MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins‘ best offensive play Sunday was one that was never supposed to happen.
When Tua Tagovailoa found Tyreek Hill for a 69-yard touchdown on a go-route on the third play of the second half of the Dolphins’ 31-16 victory over the New York Giants, no one was more surprised than Mike McDaniel.
See, McDaniel radioed a play into Tagovailoa’s ear 30 or so seconds before.
The one they executed to perfection looked nothing like the one he called.
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Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Calls Own Play
Tagovailoa sheepishly let the cat out of the bag during his postgame news conference.
“That was the wrong play call,” Tagovailoa said. “That was the wrong play call, and you can ask Mike about that. I don’t think I should be saying that was the wrong play call. I called the wrong play. I called my own play.”
Tyreek Hill is having an incredible day. 69-yard TD here didn’t even have to put his best jets on. 20.95 MPH top speed, tied for 17th fastest, 3rd fastest today.
Why Giants left poor rookie Tre Hawkins on 1-on-1 with Hill is another question. pic.twitter.com/h1xQ9tbwKA
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 8, 2023
Did Tua check out of McDaniel’s play when he got to the line of scrimmage and saw the defense?
Nope. He simply “misheard” McDaniel, Tagovailoa said with a look that suggested he heard McDaniel’s call perfectly well — and decided to call something different.
Credit McDaniel for not pulling the ripcord on the play and calling timeout — even though it was apparent to him immediately that the Dolphins were not lined up how he expected them to be.
“I was processing it at live speed, and since other guys weren’t looking around, they were convicted in whatever they were doing,” McDaniel said.
“A lot of times that’s the most important play that you can have is people that believe in whatever is going on. To me, the thought crossed my mind immediately when they broke the huddle, and people were on the wrong side, and then once I saw people moving with conviction, I was like, ‘Hey, let’s see what play-caller Tua has for us.’
“And I would advise him to be very choice with his selections because right now his percentage as a play-caller is outstanding.”
Tua Tagovailoa called his own play on the Tyreek Hill TD pass. Here’s Mike McDaniel’s reaction. pic.twitter.com/W3GTRPvp6h
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) October 8, 2023
That was one of two touchdown passes Tagvoailoa threw Sunday. The other was a two-yard offering to Jaylen Waddle on the Dolphins’ opening drive. Tagovailoa also went for 308 yards on 22 of 30 passing. He did throw two interceptions.
MORE: 2023 NFL Offense Rankings
“I just know the way that we were able to move the ball a little bit and then those turnovers and the picks, last year it would have been hard to get him out of that, just how mad he would be at himself and all the disciplined work that he’s done with mind, body, and soul, to be in a moment like that and just take the game into his own hands, that’s what you’re trying to build,” McDaniel added.
“It was a really cool moment that when you’re watching the formation set up, I am not composed because I’m like, what the — you just don’t know. You have no idea. It’s hard to visualize what play he actually called because you’re just thinking that nine people are messed up.”