Mike McDaniel Shows Trust in Tua Tagovailoa, a Day After Possibly Throwing Shade at Him

In seven starts, Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has thrown ten interceptions, six of them coming from the last two games.

Mike McDaniel Shows Trust in Tua Tagovailoa, a Day After Possibly Throwing Shade at Him

Head coach Mike McDaniel and QB Tua Tagovailoa (Image via Imago)

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The Miami Dolphins returned to action this year to improve upon their losing season last year and make the playoffs after missing them last year. Their plans, however, have not worked out as they would have hoped. The Dolphins are 1-6 in the season, their worst since the 2021 season, when they went 1-7 before winning eight of the remaining nine games to finish 9-8.

Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins quarterback, has been abysmal so far. In seven starts, he threw for 1,313 yards and completed 67.8 percent with eleven touchdowns. He has thrown ten interceptions, throwing at least one in five of those seven games. In the last two games, he has thrown three in each game and barely registered 100 yards in the Week 7 game against the Cleveland Browns.

The calls to bench Tagovailoa are quite unsurprising considering the facts on the table. The uncoordinated chemistry between the players has also come under the scrutiny of the fans and media. Despite this, Miami is sticking with the Hawaiian. Mike McDaniel, who threw shade at Tagovailoa a day before, came in support of him.

McDaniel named Tagovailoa as the starter for their Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. He even instilled his belief in him, though it was a confusing way to note that one trusts the other. McDaniel said on Monday:

He is going to take snaps this week, and he’s going to be our starter this week. And my expectation is that we don’t throw 10 picks.

Maybe McDaniel understood that the fans might have sensed a bit of hesitation and low confidence in his words, driving him to come out much stronger on Wednesday. He claimed that there’s not an ounce of uncertainty between the coach and quarterback, not now nor before. He added:

As Tua and I have always operated, I think there’s zero uncertainty with Tua on my conviction in him and my belief in him. I think we’re both very, very eager to do better at our jobs and we’re both very committed and trusting in each other to respond to what is necessary for the team to do better.

Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa are both slowly losing support in the Miami locker room

The Miami Dolphins appear to be grappling with growing internal discord and a loss of trust, particularly between head coach Mike McDaniel, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and the rest of the team. McDaniel’s leadership and offensive philosophy are losing effectiveness and support within the team.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa (Image via SI)

The declining player confidence and diminishing on-field results suggest a growing rift between McDaniel’s vision and the players’ execution. Robert Griffin III, a former quarterback discussed the problems faced by the Dolphins in a recent episode of the Dan Patrick Show.

His analysis matched the consensus, stating, “They [the Dolphins] don’t want to play. The body language says it all. Mike McDaniel doesn’t seem to be enjoying it on the sidelines.”

Tua Tagovailoa’s actions in the past week have molded his image into someone who matches the description of a locker room disruptor. Ahead of the game against the Cleveland Browns, the Hawaii-based signal caller made some comments about his teammates that raised some eyebrows.

He later attempted to downplay the situation, saying, “I made a mistake and I’ll take it on the chin.” However, it had already made an impact. Sources close to the team told NFL Network that several players believed Tua had aired internal issues that should have been addressed privately rather than made public.

Although owner Stephen Ross has opted not to dismiss McDaniel for the time being, and the latter has not benched Tagovailoa, the internal fractures are already apparent. They have emerged from ashes before, but the time to start is here with their next game on October 26. The struggling Fins visit the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face the Atlanta Falcons.

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