Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins have been handed their first loss in the last six weeks after losing to the Denver Broncos (4-6) on the road with a final score of 20-13.
In start No. 4 for Tagovailoa, expectations were high, especially against a team with a losing record. With an undefeated resumé as the starter, the former member of the Crimson Tide is no longer perfect.
The Broncos defensive front obliterated the Dolphins’ offensive line and got to Tagovailoa far too many times. He was sacked six times for a total of 33 yards and hit eight times.
In addition to the heavy pressure put on by Denver, it appeared as if Tagovailoa held onto the ball too long, not rolling out looking to extend the play.
He tallied 11 completions off of 20 attempts for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Only throwing for 83 yards makes this game the one with the fewest passing yards in his four starts.
Unsure if it was due to an apparent leg injury due to an awkward tackle in the fourth quarter, or because of his poor performance, Tagovailoa was sidelined for the remainder of the game. The veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the game and tried to give Alabama life on what would have been a 99-yard drive down the field with roughly five minutes remaining to tie the game at 20.
Fitzpatrick’s attempt was killed in the endzone on an interception that, if completed, would have been a touchdown to DeVante Parker.
It’s likely we will see Tagovailoa back as the starting quarterback next week as the Dolphins take on the New York Jets on the road.
While the overall performance of the Dolphins was poor, Tagovailoa needs to be the leader of the team and carry them out of a slump, no matter how big.
Some things will need to be addressed with the 2018 Heisman finalist over the next week. Not being as comfortable in the pocket, getting rid of the ball faster and decision making will be some of the items that ought to be addressed, seeing as these were some of the biggest issues he faced in today’s loss.
Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Tua Tagovailoa as he looks to bounce back next week.