At 8-7, the Dolphins have a clear path to making the playoffs this season: win their final two games. The team can’t clinch a playoff berth in Week 17 but can be eliminated with a loss and a number of scenarios in other matchups, making the Dolphins’ road game against the Tennessee Titans a de facto postseason game Sunday.
For quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the two weeks ahead mark the biggest games of his young, pro career but territory with which he’s familiar.
As a true freshman at Alabama, he broke onto the national stage in the 2018 College Football Playoff, relieving Jalen Hurts in the National Championship Game against Georgia and throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. The following season, Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide back to the championship game as a full-time starter, losing to Clemson.
And as a rookie, he faced a similar situation to this season, in which the Dolphins needed a late-season push to reach the postseason. The Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots in Week 15 and Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16, a game in which Tagovailoa was benched and Ryan Fitzpatrick led the team to an improbable comeback victory. Tagovailoa then struggled in a 56-26 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills that eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention.
“All those games are electric,” said Tagovailoa, who will make his 20th start Sunday. “They’re fun. I would say it’s just a different stage where all these games mean a lot, getting toward the ending of the season. So, I would say all of these games are big-time games and we got to do all that we can to prepare the right way so that we can hopefully go ahead and get a win this week.”
Facing a quality Saints defense missing multiple starters due to coronavirus protocols, the Dolphins offense was able to only manufacture one touchdown drive but Tagovailoa continued his high-efficiency season. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 198 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the 20-3 win, marking the first time in NFL history a team has had a seven-game losing streak and seven-game winning streak in the same season.
“I think the belief’s always been in the locker room,” Tagovailoa said his team, which holds the seventh seed in the AFC. “It’s really just the execution from all of us, getting to play together. There’ll be times where the defense plays really well and we got to pick it up on offense, we don’t play as well as we should, and vice versa. Or, something happens where penalties take a toll for us as a team. So, we just weren’t playing complimentary football like we’ve been saying and the way that we’re doing now.”
The Dolphins offense is again preparing for a highly regarded defense; the Titans are rated the 10th-best defense in the NFL by Football Outsiders’ efficiency metrics, ranking 10th and 17th in pass defense and run defense, respectively. Tagovailoa called Titans safety Kevin Byard, named a starter on the AFC Pro Bowl team, the “captain” of the unit.
“He’s a Pro Bowler so he’s really good at what he does,” Tagovailoa said. “In the back end, he’s their communicator. He gets guys aligned in the back end. He communicates out where everyone needs to be, who’s pressuring, who needs to replace him, all of that. So he’s the captain for them in the back end and I think he’s done a really good job so we’ve definitely got to be aware of where he’s at and who he’s covering at all times and look pretty much elsewhere for our matchups.”
With a defense that has been the NFL’s best since the start of the winning streak in Week 9, Tagovailoa has mainly avoided debilitating mistakes and frequently led the offense to touchdowns when they enter the red zone. But with a unit that still just ranks 21st in scoring offense (20.3 points per game) and a pair of likely playoff teams in the way of a postseason appearance, the level of play from the entire offense has to be elevated.
“[Tagovailoa is] going to have to do a good job from a preparation standpoint,” coach Brian Flores said. “A great job from a preparation standpoint of getting to know their defensive players, their front, their second-level players. Obviously their [defensive backs]. We have to make good decisions with the football. Obviously it’s going to be a loud and tough environment so we’ve got to deal with that as well, but it’s not just Tua. It’s our entire offense. It’s everyone — O-line, running backs, tight ends, receivers. We need to have everyone to prepare the right way. That starts today in meetings. Have a good walk-through, have good practices and give ourselves an opportunity to have success in the game.”
