After a pretty convincing 20-7 win over the New England Patriots in Week 1, things didn’t look so promising in Week 2. The Dolphins trailed the Ravens 28-7 and 35-14 before mounting a historic comeback for the ages in their 42-38 victory in Baltimore.
In the game, third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa stunned the NFL world by passing for 469 yards and six touchdowns in his signature performance. In the fourth quarter alone the former Alabama Crimson Tide star passed for 199 yards and four touchdowns. He showed the stuff that made him the No. 1 ranked high school quarterback in the class of 2017 and the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
Following the big win Tagovailoa told reporters this:
“I’m always confident in what I can do. I think this shows the resiliency of our team. Brings all of our confidence up, our confidence in one another, confidence that if the offense has a turnover, the defense will get it back.”
On the receiving end of his duo of game-breakers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Tagovailoa torched the Ravens secondary for 22 receptions for 371 yards and four touchdowns, with the two wideouts becoming the first teammates to have at least 150 yards receiving and two touchdowns apiece in the same game in the Super Bowl era.
It was a masterful aerial display, one that does two things, established Tagovailoa as an up-and-coming force, and propels the Waddle/Reek combo into top-three status in the NFL. The speedster and the possession guy. A deadly combination that throws fear into the secondary. With an improved offensive line, the new Miami offense spells doom for secondaries.
Hill told reporters the score never made them fret and they keep playing until the final gun.
“We’ll never give up. No matter the score. No matter who were playing,” said Tagovailoa, who has seven TDs and two picks this season.
Teammates to have 150+ Receiving Yards, 10+ Receptions, & 2+ Receiving TD in the same game in NFL history:
Jaylen Waddle & Tyreek Hill – Today
That’s it. pic.twitter.com/Mlw3NCgF1M
— Greg Harvey (@BetweenTheNums) September 18, 2022
Where Do Hill And Waddle Rank Now: In History
Around the league there are some pretty special wide receiver duos. For instance, Tampa has Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Las Vegas has Davante Adams and Hunter Renfro. The reigning AFC champion Bengals have Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The Vikings possess Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. In Philly there is DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown. Most winning teams have a solid tandem — or more — of pass-catchers. With all that being said, none of those guys can do what the Hill-Waddle duo can do from a speed, route-running, and catch radius standpoints. It’s early in their time together, but they’re going to surpass the prolific and historic Dolphins duo of Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. Both are faster and just as good a route-runners as either of the “Marks Brothers.”
https://twitter.com/talkfootball34/status/1533594732466737158?s=46&t=wRptS_6Zcwv5U96uJsJoCA
The only thing that could hinder Tagovailoa is regressing.
Expect Tua To Continue To Ascend
When you hear folks talk, you’d think Tagovailoa has been awful during his 23 starts with the Fins. He possesses a 15-8 record while passing for over 5,200 yards, 34 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions. Not bad at all for a guy who was thrust into a situation devoid of weaponry his first two seasons and coming off a career-threatening hip injury.
The past offseason the Fins hired offensive savant Mike McDaniel, the Kyle Shanahan disciple. His innovative approach to offense was just what the Dolphins needed. That approach is most effective with a quarterback as mentally prepared and accurate as Tagovailoa. The expectancy is Tagovailoa could play at an Pro Bowl level or, better yet, an All-Pro level with the talent accrued around him in South Beach.
Tyreek Hill told us as much all offseason.
This offense is fun to watch, and they don’t have much time to celebrate as they face the undefeated and downright dominant Buffalo Bills next week in a huge early season AFC East clash in South Florida.
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