MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins were done, done, done. Fans were headed to the exits. Then Tua Tagovailoa came to the rescue.
Tagovailoa’s monster game in Week 14 is the No. 1 reason the Dolphins still have a playoff pulse and why Mike McDaniel didn’t have to explain away one of the worst losses of his career.
Tagovailoa looked every part the franchise quarterback in Sunday’s 32-26 overtime victory over the New York Jets. Actually, that sells him short.
He looked like one of the best players in the NFL — regardless of position — which is why he deserves consideration for league MVP, even though the Dolphins’ 6-7 record probably will preclude it.
The MVP Case for Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Regardless, it’s hard to name five players who mean more to their team than Tagovailoa, who completed 33 of 47 passes for 331 yards and two touchdowns Sunday — including attempt No. 47, which was the first overtime touchdown of his career.
He connected with Jonnu Smith on a pinpoint 10-yard touchdown pass midway through the extra period to pull the Dolphins’ season back from the brink.
"GOT IT. SMITH. TOUCHDOWN. THE DOLPHINS WIN."@MiamiDolphins score on the first drive of OT to end it 🔥 pic.twitter.com/smwgC3Ayga
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 8, 2024
A loss to the horrible Jets — at home, no less — would have crushed any reasonable hope for the Dolphins to make the playoffs and turned up the heat big-time on McDaniel, who knows he owes much of his success as a head coach to Tua.
“He makes people better,” McDaniel said. “That’s an incredibly important part of that position.
“… You could argue the hardest position to play is quarterback out of all the positions in sports, and the biggest differentiator with quarterbacks is it’s a big moment. There’s a lot of stuff on you. And to be able to play clear-minded and let the game come to you — case in point, 47 pass attempts and zero interceptions again — it’s really cool to see.”
While Sunday was special because it featured Tagovailoa’s first walk-off touchdown pass, don’t discount all the good he has done throughout the year — and particularly since his return from injured reserve in Week 8.
While Miami has gone 4-3 in those games, the Dolphins’ defense and running game — not Tua — deserve blame for the losses.
Tua after Sunday’s 1 p.m. window Sunday has ranked first in completion percentage (76%), second in passer rating (114.1), and third in touchdown passes (15) since Week 8. He’s thrown just one interception during that stretch. On the year, Tagovailoa is second in QB+ (94) behind only Lamar Jackson (100)
And the most telling stat? The Dolphins’ offense is formidable when he plays and non-functional when he doesn’t.
In Tua’s nine starts this year, the Dolphins are 5-4 (+13 point differential), with a 37.54 total offensive EPA.
In their other four games, the Dolphins are 1-3 (-41), with an unspeakably bad -66.11 total offensive EPA.
If the criteria for the MVP Award is the player who’s most valuable to his team, Tagovailoa certainly meets the threshold.
But it might take wins in his final four games — and a playoff appearance (the chances of which stand at just 26.8%, even after Sunday’s comeback win) — for Tagovailoa to get real consideration.
“Tua, man. He’s been playing lights out,” Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said, who had 10 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. “I think he doesn’t get enough credit for the things that he does outside of making plays.
“… He’s been playing lights out. He’s been a great leader for this team, not only on offense but also for defense, getting those guys going. We’ve just got to follow him, man, like follow his standard because the standard is the standard, and he’s been playing at a high level and guys around him just got to match it.”