Tua Tagovailoa‘s return to the NFL has elevated the Miami Dolphins, yet both in last week’s game and in the match against the Buffalo Bills, Mike McDaniel‘s squad couldn’t secure a victory. The quarterback’s performance remains under scrutiny, and it was the coach himself who shared his thoughts after the game.
The Bills represented an opportunity for Miami to rebound this season, but Josh Allen and his teammates sealed the game with a late field goal. As a result, the Dolphins finished Week 9 with a record of 2 wins and 6 losses, highlighting a challenging situation for the franchise.
Tagovailoa is slowly regaining his rhythm, and head coach McDaniel made this clear in his post-game comments to the media: “I was very happy with Tua’s decision making, his ball placement and his overall conviction,” the HC stated.
“And I thought nobody on the sidelines throughout the entire game really wavered and that was important, too, considering that we really had a lot to play for and guys wanted this one bad. So this will hurt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing in the big picture. It just depends on what you do with it. I think the guys are motivated. Didn’t see it coming down like this, but at the same time, you have to hunker down as a unit and come together and continue to progress, because we did show some progress, albeit not enough,” McDaniel said regarding his team performance.
Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins looks on prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York.
Additionally, the coach expressed frustration over the final field goal that ultimately handed the Dolphins a 30-27 defeat at the hands of the Bills: “It’s tough. Football is full of stuff like that, especially when you’re playing a good opponent,” McDaniel said via the team’s transcripts.
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Tua’s thoughts on the matchup against the Bills
Undoubtedly, Tua Tagovailoa’s return to the Miami Dolphins’ starting lineup after several weeks sidelined due to a concussion provided a boost to the team and a much-needed spark.
While the Miami Dolphins’ comeback under coach McDaniel hasn’t yet been reflected in the results (with losses to the Packers and now the Bills), it’s clear that having their star QB back has motivated his teammates to elevate their performance and finish the game on a stronger note.
Regarding the improvement in his teammates’ performance, the former Alabama QB shared his thoughts after the game in Buffalo: “We are taking a step in the right direction.”
Tua Tagovailoa #1 and Raheem Mostert #31 of the Miami Dolphins celebrate a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York.
What’s next for the Miami Dolphins?
With the primary goal of improving their lackluster NFL season, here are the upcoming games the Dolphins will face to make a better impression moving forward:
- vs Los Angeles Rams, November 11th
- vs Las Vegas Raiders, November 17th
- vs New England Patriots, November 24th
- vs Green Bay Packers, November 28th
- vs New York Jets, December 8th
