Mike Florio ,
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The Dolphins had a rough showing on Sunday in Indianapolis. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, with three turnovers, had a particularly rough day.
After the game, Colts (and former Dolphins) cornerback Xavien Howard said his team knew that, if Tua’s first read is covered, he morphs into “panic mode.”
Miami coach Mike McDaniel was asked by reporters on Wednesday about Howard’s comments.
“I saw quarterback play that was less than to be desired [on Sunday], which Tua absolutely knows,” McDaniel said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald . “He’s the franchise quarterback.”
Yes, he is. His contract pays out $53.1 million per year. The quarterbacks at or near the top of the markets should be held to a standard commensurate with their compensation.
“I also know he’s very much like most quarterbacks where you are putting a lot of work into something and your first time doing it for four quarters in months, you are not at your best,” McDaniel said. “I don’t want to make the same mistakes twice. He and everyone else has to get better.”
Still, other quarterbacks who hadn’t played in months had no problem performing at a high level in Week 1. Bills quarterback Josh Allen, for example, didn’t play at all in the preseason. And he played like the league MVP that he was a year ago.
A shot at redemption comes in four days, when the Dolphins host the Patriots. It would be wise for Tua to take advantage of it; four days after that, he and the Dolphins will be facing Allen and the Bills on Thursday Night Football .
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