In their wild card game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins just had one excellent play. Aside from that, it did not appear that the Dolphins had a chance to even be in the game, let alone win it. Tyreek Hill, a former Kansas City receiver, made a great play on an underthrown pass to score.
The final score was 26-7, with Tyreek’s spectacular play being the sole bright spot for Miami. Tua Tagovailoa had one of the worst performances of his career in his first playoff game, and while the weather undoubtedly played a role, there were numerous short check downs that he missed by a mile.
Tua had his greatest season with the Dolphins this season, having one of the best seasons at quarterback in the league, but the debate of whether or not to pay the man the way the elite quarterbacks are paid continues. After a half-decade with the Dolphins, the answer is no.
Tua Tagavailoa of the Miami Dolphins should not be given a large contract.
Heres a couple plays from MIA O that may help explain what I was talking about last night and where some of the struggles come when the primary guy isn’t open for Tua/QB… (and always remember I’m not in the room so it may be execution as much as play design)… #StudyBall pic.twitter.com/VbYkXy5k11
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) January 14, 2024
Tua has now regularly demonstrated that he cannot win a big game in his career, and perhaps more importantly, he has not demonstrated that he can compete in a big game. This humiliating rout is simply another major game snub to add to the list. This is the year’s third big game loss in a row.
They had the chance to be the AFC’s top seed and not even play in the Wild Card weekend only a month ago. The club annihilated several bad teams in the league, and Tua shone in those situations, but their single win this year came against a solid team, the Dallas Cowboys. They were defeated 56-19 by the Baltimore Ravens after having the potential to secure the top seed in the conference.
Tua did not play in that game, but they still had a chance to win the AFC East the following week against their rivals, the Buffalo Bills, on a silver plater. Tua followed it up with yet another bad game in which Josh Allen gave him numerous chances to win. Josh Allen outplayed Tua in the fourth quarter, and they were defeated 21-14.
Finally, they end the season with another blowout loss with the offense looking like one of the worst in the league, with receiver Hill’s only production coming on a terrible throw. There is no reason for head coach Mike McDaniel to believe Tua is capable of carrying this offense. Miami must look for alternatives to paying Tua the same salary as the best quarterbacks.
Tua will need to accept a deal with a low cap hit, or Miami will need to hunt for a better alternative at the position. They had all of their offense healthy, but they couldn’t muster a single decent drive throughout the game. Tua has demonstrated that he is not the answer to give Miami a single postseason win, let alone Super Bowl dreams.
