Not even an MVP-caliber season has silenced all Tua Tagovailoa skeptics.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback leads the NFL in passing yards (1,876), yards per attempt (9.5), and quarterback rating (114.1) through six weeks. However, Tagovailoa hasn’t entirely shushed the notion that he’s merely striving in a star-studded offense engineered by head coach Mike McDaniel.
A reporter asked McDaniel how he’d answer anyone who thought “many quarterbacks” would succeed in the same situation. McDaniel quickly shut down that line of questioning.
“I’m about to push this podium over,” McDaniel said, via King of Phinland. “My answer to that would be, who the F cares? It is a team. We’re working together, and I know one thing: I’ve coached a long time. I haven’t seen people do what our guys do.”
Mike McDaniel took significant exception when asked if he thought any QB could succeed in this situation:
“I’m about to push this podium over. My answer to that would be who the F cares? I’ve coached a long time and I haven’t seen people do what our guys do.” pic.twitter.com/25R63PYeKN
— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) October 18, 2023
Tagovailoa continued his stellar season when tossing three touchdowns in Sunday’s 42-21 win over the Carolina Panthers. The Dolphins are more than 100 yards ahead of the runner-up Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in total offense while scoring an NFL-best 37.2 points per game.
After leading the Dolphins to their fourth victory, Tagovailoa jumped ahead of Patrick Mahomes as the MVP betting favorite at Caesars Sportsbook.
That stellar start hasn’t deterred all critics. On Monday’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith claimed the quarterback was just “dipping the ball two yards” to Tyreek Hill as ESPN simultaneously showed footage of him completing deep passes. Tagovailoa has averaged the most air yards per attempt (5.3) of any starting quarterback.
Tagovailoa can make a major statement in front of a national audience when the Dolphins play the Eagles on Sunday Night Football.