Tagovailoa playing with confidence as Dolphins hope win can spark run

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins (3-6) overcame a sloppy first half and held on to defeat the Los Angeles Rams (4-5), 23-15, to keep their playoff chances alive.  

The win snapped Miami’s three-game losing streak. Additionally, it was Tagovailoa’s first victory since returning from injured reserve in Week 8. The Dolphins quarterback is 1-2 since coming off IR due to a concussion.

“It was an earned win. Very proud of the team,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “We knew we lost a couple games that we could have had. You can use that in one of two ways: to make you worse or can make you better. So, I think I was very happy with the way the guys have persevered, stayed together, came across the country and found a way to get a win.”

Tagovailoa finished with 207 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. His performance was up-and-down, especially in the first half. He tossed an interception in the second quarter and then lost a fumble on Miami’s very next series. On Tagovailoa’s interception, he went in to tackle Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom and hit his head on Rozeboom’s knee on the attempt.

“I feel good. Everything’s good,” Tagovailoa said postgame. “I wasn’t planning on using my head. … That was pretty bad tackling form.”

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Tagovailoa’s tackling technique was bad. But Tagovailoa’s decision to lead with his head was worse given his concussion history. Concussions have become a concerning trend during Tagovailoa’s five-year NFL career, in which he’s been diagnosed with a concussion three times. He missed four games this year after he was concussed in Week 2.

Yet, Tagovailoa’s poor tackling form as well as his desire to keep competing despite all the outside noise and vast opinions about his career are reflections of his confidence.

“My confidence level from the time I came back against the Cardinals had never wavered from the first game I played against the Jaguars,” Tagovailoa said. “I think when you’re playing, when you’re out there, the game is too fast for you to think of anything else. And if you start thinking of anything else, it’s hard for you to focus on your job. So go out there play football.”

With Tagovailoa on the field and playing with confidence, the Dolphins have a chance to make a playoff push following a 2-6 start.

The Dolphins have very winnable games the next few weeks against the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots on their schedule. The competition gets more difficult after Week 12 with contests versus the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers on the calendar.

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The (8-2) Buffalo Bills’ four-game lead (plus the tiebreaker) in the AFC East is probably too much ground for Miami to make up. Although, a wild-card berth is still within reach as the Denver Broncos (5-5) currently hold the seventh and final wild-card spot in the AFC.

“Football is a game of momentum,” Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. “I think that this is the kind of game that you can use to spark a run. But obviously it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win the next one.”