Omar Kelly: Tua Tagovailoa knows there’s another level he must reach (and soon)

The stakes have been raised, because this is the time of the NFL season when the upper-echelon players and teams separate themselves from the rest of pack.

Elite players often shine when the playoffs are on the line, creating a legacy that will exist longer than their careers.

That’s how stars are made, and you can sense that it bothers Tua Tagovailoa that he’s not viewed as one yet. And that he seems uncertain if he, or his team is ready for this moment.

Tagovailoa’s recent criticism of himself the past three weeks reminds me of his critical assessment of his rookie season, when he unfairly compared his play and understanding of the Dolphins’ offense as a rookie to that of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was then a 16-year NFL veteran.

It was harsh and unnecessary.

Tagovailoa claims his father, Galu, is his toughest critic, but the apple clearly doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Keep in mind that in year two of his career, the Dolphins’ 2020 first-round pick has overcome a few series injuries and unlocked the efficiency needed to win in the NFL. Unlike many of his contemporaries from the past three drafts, his 11-7 record as a starter proves that.

His return from a ribs injury sparked Miami’s turnaround from its 1-7 start, fueling the Dolphins’ recent string six straight wins heading into Monday night’s nationally televised road game against the New Orleans Saints.

Tagovailoa is leading the NFL in completion percentage (69.9), and if that wasn’t good enough, his 67.1 career completion percentage is the best of any quarterback through 20 games in NFL history.

His yards per attempt average (7.1) is a shade below Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady (7.2), and identical to Buffalo’s Josh Allen, one of the NFL’s cannon-armed quarterbacks, so the criticism about his arm strength and short passing approach has been silenced, for at least one week.

Since returning from injured reserve in week six, Tagovailoa had been one of the NFL’s best fourth-quarter quarterbacks. He ranks first in fourth-quarter completion percentage (73.2), fourth in yards per attempt (8.4), sixth in passer rating (113.2) and eighth in passing yards (593).

But here comes the tough part, because he must lead his usually struggling unit to victories against tougher opponents.

The Saints, Titans and Patriots, the Dolphins’ final three opponents, are all in the hunt for their divisions and a playoff berth, so the stakes have been raised.

And it’s clear Tagovailoa realizes the level of his play needs to do the same.

That’s part of the reason he’s been nitpicking every aspect of his game, as he should considering there’s another level he can and must reach.

“I think there have been a lot of times where I could’ve handed the ball off where I didn’t. We could’ve [produced] a lot more bigger runs this year,” Tagovailoa said this week. “I’ve been giving up premier looks so I pull it, and I throw it and we gain 6 or 7 yards. I think for me, just being 100 percent within my decision-making in the RPO world and it not being 85 or 90 percent.”

Monday’s game will be telling because of the effectiveness of the Saints’ defense, which is coming off a shutout of Brady’s Buccaneers.

Miami’s operation has to be crisp in a hostile environment like the Caesars Superdome, which is respected as one football’s loudest venues. That’s the only way the Dolphins can avoid the pre-snap and communication errors that were rampant in Miami’s 26-11 road loss at Buffalo, which was Tagovailoa’s worst performance of the season.

Considering it’s the quarterback’s responsibility to make sure all his players are in the proper spots and aware of their assignment, Tagovailoa knows more is needed.

“We do understand that we got to get in the huddle [quicker]. I’ve got to get things communicated, whether it’s the personnel, and we’ve got to give ourselves as much time as possible [before the snap] so we have that much more room for error, so you’re not always playing with the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 shot clock,” Tagovailoa said. “That is something that we’ve been working on communication-wise and also with signals.”

The best way to change people’s perceptions is to change the narrative, and that’s what Tagovailoa and the Dolphins hopes to achieve in this stretch.

Miami can’t afford to lose a game, because 10 wins is the only thing that will keep Miami in the AFC playoff hunt the way the conference is laid out.

That means each week is an elimination game, and it’s on Tagovailoa to make sure his side of the team plays their role, scoring enough points to win.

“Guys need to be in the right spots,” Tagovailoa said. “And I need to hit them when they are in the right spots.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3Etu8ed