Why It’s Not Over For Dolphins’ Mike Mcdaniel And Tua Tagovailoa

Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa had a fewer unsmooth weeks earlier Sunday’s upset complete nan Falcons. 

Tagovailoa drew disapproval for calling retired his teammates and coaches publically and followed that pinch 3 interceptions during an embarrassing nonaccomplishment against nan Browns past week. To make matters worse, Tagovailoa woke up Sunday pinch a swollen near eye. He moreover had 1 shot pundit suggest that Miami should chair him before facing Atlanta. 

But Tagovailoa made that 1 writer, who happened to beryllium me, look foolish pinch a sensational four-touchdown capacity against nan Falcons. Tagovailoa ended talk astir his occupation information and mightiness person moreover provided immoderate cushion for his coach Mike McDaniel. 

Let’s return a look astatine really nan Dolphins (2–6) tin build momentum from Tagovailoa’s astonishing capacity Sunday, positive everything other we learned successful NFL Week 8. 

Tagovailoa’s occupation apt was ne'er successful mobility successful Miami, but nan aforesaid can’t beryllium said astir McDaniel, who fielded respective questions astir his basking spot owed to a 1–6 start. 

After nan 34–10 upset of nan Falcons, it wouldn’t beryllium astonishing if Dolphins proprietor Stephen Ross gives McDaniel nan full season, allowing him nan opportunity to show he’s nan correct personification to lead his team. It’s safe to opportunity that McDaniel hasn’t mislaid nan locker room aft this complete performance. 

Tagovailoa had an businesslike outing, going 20-of-26 for 205 yards, 4 touchdowns and nary turnovers. Even nan defense was outstanding, holding nan Falcons to only 213 full yards. It helped that Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London didn’t play, but it says plentifulness that Miami held Bijan Robinson to conscionable 25 rushing yards.

McDaniel is going to request much stellar violative performances to show that his expertise connected that broadside of nan shot is thing worthy valuing and prioritizing. Miami doesn’t person galore reasons to clasp McDaniel if Tagovailoa continues to play for illustration he has for astir of nan past twelvemonth and a half. The backmost has information because he signed a monolithic four-year, $212.4 cardinal hold past year, and nan Dolphins don’t person galore options to get free of that statement until aft nan 2026 season, unless they determine to waste and acquisition him. 

Tagovailoa, who’s owed a guaranteed $54 cardinal adjacent season, didn’t person overmuch worth this twelvemonth until he carved up a very bully Falcons’ defense, which was allowing only 149.1 passing yards per crippled heading into Sunday. I wrote that McDaniel should ditch Tagovailoa because he wasn’t executing his strategy adequately, and possibly a different backmost would tally it better. But nan Dolphins mightiness not person immoderate different options because they support flip-flopping betwixt Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers for nan QB2 role. (Wilson took snaps successful garbage clip connected Sunday aft being demoted nan anterior week.)

Now, it’s starting to look for illustration nan champion measurement for McDaniel to prevention his occupation is by getting consistency from Tagovailoa for nan remainder of nan season. If nan squad can’t move connected from Tagovailoa until aft 2026, possibly it’s only correct that McDaniel sticks astir until then. But Ross won’t deliberation that measurement unless Tagovailoa does much of nan aforesaid aft his 4 touchdowns successful Week 8. 

Patriots look for illustration morganatic contenders aft crushing Browns 

The Patriots (6–2) person been 1 of nan astir astonishing teams successful nan NFL, but they’ve been somewhat of an afterthought erstwhile it comes to being taken earnestly arsenic an AFC contender. 

Despite being sacked 5 times by Myles Garrett, Patriots QB Drake Maye (left) managed a decent violative outing, uncovering 7 different walk catchers. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Bills (5–2) are still viewed by astir arsenic nan champion squad successful nan AFC East, contempt looking up astatine nan Patriots successful nan standings (Buffalo crushed Carolina, 40–9, connected Sunday). And New England is moreover being overshadowed by a different astonishment squad because nan Colts person earned much respect for what they person achieved successful nan first 2 months of nan season. (Indianapolis improved to 7–1 aft beating up connected nan Titans, 38–14.)

But what nan Patriots did to nan Browns during their 32–13 triumph answered a fistful of questions, suggesting that Mike Vrabel’s squad needs to beryllium taken much earnestly arsenic a viable threat to nan Bills, Colts and Chiefs successful nan AFC. 

Yes, Cleveland has conscionable 2 wins this season, but it’s usually a reliable retired pinch a stout defense and a productive rushing attack. The Browns besides person an upset triumph complete nan Packers and cruised to a ascendant triumph complete nan Dolphins past week. With nan physicality level accrued a fewer notches, nan Patriots roseate to nan situation and had nary issues punching backmost aft Cleveland took an early 7–3 advantage. 

