The loss suffered by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night to the Buffalo Bills just about sums up the frustration with this team and, more specifically, with Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins quarterback was brutally honest leading up to the game, admitting his skill set isn't near Josh Allen's.
Well, he backed it up with a crushing end to what could have been an upset win for Miami. The veteran QB threw a devastating interception late in the game, ending his team's hopes of a comeback.
The loss serves as a sobering reminder for Dolphins fans: Tagovailoa is far from the elite quarterback this team needs to be true contenders in the AFC.
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa confirms take about Buffalo Bills Qb Josh Allen with devastating mistake
The Dolphins QB didn't sound like much of a competitor this week when he admitted Allen's skill set had his own beat. Speaking to the media about the Bills' star, he said, "He's top tier... If it's not with his arm, it's with his legs. Definitely a different skill set from me. I can't do half of what he does when it comes to running the ball, and then how he can just chuck a ball down the field."
To be fair to Tua, he did show a bit more in the running game than fans are used to seeing. He had a couple of scrambles in key moments and was able to extend plays outside of the pocket. But his comparison with the Bills quarterback was painfully true in one key way. When the game was on the line, Allen rose to the occasion. Tagovailoa didn't.
After three and a half impressive quarters in which he protected the ball, found his receivers in space, and avoided big mistakes, the Dolphins quarterback threw it all away with one play. On a fourth-quarter drive to tie the game, he threw a back-breaking interception right into the arms of a Bills defender. It looked like he didn't even see the linebacker as he broke in front of Jaylen Waddle.
PICK! Terrel Bernard takes the ball back for the @BuffaloBills
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It's not his first big miss of the season, either. This is Tagovailoa's third interception this year, including one that cost the Dolphins greatly in Week 2.
Maybe one play shouldn't disqualify a mostly encouraging performance. But in games against the top teams in the conference, the margin for error is razor-thin. The Dolphins can't afford to have their quarterback make mistakes like this in crunch time.
At the end of the day, every coach in the league would feel confident in Allen leading their team on a game-winning drive. The same can't be said for Tagovailoa.