Tua Tagovailoa hit his 16th game started last week when he and the Dolphins beat the Carolina Panthers 33-10 to win their fourth game in a row.
With 16 starts under his belt, we have an actual sample size to discuss. In those games, Tagovailoa has completed 67% of his passes for 3,515 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 90.5 passer rating. Those numbers are nothing to thumb your nose at.
On ESPN’s “NFL Live” on Tuesday, Dan Orlovsky had some high praise and a lofty comparison for the Dolphins’ quarterback.
“He’s sudden, and he’s surgical,” Orlovsky said. “The same kind of traits that we saw with him at Alabama. Would they transfer over? They are. He’s healthy finally… The number one thing that I feel watching Tua play over the last month is what if. What if you get that kid with an offensive line? What if you get him another receiver or two? Because I firmly believe this. If that happens, if they do the right thing and protect him, then he becomes a Drew Brees type of player.”
Anytime you compare a young quarterback to a future Hall of Famer, you’re going to get headlines. Tagovailoa has looked solid this year despite his own injuries, issues on the offensive line, and missing DeVante Parker and Will Fuller.
His best quality right now is his decisiveness. He’s not holding on to the ball forever. He takes the snap, completes his drop, makes a read, and throws the ball accurately. That has really limited the effect that the offensive line has had on Miami’s passing game.
Is Tagovailoa going to be Brees? Probably not, but I can see where Orlovsky is coming from.
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