Tua Tagovailoa entered the press convention room at Miami Dolphins group amenities for his ordinary Wednesday post-practice media session in a shirt he wore underneath his pads and jersey that learn, “I want it have been hotter.”
Coming in straight off the follow subject sweating, it’s a mantra coach Mike McDaniel has instilled in his group that has been working within the South Florida warmth and humidity by way of offseason exercises and since coaching camp in late July.
“That’s a phrase that Mike likes to say, extra so reverse psychology,” the Dolphins quarterback stated. “It will get actually scorching out right here, so simply say it, imagine it.”
After final Sunday’s beautiful 42-38 come-from-behind victory over the Baltimore Ravens, it’s onerous to name any quarterback within the NFL hotter than Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa’s historic passing efficiency in Baltimore earned him AFC Offensive Participant of the Week honors, as introduced Wednesday morning. Later Wednesday, it was revealed he was voted by followers because the NFL’s FedEx Air Participant of the Week.
“It’s superior,” stated McDaniel, who has been impressed with the way in which Tagovailoa works by way of the skin noise surrounding him. “It’s a group award to me, however an award that he tremendously deserves.”
Stated Tagovailoa: “It was cool. That’s my first one, however I’ve stated this in lots of interviews: Particular person success is simply finished inside group success. If we by no means gained that recreation, if the protection by no means did what they did, if our offense didn’t exit and put factors on the board, none of that might’ve been doable.”
Tagovailoa threw for 469 yards and 6 touchdowns to erase a three-touchdown fourth-quarter deficit. His yardage and landing totals Sunday in Baltimore have been simply profession highs. The six touchdowns tied Corridor of Famers Bob Griese and Dan Marino for a franchise file. The 469 yards have been fourth-best in Dolphins historical past, bested 3 times by Marino.
4 of Tagovailoa’s landing passes got here within the fourth quarter as Miami, getting back from down 21 factors, staged its largest highway comeback in franchise historical past. It was the primary time any NFL group got here again from down 21 within the fourth quarter in 12 years, in response to ESPN Stats & Information.
Tagovailoa’s prolific Sunday has him amongst NFL passing leaders by way of two weeks. He’s first in passing yards (739), tied for first in touchdowns (seven), third in yards per try (8.9) and completions (59) and fourth in quarterback score (116.5).
Tagovailoa’s prime two receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, collected 11 receptions and two touchdowns every. Hill went for 190 receiving yards and Waddle 171 as Tagovailoa completed 36 of fifty.
“I really feel snug distributing the ball to our playmakers,” he stated of the strides he’s happy with early in Yr 3. “Simply getting the ball into the fingers of our playmakers and letting them go to work.”
Now, it’s on Tagovailoa to proceed making progress after a profession day. McDaniel want to see Tagovailoa’s rebound from two first-half interceptions on Sunday function a microcosm going ahead.
“The second choose he threw was the worst that he’s thrown in follow or video games for me. And what he did after that, that’s one thing to carry on to,” McDaniel stated. “It’s utilizing that day in a useful method transferring ahead.”
It doesn’t get simpler after such a dramatic end on the highway. The Dolphins host the AFC East-rival and Tremendous Bowl-favorite Buffalo Payments.
“We perceive that they’re a extremely good group,” Tagovailoa stated. “They’re powerful defensively. They’re explosive offensively.”
He emphatically referred to as Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen a “beast.” Regardless of coping with a variety of accidents, particularly within the secondary, the Payments current one of many league’s most stout defenses and have crushed their first two opponents, the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans, by a mixed 55 factors.
“I wouldn’t say that we've got a measuring stick for the way good that these guys are,” Tagovailoa stated. “For us, we’re simply enjoying the way in which we performed for the previous two weeks. They’ll get our greatest, and we’ll get theirs.”
Tagovailoa is the primary Dolphins participant to win the AFC’s offensive weekly award since quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick acquired the respect in Week 16 of the 2019 season.
Final 12 months, the Dolphins twice had weekly award winners. Cornerback Xavien Howard was the AFC Defensive Participant of the Week after his fumble return for a landing was a key play within the Week 10 upset of the Ravens. Three weeks later, Michael Palardy took dwelling the convention’s particular groups honor for the week for his punting in a victory in opposition to the New York Giants.
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