Tua Tagovailio and Dolphins emphasizing the deep ball
Coming into this season the Miami Dolphins had one major area of concern — the continued growth and development of second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Because of that, the Dolphins and Tagovailoa have emphasized the deep ball during training camp. And so far, he has impressed those around him with his improvement from last year. Head coach Brian Flores said that his sophomore is gaining more confidence making those throws.
“It’s something he’s placing emphasis on, we’re placing emphasis on,” Flores said, via the Sun Sentinel’s David Furones. “If it’s there, it’s open or we can throw him open, take a shot… Hopefully, he’s gaining more confidence making those throws.”
A Slow Start to his NFL Career
The Dolphins organization had high hopes for Tagovailoa and his deep ball after selecting him with the fifth overall pick in last year’s draft. However, he did come with some concerns after undergoing season-ending hip surgery in his final season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. To add insult to injury, the NFL off-season was shortened due to the coronavirus. So unfortunately for the then-rookie, he did not see any real game action for just under a year. He would be named the starter for the Dolphins in week 8. Just two weeks removed from his NFL debut against the New York Jets.
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By the Numbers
Unlike his contemporaries Joe Borrow and Justin Herbert, Tagovailoa struggled to impress. The young quarterback was benched in the fourth quarter against the Broncos after trailing 20-10. He finished the season with 1,814 passing yards 11 passing touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had a completion percentage of 64.1 and a passer rating of 87.5. Both ranked in the bottom percentage of the league. He averaged 181.4 yards passing per game, good for second to last. On deep ball passes greater than 21 yards, he went 11-23, throwing for 213 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Cause for deep ball optimism
Prior to being drafted to the NFL, Tagovailoa was touted for his accuracy and deep-ball ability. His career completion percentage at Alabama was 69.3 percent with 87 touchdown passes. He threw for 43 and just six interceptions and his 2018 season. Before his season-ending injury and 2019, he threw for 2,840 yards 33 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. With a year in the pros under his belt and an offseason to get comfortable with his receivers look for Tua to have much better numbers emphasizing the deep ball and overall for the Dolphins this season.
(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)