Tua Tagovailoa Made Some Intriguing Comments About the Dolphins’ Playbook, and Head Coach Brian Flores Responded

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On Wednesday, while on his way to the podium, Tua Tagovailoa was asked about his first year as starting quarterback for the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins. He responded with a wide-eyed, youthful, smiling grin on his face and quickly dismissed the question. “Nah, I mean, I don’t know what they’re going to do,” he said. “I came in here and said I’m going to come in here and work hard and learn as much as I can every day. I haven’t really thought about anything else. I’ve been just working. We’ve been on the practice field, we’ve been in meetings. We kind of work and work and work, and we’re just trying to get better

Tua Tagovailoa and head coach Brian Flores had a busy day at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday, both meeting with the media. The duo talked about a variety of things, like the quarterback’s time on the field with the second team offense and the Dolphins current roster.

The Miami Dolphins have made a decision on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, at least for now. Barring injury, Tagovailoa should be the Dolphins’ first starting quarterback for the 2021 season. But the young player is still reflecting on his rookie campaign, and he made some key points to head coach Brian Flores. word-image-2596 word-image-2598 Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores reacted harshly after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made some intriguing comments about the team’s playbook | Mark Brown/Getty Images Honesty is the best policy, at least in the eyes of Tua Tagovailoa. In a recent press conference, the second-year quarterback admitted that he was uncomfortable as a rookie. He also admitted that in his first season, he didn’t know the game plan very well. Were those comments a veiled attack on former Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey? Is the team’s attitude something management should be concerned about in his second year? According to the Palm Beach Post, head coach Brian Flores classified his quarterback’s comments in neither category. Flores explained that he thought Tagovailoa was just comparing and contrasting his development as a quarterback. I think we all understand what he means in context. I think he’s thinking about where he is now compared to last year, and that’s a good thing. It’s a time to reflect and compare where you are now to where you were six months ago. I think he has worked hard to improve in many areas. And I think he made that clear. Brian Flores Flores noted that he took a similar mental approach after the 2019 season, his first year at the helm of the Dolphins.

Tagovailoa didn’t have a disastrous early season

The worst thing about Tagovailoa’s rookie season? He was not Joe Barrow or Justin Herbert, the other two quarterbacks selected among the first six picks of the 2021 NFL Draft. In 10 games and nine starts, the former Alabama star quarterback has completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for three touchdowns. Those are acceptable numbers for a starting quarterback in most years, especially for someone whose last college season ended prematurely with a hip injury. Unfortunately, Tua was picked one pick ahead of Herbert, who destroyed the defense for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns in 15 starts for the Los Angeles Chargers. Burrow completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 starts for the Bengals before tearing his ACL in November. As Tagovailoa struggled to grow as a rookie, it became easy to call him a loser or suggest the Dolphins trade Deshaun Watson. Who knows what today’s media would think after Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions as a rookie in 1998?

Tagovailoa will have plenty of chances to silence doubters this fall

DeVante Parker trained with Tua Tagovailoa during the offseason. He said Tua sent a message to the WRs in a group chat to get them together. Parker’s observations on Tua: His mechanics and footwork seem different, better. He says they now know each other better on and off the field. – Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) June 2, 2021 The Miami Dolphins have their immediate future tied to Tagovailoa, mainly because of Watson’s legal troubles in Houston. The Dolphins didn’t make it to the postseason last year, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is now in Washington. The Dolphins’ talented roster now belongs to Tagovailoa, who is in his 23rd season. The year will play out throughout the 2021 season. If Tagovailoa can make the jump in his second year, which he is certainly capable of doing, the Dolphins could make it to the postseason for the first time since 2016. And just in case Tagovailoa doesn’t live up to expectations, the Dolphins have Jacoby Brissett behind them. Ideally, the first scenario becomes a reality for the Dolphins in 2021 and beyond. It all starts with a quarterback who, at least for now, is willing to admit his shortcomings and prepare for better times. Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportscasting19 . COMPARED TO: Tua Tagovailoa warns future NFL opponents: Expect more from me

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