Tua Tagovailoa entered the press convention room at Miami Dolphins group amenities for his standard Wednesday post-practice media session in a shirt he wore underneath his pads and jersey that learn, “I wish it were 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, more so reverse psychology,” the Dolphins quarterback stated. “It gets really hot out here, so just say it, believe it.”
After final Sunday’s gorgeous 42-38 come-from-behind victory over the Baltimore Ravens, it’s laborious to name any quarterback within the NFL hotter than Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa’s historic passing efficiency in Baltimore earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, as introduced Wednesday morning. Later Wednesday, it was revealed he was voted by followers because the NFL’s FedEx Air Player of the Week.
“It’s awesome,” stated McDaniel, who has been impressed with the way in which Tagovailoa works by way of the skin noise surrounding him. “It’s a team award to me, but an award that he tremendously deserves.”
Said Tagovailoa: “It was cool. That’s my first one, but I’ve said this in many interviews: Individual success is only done within team success. If we never won that game, if the defense never did what they did, if our offense didn’t go out and put points on the board, none of that would’ve been possible.”
Tagovailoa threw for 469 yards and 6 touchdowns to erase a three-touchdown fourth-quarter deficit. His yardage and landing totals Sunday in Baltimore had been simply profession highs. The six touchdowns tied Hall of Famers Bob Griese and Dan Marino for a franchise file. The 469 yards had been fourth-best in Dolphins historical past, bested thrice by Marino.
Four of Tagovailoa’s landing passes got here within the fourth quarter as Miami, getting back from down 21 factors, staged its largest street 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 keeping with ESPN Stats & Info.
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 feel comfortable distributing the ball to our playmakers,” he stated of the strides he’s happy with early in Year 3. “Just getting the ball into the hands of our playmakers and letting them go to work.”
Now, it’s on Tagovailoa to proceed making progress after a profession day. McDaniel wish to see Tagovailoa’s rebound from two first-half interceptions on Sunday function a microcosm going ahead.
“The second pick he threw was the worst that he’s thrown in practice or games for me. And what he did after that, that’s something to hold on to,” McDaniel stated. “It’s using that day in a beneficial manner moving forward.”
It doesn’t get simpler after such a dramatic end on the street. The Dolphins host the AFC East-rival and Super Bowl-favorite Buffalo Bills.
“We understand that they’re a really good team,” Tagovailoa stated. “They’re tough defensively. They’re explosive offensively.”
He emphatically referred to as Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen a “beast.” Despite coping with various accidents, particularly within the secondary, the Bills 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 have a measuring stick for how good that these guys are,” Tagovailoa stated. “For us, we’re just looking at playing the way we played for the past two weeks. They’ll get our best, and we’ll get theirs.”
Tagovailoa is the primary Dolphins participant to win the AFC’s offensive weekly award since quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick obtained the glory in Week 16 of the 2019 season.
Last 12 months, the Dolphins twice had weekly award winners. Cornerback Xavien Howard was the AFC Defensive Player 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 towards the New York Giants.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com