Tua Tagovailoa was once a nearly perfect quarterback. He could run the ball enough to make a difference, quick enough to get rid of the ball before pressure could get to him, and accurate enough to make the tightest of throws. That quarterback no longer plays for the Miami Dolphins.
Now, fans are seeing an inaccurate quarterback who can't, or won't, run the ball. A quarterback who doesn't see the field as easily as he used to, and balls that are either overthrown considerably, underthrown, or picked off.
On Wednesday, Tagovailoa tried to explain to the South Florida media that fans shouldn't buy into it, even if it is correct.
Tua Tagovailoa blames bad footwork for his failures as the Dolphins' starting QB
Speaking with the media, Tagovailoa was asked about his throws being off-target. The quarterback simply said that it's his footwork.
"I need my feet to follow my eyes."Tua Tagovailoa
What he is implying is that his problems stem from his mechanics. He said that he could be looking to throw, but his feet are still pointed away from his target. This means that he isn't turning his hips or moving his feet with his progressions. His explanation of the issue suggests he is not consistently doing what every rookie quarterback is taught to do.
This is remedial football 101. It's taught at every level, so hearing a six-year veteran talk about having to be coached on this is unnerving. Miami's quarterback said he has been working with the coaches on this issue. Mike McDaniel would later say they had been working with him to correct his accuracy issues.
Fans want to know if this is a regression that he can overcome. Considering he has been having problems dating back to last season, you have to wonder if he can alter what he is doing now. There may actually be something to his hip problem that he previously said may not get better.
If his hip is a problem, it would explain a lot of his downfield throws. Tagovailoa isn't turning his hips on deeper throws, and now he admits that his mechanics are off in the short to intermediate zones. That's a problem you would expect to see in a quarterback who is coming into the NFL for the first time. At this point, it should be second nature to a veteran QB.
It will get interesting this Sunday when the Dolphins travel to New York, where the game temperature is expected to be below 40 degrees. Tagovailoa doesn't play well in cold weather, but it's not like he has played well all season in any weather. It could be even worse, however, and it could end whatever small hope this team had at making the playoffs.