There is being honest, and then there is being too honest. On Tuesday, Tua Tagovailoa got a lesson in the latter, and Miami Dolphins fans are realizing their expectations might be a bit too high.
Dolphins fans continue to defend Tagovailoa and still believe he has yet to reach his best, but there is a downside to his accuracy and quick throws. On Tuesday, Tagovailoa admitted that Josh Allen is elite, and he can't do what Allen does.
"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."
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa admittedly declares what his detractors have been saying for six years
There is nothing derogatory about what Tagovailoa said; he has limitations, and his past injury history has changed the way he plays football. The Dolphins quarterback can't run with reckless abandon like his division rival. His hips can't take the abuse, and one more concussion could put his career in serious jeopardy.
What is a problem, however, is that Miami fans are starting to see the limits of his game, and he can't fix those problems.
In Week 2, on two separate third downs, Tagovailoa was in position to run the ball, but in both instances, he ran out of bounds rather than trying to pick up extra yards.
This is likely a result of his coaches telling him not to risk further injuries, but other teams are realizing that he is no threat to run the ball.
Making it worse now is that he can't heave it downfield. Tagovailoa needs to wind up to throw deep. Against the New England Patriots, he had Tyreek Hill open on a deep out route, but Hill had to pull up and wait on the ball because his quarterback couldn't get it to him.
After the game, Tagovailoa told reporters that Hill knows he isn't always going to hit him deeper down the field, but this throw was only 47 yards. The fact that he couldn't hit Hill on that play and isn't making deeper passes downfield lately makes you wonder if his hip is the problem.
Miami has to start learning how to win games. They have struggled with this for more than a year, but many fans still believe there is still growth ahead of him. Unfortunately, he may be at the top of his game right now.