Tua Tagovailoa led the Miami Dolphins to a huge 32-26 win against the New York Jets in overtime. The 26-year-old quarterback first orchestrated a clutch drive to tie the game with a field goal late in the fourth quarter and later led the offense to a game-winning touchdown to hand Miami its sixth win of the season.
Aaron Rodgers played quite well, but the Dolphins won the toss and elected to receive in OT, ensuring that the four-time NFL MVP didn’t get the ball.
Tua Tagovailoa Gets Praised for Win vs. Jets
In the win against the Jets, Tagovailoa threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns, completing 70.2% of his throws with a passer rating of 104.1. The Dolphins are now 5-4 with him as the quarterback, and he makes Mike McDaniel’s system work.
The fans lauded the quarterback for his performance against the Jets and praised him on social media. Here are some of their reactions after the Dolphins’ overtime win in Week 14:
Tua Tagovailoa man. What an absolutely surgical drive. What a win.
— Joe 💫 (@AverageJoeCraig) December 8, 2024
“If I see one negative post about Tua Tagovailoa this week, I’m going off on someone. Defense let us down all game but Tua goes out with the dagger in OT,” said one fan.
Another fan added, “Stop talking about how the Dolphins should get rid of Tua Tagovailoa. He keeps making you look like an idiot.”
Tua Tagovailoa is the heart and soul of this Miami Dolphins team.
He continues to prove it week in, and week out.
It’s wild to me that some fans want to run this guy out of the building…#GoFins pic.twitter.com/He1jJfy18W
— Brady Hamilton (@BradyH_216) December 8, 2024
“He showed heart when it matters the most,” wrote one fan about the Dolphins quarterback.
“Tua Tagovailoa is an elite QB; he throws rockets,” said another fan.
Efficient. Effective. Clutch. Maestro of this offense.
— dolphinslaxer (@dolphinslaxer) December 8, 2024
Various speculations have been made about whether Tagovailoa is the right quarterback for the Dolphins. Although he has often underperformed in big games, the Alabama product is still an elite quarterback.
Throughout his time with McDaniel, Tagovailoa has shown that he can compete with the best at his position if the conditions are favorable. Cold weather games are an issue for the star quarterback, but the same can be said about other players on the Dolphins’ roster. The team has to exorcise these demons, as Miami is bound to play such games in the playoffs every year.
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension this past offseason, and when healthy, has played up to the money he is making. Unfortunately, his name will be forever linked with concussions, which makes it harder for people to see the Dolphins consistently contending for the Super Bowl.
Dolphins’ Chances of Making Playoffs Remain Slim
Following their win against the Jets, the Dolphins are now 6-7 on the season. They are currently two games behind the last Wild Card spot in the AFC, and with just four games remaining in the season, Miami will need a miracle to make the postseason.
These are the Dolphins’ remaining matchups this year:
- Week 15: at Houston Texans
- Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Week 17: at Cleveland Browns
- Week 18: at New York Jets
If the Dolphins win all four games, they’ll have a chance of sealing a playoff spot. However, Miami has to play three of their last four games away from home, which is a tough situation for them.
They can get a win against the Texans this upcoming week, but winning back-to-back cold weather games at Cleveland and in New York to end the season will be quite challenging. On the bright side, even if the Dolphins do not make the playoffs but can get results in the cold, it will instill confidence in the team for the next season.