Miami Dolphins: Tua Time is Here, And The Fins Might Be Back

Tua Tagovailoa officially made his first start against the Los Angeles Rams last week, but Sunday was his introduction to the league. Facing a tough Arizona Cardinals team the Miami Dolphins came away with a win in the battle of the young QBs. Both Miami and Arizona were riding a three-game win streak but only one could walk away with their fourth. Luckily for Dolphins fans, it was Miami.

Sure a field goal that came up short was a difference-maker in the game, but in this game, Tua showed why Miami took him at number 5 overall. They could’ve thrown together a handful of picks to get up to 1. They could’ve passed on Tua in favor of Justin Herbert who went at six. Miami stuck to their guns and drafted Tagovailoa with all the hype in toe.

Statistically, Tua has completed 34 of 52 passes for 350 yards and 3 touchdowns. When you see that on paper, it looks like stats for a single game that came down to a shootout. However, with only 2 passes against the Jets and an 18 point lead against a tough Rams defense, Miami didn’t have to throw the football. If you learn anything about Coach Flores is he doesn’t like to give away football games due to mistakes. So playing with leads, the Dolphins are going to be conservative.

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However, Sunday against the Cardinals it was a lot closer and it was a make or break moment for Tua. The Dolphins needed every bit of a team game and Tua hype to beat a good Cardinals team, and they got it.

Dolphins fans needed to see Tua Tagovailoa make those tight throws, he did. They needed to see him roll out and move the pocket, no problem. The naysayers needed to see the kid with the swagger that took him across the finish line in Alabama, Miami wins.

You could say whatever you want about Miami’s decision to wait it out with Tua. As a fan, you could feel the disappointment for Ryan Fitzpatrick, but Sunday proved why they made the move. Tua showed that he took everything Fitz mentored him on and made his time worth it. If the rookie can show this kind of pace and tempo with an ability to win tough games Stephen Ross might’ve hit the jackpot with this new regime and they still have plenty of ammo for the offseason. The future is bright as the sun in South Florida, and no one is writing off this season either. Tua Time is here, and for fans suffering through two decades of mediocrity, this team has his back. Welcome back Miami.