami has won five of its last six, but those games include the Falcons, Commanders, Saints, and the Jets on Sunday.
Dolphins fans are thrilled that Mike McDaniel is no longer relying on his quarterback. Despite the early success from Tagovailoa, McDaniel immediately shifted to a power run game the moment his quarterback began to show signs of struggle.
Tagovailoa's future has become a weekly, if not daily, debate because of the quality of play. He isn't going to win many fans again this week.
Luckily for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa, they have one of the best developing rushing attacks in the NFL. De'Von Achane ran for 92 yards before exiting the game in the second quarter with a rib injury. Jaylen Wright finished off the game with the first 100-yard game of his career.
Miami legitimately has a triple threat rushing attack with Achane, Wright, and Ollie Gordon. The trio is keeping their quarterback in the win column. Hopefully, they can continue to do so.