"I'm not the tallest": Tua Tagovailoa reveals why he did not target Jaylen Waddle during Dolphins vs Browns

Tua Tagovailoa performed disastrously in the Miami Dolphins 31-6 loss at the equally dysfunctional Cleveland Browns last Sunday, throwing three picks against no touchdowns. But more than that stat, he also did not perform some things.

One of them was to throw the ball to Jaylen Waddle often, even though he was the supposed new WR1 with Tyreek Hill out for the year after tearing his ACL against the New York Jets last month. The fifth-year player finished with just a single 15-yard grab.

During practice for this coming Sunday's game at the Atlanta Falcons, Tagovailoa revealed that his height (6'1") had to do with the infrequency:

“Some of it has to do with being able to see guys [behind the O-line & D-line]— and I’m not the tallest guy… you don’t want to just throw it blindly.”

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

The one-time Pro Bowler was ultimately benched in favor of seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. However, he is expected to start against the Falcons, with head coach Mike McDaniel saying:

“I think there’s zero uncertainty with Tua on my conviction in him and my belief in him. We’re both very eager to do better at our jobs, and we’re both very committed and trusting of each other to respond to what is necessary for the team to do better.”

---

Kurt Warner, Richie Incognito have harsh words about Tua Tagovailoa

As the Tua Tagovailoa era in Miami reaches its nadir, two prominent figures have spoken up on the disaster that it has become after a promising peak in 2023. First was Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, who thought the quarterback was lacking confidence and decisiveness:

“When you have to go back and play this position with no confidence, and you’re asked to make play after play, and you’re asked to anticipate and throw into tight windows... It is a tough place to be, and we’re seeing that right now. The hesitation from Tua is killing him and this offense.”

Even harsher words came from former guard Richie Incognito, who was a Dolphin from 2010 to 2013. Speaking on The Arena: Gridiron, he insinuated that Tagovailoa was a hypocrite for speaking about leadership and discipline, only to be a terrible example himself:

"Well, the leadership starts and ends with Tua because you’re the franchise quarterback. Everyone was taking a side on ‘Was he pointing fingers at the locker room?’ I think when he said, ‘leadership,’ he was pointing the finger at Mike McDaniel."

Kickoff for the Dolphins-Falcons game is at 1 pm ET on CBS.

Edited by Andre Castillo