The Dolphins’ offense has been the talk of the NFL this season and understandably so. Mike McDaniel has crafted something special in his first season in Miami. They lead the NFL in offensive DVOA through 10 weeks, ahead of juggernauts like Kansas City and Buffalo.
The receiving duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have naturally drawn plenty of the attention, but Tua Tagovailoa deserves all of the praise coming his way. His ability to operate this offense so effectively is hugely underrated and has been a big part of their success.
Last weekend they demolished the Cleveland Browns and whilst their running game was the primary focus, I wanted to take some time to appreciate the development they have seen at quarterback. In particular, I wanted to go through a crucial two-minute drive at the end of the second quarter. These seven plays do a great job of encapsulating how Tua is playing right now. Let’s dive into the film.
Play 1 (1:22, 1st and 10)
The drive started out just short of midfield with 1:22 left on the clock. On this play Tua’s primary read is Tyreek Hill in the slot. The Browns are playing Cover 4 and have the middle of the field flooded with bodies. Tua is quick to recognise this and spot the space underneath. He does a nice job of getting the ball out to his back on the checkdown. This isn’t a very exciting play, but Tua’s willingness to take what the defense gives him is evidence of his football intelligence. The play also earns some easy yardage to put them in a better situation on second down.
Play 2 (1:01, 2nd and 5)
This play is another great example of Tua executing the play call perfectly. The Browns want to limit explosive plays, so show a two-high shell pre-snap. That is exactly what the Dolphins were hoping for, and their play call is designed to exploit.
The Dolphins are running a simple high-low concept to the boundary side. Tyreek Hill is on a short in-breaking route, with Mike Gesicki behind him on a corner route. Tua’s job is simply to read the cornerback. If he gets depth, then Tua knows it is Cover 4 and he will hit Hill on the quick pass. If he stays shallow, Tua knows it is Cover 2 and he will have Gesicki open in the void behind the cornerback.
Tua obviously wants the big gain, so does a great job of baiting the cornerback with his eyes, forcing him to come up and defend against Hill. He then delivers a perfect ball on time and in the ideal spot for his man to make the grab.
Play 3 (0:57, 1st and 10)
This is perhaps the only poor throw on this drive and in reality, it isn’t even that bad. After being gashed in zone coverage, the Browns respond this time with man-match coverage. There isn’t much open for Tua, but if you look at his eyes you can see that he wants to hit Trent Sherfield (#14) up the seam to split the safeties.
He smartly senses the pressure from his left though and knows he doesn’t have time for this route to develop. The decision to check it down to Jeff Wilson (#23) on the angle route is smart, but the ball placement could have been better.
Play 4 (0:53, 2nd and 10)
Tua’s ability to do the little things well is what stands out in his game. On this play the Dolphins are running a variation of slant-flat out of motion. The aim here is to pick on the cornerback. If he honours the slant, you hit the flat. If he stays with the flat, you hit the slant.
Jaylen Waddle (#17) does a great job of occupying the cornerback with his slant. With the corner flipping his hips, it creates just enough separation for the flat route underneath. Tua’s ability to quickly line up his body and set his feet before ripping the throw is hugely impressive and gets them into a better spot for the upcoming third down.
Play 5 (0:49, 3rd and 6)
A number of analysts comped Tua to Drew Brees as a prospect. Whilst he’s got a long way to go to match the future Hall of Famer, he certainly looks like him on this play. Miami is running a switch release play to the field side, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combining to create an Ohio concept. In essence, this involves a go route from the outside receiver, with the slot receiver running an out route.
With the outside corner getting a tonne of depth to defend the go route from Hill, Tua knows that he has a favourable one-on-one to Waddle underneath. He delivers a picture-perfect pass where only his receiver can get it. The fact he is able to layer and time this pass so well is even more impressive when factor in the pressure in the pocket.
Play 6 (0:44, 1st and 10)
This next play is another example of Tua just making the smart call. The Dolphins have both Tyreek Hill and Mike Gesicki running over routes from opposite sides of the field, but the Browns are once again in their Cover 4 shell to stop any big plays. Tua is quick to sense how deep the linebackers have dropped and finds Raheem Mostert (#31) on the checkdown. This gets them into the red zone with 37 seconds left on the clock.
Play 7 (0:37, 2nd and 2)
Tua saved perhaps the best throw for last on this drive. He sees once again that the Browns are in a two-high shell. With both playing near to the hash marks he knows he potentially has a favourable matchup with Trent Sherfield (#14) to the bottom of the screen.
On the snap he checks the positioning of Browns cornerback Martin Emerson (#23). With Emerson not bailing and getting depth, Tua knows this is Cover 2 and that means that he has a chance to exploit the hole shot down the sideline. His timing and accuracy are once again on full display as he delivers a perfect ball to his receiver in the back of the end zone for the score.
This drive might have been just seven plays, but it perfectly encapsulates the football Tua Tagovailoa is playing right now. He is in command of Mike McDaniel’s offense and is delivering the football on time and on target on a consistent basis. With him playing like this and his receivers carving up opponents, they are a fearsome prospect for any defense.
