The Miami Dolphins defeated the New Orleans Saints this week, as many expected. For the Dolphins to remain in the playoff picture, however, the team likely has to win out.
It won't be an easy road with so many teams still ahead of them in the standings, but many of their upcoming opponents are far from intimidating. As long as they can continue to find ways to win, they will stay relevant.
There is a player on the Dolphins roster who, although few people want to admit it, has struggled mightily and continues to hold the team back. For their playoff hopes to stay alive, he will need to find his old form.
Tua Tagovailoa is far from his 2023 version, and that's starting to affect the Miami Dolphins
There are multiple ways to start answering the headline above, but it’s hard to put it into words without getting misled by emotions. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa struggled throughout all four quarters against the Saints, consistently finding it difficult to lead the Dolphins' offense.
Let’s start with the basics: the Dolphins' franchise QB is slow in the pocket. As a result, he struggles to move within the pocket to avoid sacks, which slows his ability to adjust to pressure and find open receivers.
As a result of that relentless pressure, Tua missed several crucial throws that stalled the Dolphins’ offense on the scoreboard. One particularly inaccurate pass to Achane, just a few yards from the end zone, cost them a likely touchdown.
If he had simply placed the ball in the running back’s belly instead of his outstretched hand, the Dolphins could have added another seven points to their lead. And many more inconsistencies came from his throws landing behind the receiver. A clear example is the ball he left behind Julian Hill at midfield.
However, the most significant factor pointing to Tua as the biggest loser from this matchup with the Saints is his poor decision-making. Anyone who is reading this could agree with me that the deep throw to Jaylen Waddle was unnecessary.
You just recovered the ball; you had options to throw a checkdown and develop the offense at a slow, controlled pace. But no, he decides to target Jaylen Waddle, covered by two Saints defenders, and end the play with an interception from Kool-Aid McKinstry.
The player who was expected to become the main character in this Dolphins’ reconstruction is far from it anymore, and it's becoming harder to see him ever returning to the heights of his 2023 campaign.