Tua Tagovailoa Shows Heart of Steel, Decides to Play Against Falcons Despite Swollen Eye

In Week 8, Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw 20-for-26 with 205 yards and four touchdowns with a 138.6 passer rating.

Tua Tagovailoa Shows Heart of Steel, Decides to Play Against Falcons Despite Swollen Eye

Tua Tagovailoa (Image via BroBible)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

The Miami Dolphins looted off with a win over the Atlanta Falcons in Kirk Cousins’ return, blowing off the home team 10-34 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Georgia. The win against the Falcons was only the second win for the Florida team this season from eight games.

Tua Tagovailoa, who was one of the quarterbacks in the hot seat before Sunday, shone in this win. Tagovailoa threw 20 completions from 26 passes and registered 206 yards and four touchdowns. He targeted most of the receiving room while playing against the best-ranked pass defense.

Coming into Week 8’s game, Tagovailoa had a total of 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was not expected to perform like he did against the Falcons, and that too with a swollen eye. The QB donned a visor in the game, all while throwing four dimes.

In the post-game press conference, Tagovailoa revealed more about the swollen eye while wearing black sunglasses. He admitted that the morning of the game was one of the worst experiences he had up with, and it was even worse considering it happened on game day.

My eye was swollen shut. Thanks to the medical staff, they ended up helping with antibiotics and whatnot. I’m just glad I was able to go out there and play.

He also elaborated on the next steps of action. Tagovailoa said he and the medical staff plan to determine what caused the reaction once they return to Miami.

In addition to the reveal-all about his shuteye, he also hit back at the critics.

People are gonna talk, they are going say what they need to say, but at the end of the day this is what we do.

In terms of the visor, Tagovailoa revealed that this was the first time he played with a visor outside of high school. He added that it felt different. As it stands, it is not currently known whether the quarterback will wear the visor for Thursday night’s game in Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Tua Tagovailoa set to face his toughest test of the season with Lamar Jackson expected to return to action

According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is expected to return from a hamstring injury for Thursday’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson (Image via ESPN)

Glazer reported that while the Ravens expected Jackson to be fully healthy coming off the bye week, he was not able to reach his 100 percent potential, especially with two games in four days.

Heading into Week 8, the Ravens held only an 8.0% chance of reaching the playoffs. However, following Sunday’s impressive victory, those odds have jumped to 18.4%, with a 15% chance of capturing the division title, per PFN’s NFL Playoff Predictor. With Jackson coming into the fray, the Ravens will be playing at their level best to reclaim the season.

That means Tua Tagovailoa, who just delivered a stellar performance against the Falcons, will face one of his toughest challenges yet. The Ravens’ defense, which has elevated its game against the Chicago Bears, could severely test his timing and decision-making, especially with Jackson’s return likely to turn the game into a high-stakes quarterback duel.

The win against the Falcons doesn’t really erase the alleged locker room conflicts, and Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel would need more than one win to regain the trust of fans. They will need more wins and consistent performance. It hasn’t been more than two weeks since one of the most deflated performances that the Dolphins have ever produced.

Also Read: (Video) ‘Shocked’ Jaxson Dart’s Restless Reaction to Cam Skattebo’s Horrific Ankle Injury Goes Viral