Cam Newton discusses the Dolphins offensive problems between Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill.
In the league, Cam Newton was a superstar. It may have been for a limited time, but he was Josh Allen before there was a Josh Allen. Newton was the prototype of a Madden-created player at the quarterback position.
Newton could throw the ball a mile and ran the ball like a freight train. He terrorized the league for a decade, culminating in an MVP and Super Bowl appearance in 2015.
Although he did not get the ring, he could say that he was the best player in the NFL at one point, and it gives him a certain amount of credit when he speaks to all things football-related.
Post-NFL, Newton has found success in the podcast space for a couple of years on his show “4th & 1 With Cam Newton” speaking on everything sports-related.
Yesterday, Newton released a video where he reacts to Tyreek Hill’s post-game comments after the Miami Dolphins 32-20 loss to the New York Jets and the implications of the Dolphins having Tua Tagovialoa at quarterback going forward.
Cam Newton on Tyreek Hill wanting out of Miami: “I think the verdict’s out with Tua Tagovailoa and his arm strength, that’s a real thing… everybody wants stars until you have to realize what comes with those stars.” (@4thand1show) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/efmJ5GsbLS
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) January 12, 2025
In this clip, Newton points to Tagovialoa’s arm strength as the culprit of Hill’s lack of production and if he can keep his receivers happy going forward.
“The verdict is out,” Newton says about Tagovailoa’s arm strength, but it’s a myth busted by Tagovailoa and company over the last three years and feels like a criticism before the 2022 season.
The Dolphins quarterback has been one of the best downfield passers since the team acquired Hill and gave Hill the two best years stat-wise in his nine-year career, and it’s not even close.
Because of his partnership with Tagovailoa, Hill was voted the NFL’s number-one player going in the 2024 season. Unfortunately, defenses adjusted.
No Big Plays
Going into this season, when defenses were going to play the Miami Dolphins, there were two major points of focus. One was not letting the Dolphins exploit the middle of the field in the intermediate passing game, and the other was not giving up any home runs to Hill or Jaylen Waddle.
The easiest way for defenses to not give up the long ball is to make sure both safeties play over the top on passing plays, whether it’s Cover-Two, Cover-Four, Tampa-Two, or any other variation of two high, and defenses did that to the extreme.
Those variations are what the Dolphins saw on most passing plays, and rarely got the man coverage with no help over the top that they exploited the previous two years. Running these coverages leaves them vulnerable to a running game, but the Dolphins couldn’t make the defense pay on the ground and ranked 21st in rushing yards per game with 105.6.
The Dolphins made their own adjustments and became a quick strike passing team that got down the field through precision and execution rather than going for chunk plays like in previous years. It happened when the defense gave the Dolphins that option, but nowhere close to before, and this was a big problem for Tyreek Hill.
Making the Best Of Your Opportunities
His opportunities for big plays went down this year for a few reasons. Tua Tagovailoa’s health was a significant factor. He missed 6.5 games, and that’s more than a third of the season.
That amount of quarterback time missed would impact almost all receivers, but there are a select few, such as Jamaar Chase and Justin Jefferson, who still churn out similar numbers even with a backup. I think it’s time to take him out of that elite category because when Taogvailoa is not on the field, Hill goes missing.
Another reason that Hill’s numbers were down was due to drops. Though his drops in big games have been widely publicized over social media for a few years, his overall catch percentage has also dropped.
In 2023, Hill had a catch percentage of 69.6 ranking 15th among receivers with more than 30 receptions per Next Gen Stats.
In 2024, his catch percentage of 65.9 dropped him down in the rankings to 41st with the same qualifications.
It’s all right there in a nutshell. There are circumstances surrounding Hill’s lack of production in 2024 that are out of his control, such as Tagovailoa’s injury history and the Dolphins lack of a viable backup.
That’s understandable, and you can’t fault Hill for that, but if he makes some of those catches that top-ten caliber receivers routinely make, his numbers look much better.
One thing is for sure though, Hill’s numbers dropping in 2024 are not due to Tagovailoa’s arm strength. Far from it.
You can cut this excuse pie however you want with injuries, drops, or fewer targets, but Tagovailoa’s arm strength isn’t a slice, and Newton needs to do a little more homework on the Dolphins for future discussions.