From there, nan Patriots’ balanced onslaught minimized nan harm from Myles Garrett’s five-sack performance, signaling a season-high 177 rushing yards, pinch rookie moving backmost TreVeyon Henderson providing a team-high 75 yards. New England’s rushing onslaught has brushed disconnected a slow commencement to nan season, an area that could use nan squad down nan stretch. 

Drake Maye (18-of-24, 282 yards, 3 TDs, INT) had different sensational performance, spreading nan shot astir to 7 different walk catchers. And this defense has softly played astatine a top-10 level since nan return of prima cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who missed nan first 3 games of nan season. Cleveland generated only 213 full yards and 68 rushing yards. 

It bodes good for New England that it had minimal problem against a reliable Cleveland team. These Patriots merit much respect. 

I’ll admit I’ve been captious of nan Broncos, and I’m still not wholly convinced they’re a morganatic threat successful nan AFC, astatine slightest not without seeing them play nan Chiefs. The 2 AFC West rivals play each different doubly successful nan last 8 weeks of nan season. 

After sluggish outings against nan Titans and Jets earlier successful nan season, Bo Nix seems to beryllium waking up of late. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

But let’s get to nan positivity because Denver answered a fistful of questions pinch nan whooping it handed Dallas during a 44–24 victory. I was incorrect astir this Broncos’ discourtesy not being capable to bent pinch nan Cowboys’ red-hot offense. It helped that Denver’s defense unopen down Dak Prescott & Co., but Bo Nix was going to will his squad to triumph moreover if nan defense had different disconnected day. Nix was that bully Sunday, picking up wherever he near disconnected successful nan 4th fourth of past week’s comeback triumph complete nan Giants. 

Nix did person an interception connected his opening possession, but rebounded by scoring 4 touchdowns connected nan pursuing 5 drives. Every clip Prescott would put together a decent thrust against Denver’s stout defense, Nix would quickly move upfield against Dallas’s mediocre defense, and yet nan Cowboys’ discourtesy tired retired because it couldn’t support pace. Nix vanished 19-of-29 for 247 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. J.K. Dobbins had 15 carries for a game-high 111 yards. 

If Nix plays nan measurement he has nan past 2 weeks, this Broncos squad tin hit immoderate squad successful nan league. Nix is making his coach look bully aft Sean Payton spent nan bulk of nan summertime telling reporters that his backmost is tin of being a superstar. More importantly, nan Broncos are a complete squad pinch stellar coaching and a productive crushed game, and they arguably person nan champion defense successful nan league. 

But it’s difficult to stake connected Nix to support this up, and it’s difficult to hide nan sluggish outings against nan Titans and Jets earlier this year. Still, I can’t praise nan Patriots without giving nan Broncos their flowers. These 2 teams are built similarly, but nan Patriots person beaten nan Bills. The Broncos did hit nan Eagles, but fell to nan Colts and Chargers. The Broncos tin proceed to beryllium doubters incorrect by taking attraction of business against nan Texans and Raiders earlier their first showdown against nan Chiefs. 

Caleb Williams desperately needs an personality aft dud vs. Ravens 

Perhaps nan biggest logic for Caleb Williams’s inconsistent performances since entering nan convention is his deficiency of an personality arsenic a quarterback. 

Caleb Williams (left) couldn’t find nan extremity area against nan Ravens connected Sunday. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It’s reliable to show what nan Bears genuinely person successful nan 2024 No. 1 prime because he and nan squad are still trying to fig retired really to champion utilize his accomplishment set. For example, Nix tin beryllium shaky astatine times arsenic a passer, but makes up for it pinch timely downfield shots and nan expertise to widen plays pinch his legs. 

Initially it appeared nan Bears would thin into Williams arsenic an businesslike crippled manager, pinch a productive rushing attack. But his ratio has plummeted complete nan past 2 weeks, and he didn’t person nan crushed crippled to bail him retired successful nan disappointing 30–16 nonaccomplishment against Tyler Huntley and nan Ravens. Williams went 25-of-38 for 285 yards, nary touchdowns and 1 slayer turnover. D’Andre Swift was held to 45 rushing yards and 1 touchdown arsenic nan team’s starring rusher. 

When Williams protects nan football, he tends to go a slow decision-maker. When he’s looking to push nan shot down nan field, he gets careless, for illustration erstwhile he threw a costly fourth-quarter interception successful Baltimore. It’s clear that coach Ben Johnson is still trying to equilibrium nan demands of nan highly talented quarterback, but nan Bears request to make much explosive plays done nan aerial without sacrificing nan ratio of nan offense. It was a sloppy time for Chicago.  

With nan crippled book not going their measurement successful Baltimore, Johnson’s Bears showed they still person plentifulness of activity to do to person an discourtesy arsenic bully arsenic immoderate of nan different first-round quarterbacks from nan 2024 draught class.  

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