Miami Dolphins: Tua’s Playbook Struggles We’re Blown Out Of Proportion

Look, I don’t care what ESPN wants to spin into a story, way too much about Tua Tagovailoa’s admission of not knowing the playbook. When it comes to running with a story, ESPN will water that flower until it wilts. So much was made of this story and it’s embarrassing to even drag it out as much as they did with the Miami Dolphins quarterback.

First and foremost, when it comes to his side of the story, they treated it as if he had zero clue what he was doing back there. Did Tua struggle on the field his rookie season? Absolutely. However, to treat the young man like he didn’t have his good games just the same as his bad is poor reporting. Yes, Ryan Fitzpatrick came in and looked like a much better option, as anyone who has played in the league that long should’ve. To further the point, Fitzpatrick should have understood the play-calling better, he ran that same offense with Chan Gailey in New York or something similar.

Call it an excuse if you want, last year was not a typical year for football. Sure, rookie QBs Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert came out looking like the future, but they didn’t have to rehab from injury. So much was on Tagovailoa’s plate.

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Aside from the injury, he had to learn the playbook, get in NFL shape, develop chemistry with receivers that are young and developing as well, and move behind a rebuilt line. With things being limited last season the way they were, the Dolphins were essentially hitting the fast-forward button on the rookie’s development.

Then the best part about it is, Tua never said he didn’t know the playbook. All he simply said was he wasn’t comfortable with the playbook. Being unsure and not knowing it completely are two different things. You can run with the story he didn’t “know” the playbook all you want, but that’s stretching the truth.

When you examine Tua Tagovailoa’s statements and what the Miami Dolphins did last season at face value he didn’t know the playbook. Dig a little deeper and you’ll see just how much of a rookie mentality Tua had. His comfort level calling plays and audibles is a typical rookie mindset where you don’t want to do anything that would cost the team games. With the Dolphins on the verge of a 10-win season and within arms reach of the playoffs, can you blame him?

If every word or phrase out of an athlete’s mouth needs to be spun to get ratings, no wonder guys don’t want to talk to the media. We can finally appreciate it when Marshawn Lynch sat through a press conference stating “I’m only here so I don’t get fined.”