A robust stretch of practices the earlier two weeks led Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel to provide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa the preseason opener on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers off.
However 5 interceptions over two practices this week could have him go the opposite manner forward of Saturday night time’s exhibition towards the Las Vegas Raiders at Arduous Rock Stadium.
So far as Tagovailoa goes, he desires to get into the preseason motion. The Raiders sport would appear to make extra sense than the preseason finale towards the Philadelphia Eagles the week that follows, as the ultimate preseason sport is often one for starters to relaxation and a possibility for these on the border of creating the ultimate minimize, in addition to roster longshots incomes reps to placed on tape.
“I at all times wish to play,” Tagovailoa mentioned following Wednesday’s apply. “I needed to play final week, too — no less than a few snaps — however Mike determined that then wasn’t the time. Hopefully, he offers the primary offense a possibility to go on the market, hopefully get some performs in, perceive some conditions realizing the best way to handle the sport and type of get again into the groove of issues.”
McDaniel, talking with the media for the ultimate time earlier than Saturday’s exhibition, remained noncommittal on enjoying time selections for veterans and starters on Wednesday. Gamers not anticipated to play shall be introduced by the staff 90 minutes previous to the 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.
“I’m nonetheless working via it,” McDaniel mentioned. “I don’t wish to shortchange particular person practices. I feel that deciding everybody’s enjoying time primarily based upon the place they’re at for this staff, for our younger staff, I feel that doesn’t do proper or justice to the person practices.”
Neither Tagovailoa nor McDaniel considered the turnover-heavy stretch as a lot of a detrimental for the offense in Wednesday feedback. McDaniel, talking forward of Wednesday drills wasn’t down on his quarterbacks after six interceptions have been thrown at Tuesday’s apply — three from Tagovailoa.
McDaniel mentioned he was happy with the offense in early parts of apply and was really letting his protection hear it till the unit turned it round with interceptions from Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Nik Needham, Noah Igbinoghene, Elijah Campbell and Quincy Wilson.
“[Tuesday] was the basic instance of the battle, no less than for me emotionally as a head coach — and I used to be very clear with this with the staff — I used to be very pumped with how the offense and, specifically, Tua got here out and practiced. And I let it's identified early and sometimes to the protection that I didn’t suppose that they have been performing to the usual,” McDaniel mentioned.
McDaniel famous the staff’s offensive red-zone success throughout that portion of apply early Tuesday. Two of Tagovailoa’s interceptions got here in late-game eventualities the place he needed to push the ball downfield in a rush.
“After type of bringing that to the protection’s consideration, we received into some situational intervals, and man, did they reply the bell,” McDaniel mentioned. “In these intervals, we turned the ball over manner an excessive amount of, which was a terrific studying lesson for Tua. We hadn’t been in a few these conditions but, and so we received to speak about it and be taught from it.
“General, I had half the apply that I used to be pumped on the offense, half the apply that I used to be pumped on the protection — concurrently, being mad on the different facet of the ball. … As a head coach, it simply makes you are feeling fully bipolar at instances. It’s like, ‘I’m comfortable, and I’m unhappy.’”
Tagovailoa didn’t discover Tyreek Hill on Tuesday as typically as he did in different practices all through coaching camp, particularly in a profitable stretch main as much as him not enjoying the preseason opener at Tampa Bay final Saturday. Tagovailoa additionally had fellow dynamic wideout Jaylen Waddle miss apply Tuesday and Wednesday in what McDaniel known as a “preventative” measure for a minor undisclosed harm.
On Wednesday, Tagovailoa discovered Hill instantly for a piece play over the center off play-action to start out the 11-on-11 interval. Tagovailoa, nevertheless, later was intercepted twice extra by Holland, as soon as ultimately zone on the lookout for tight finish Durham Smythe and once more eyeing receiver Preston Williams into heavy site visitors over the center.
Tagovailoa gave Holland the credit score.
“For me, attempting to learn off my learn keys, he’s made super performs, not simply at this time however all through your entire camp,” mentioned Tagovailoa, who views the errors in apply as a useful expertise heading right into a key third season. “The performs that he’s made is barely getting me higher, solely getting our route distribution higher and our timing higher offensively.”
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