Dolphins Ace fired back into critics within his teammates could see him exit.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is having an MVP-caliber season, but there are still some who question how much of his head-turning year he owes to his supporting cast.
Tagovailoa’s running back Raheem Mostert ranks third in the NFL in rushing (966 yards) and first in total touchdowns (20). His receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle rank first and 16th, respectively, in receiving yards (1,546 and 946) and fourth and 19th, respectively, in receptions (97 and 71).
But just because he has some of the top playmakers in the league, Tagovailoa says that doesn’t take away from anything he’s done this year.
He’s also already surpassed all of his 2022 stats, despite playing in just one more game. He’s averaging more passing yards per game with a higher completion percentage and a higher passer rating than the season before.
The Dolphins are one of just two teams to average more than 400 yards per game this season and one of three teams to score more than 30 points per game.
They also lead the league in total offense (414.1 yards per game) and scoring offense (31.5 points per game), and Tagovailoa seems to be just fine getting none of the credit.
The Miami Dolphins asserted their dominance in Week 15 with a shutout 30-0 win over the New York Jets to improve to 10-4.
The Dolphins overwhelmed the Jets on both sides of the field and never looked back, an impressive showing considering they were shorthanded.
Miami was without Tyreek Hill who was ruled out with an ankle injury, but his absence was hardly missed as Jaylen Waddle stepped in as the No. 1 option for Tua Tagovailoa and delivered his best game of the 2023 NFL season.
Waddle recorded eight receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown, torching the Jets secondary on almost all his routes.
It was a relatively quiet day for Tagovailoa without Hill, though he was efficient with his pass attempts as he completed 21 of 24 of them.
Tagovailoa is having a career year for the Dolphins and he got feisty when addressing criticism that his success is largely in part to Hill via Dov Kleiman.
“I keep receipts,” Tagovailoa said. “All the narratives about.”
It’s hard to separate receivers from their quarterbacks sometimes as it can be a “chicken or the egg” kind of argument, but there’s no doubt that Tagovailoa is playing well this season.
Tagovailoa was labeled a bust early in his career, but he’s silenced a lot of critics with his accurate passing and knack for hitting receivers like Hill downfield for chunk plays.
Head coach Mike McDaniel is largely credited for devising a quarterback-friendly scheme, but Tagovailoa still needs to make the throws to ensure the offense stays on schedule.
With only a few games left in the season, Tagovailoa has enough fuel to prove his doubters wrong.
