Tua has had his ups and his downs, to say the least. Tagovailoa has been benched twice already in the second half of games the Dolphins felt they needed to win. The first benching came against the 3-6 Denver Broncos, where Tua threw for 83 yards, 1 TD and led the offense to only 10 points on the scoreboard. Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter and was 15 yards away from tying the game. Instead, he threw a red-zone interception that sealed the victory for the Broncos. Some could argue that was the Ryan Fitzpatrick experience summed up in one quarter. He got you close enough to win but ended up turning the ball over to lose. In this scenario, it is not fair to blame Fitzpatrick for that loss and should fall solely on Tagovailoa’s shoulders. Following the disappointing loss, Tagovailoa remained focused and went on to win Rookie of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks. Fast forward to week 16 in a must-win situation for Miami, Tua failed to execute yet again. Fitzpatrick was inserted into the game and pulled off the miraculous and improbable victory to keep the Dolphins’ playoff aspirations alive. All of this information is important to know before I try to sell you why Tua Tagovailoa will have the best game of his career against the Bills on Sunday.

Tagovailoa is faced with a tremendous opportunity in week 17. The Miami Dolphins find themselves in a “win, and you’re in” scenario regarding the playoffs. Not only do the Dolphins control their own destiny, but they can also clinch the #5 seed with a win in Buffalo. Tagovailoa will be asked to lead a Dolphins offense who has been sputtering as of late into a cold, snowy environment and leave victorious. Tua will also be asked to play all 60 minutes of the game with Ryan Fitzpatrick on the COVID-19 list. This is where my first point will be made on why Tua will exceed expectations. Going into this game, Tagovailoa knows this is his team, and the responsibility to score points falls solely on him. There will be no Fitzmagic or “relief QB,” as many have said in recent days. Tagovailoa can go on the field with extreme confidence, knowing he will not get benched. He can enter that same mindset he had at Alabama, where he was outstanding. We have seen highlights or MIC’d up videos of Tua going to the sidelines and discussing previous drives and plays with Fitzpatrick, but there was one in particular that stood out to me. After running in a touchdown against the Chiefs, instead of celebrating, Tua went directly over to Fitzpatrick and asked if his ‘ball security was okay on that play.’ Fitzpatrick replied by saying, “who cares, you got in the end zone.” This is where you might see the biggest difference in Tua’s game on Sunday. Tua can be free and not have to think so much about each play or upcoming events. It is challenging as an athlete to have success when you are thinking and worrying too much. Why do you think Tua has so much success in the no-huddle offense? He does not have time to think; he has to execute and play the game freely.

The next reason why Tagovailoa will rise to the occasion is because he will most likely have DeVante Parker back in the lineup. The banged-up Dolphins have been relatively lucky with some of the injuries they have sustained over the last month or so. The injuries to Ereck Flowers, Solomon Kindley, Mike Gesicki, Jakeem Grant, and the first injury to Elandon Roberts all looked significant and possibly season-ending. Instead, they all returned to action in recent weeks and avoided major injuries (Elandon Roberts was placed on IR after suffering a separate injury in week 16). Week 16 was the first time both Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin were active at the same time. The Dolphins are also 5-0 this season when Myles Gaskin starts the game. Tua should have a majority of his weapons back, and there will be no excuse to move the ball against the Bills. DeVante Parker is a huge boost for Miami’s offense and can free himself up and free others up by attracting the attention towards him. Parker vowed he would not let soft tissue injuries keep him out of games, but he has missed the last two with hamstring trouble. Although Parker’s practice status was limited and questionable to play, he removed a sleeve on his injured leg this week and seemed to be moving much better. To go along with the Dolphins being healthy this weekend, another advantage Tagovailoa might have the decision on whether the Bills will rest some key players ahead of the playoffs. This week’s big question was whether or not Sean McDermott would rest his key players to avoid injury before their playoff push. It is unknown what the Bills will do with the #2 seed in AFC on the line, but some could assume the Bills will look to enter the playoffs at full strength. Tua, at some point or for most of the game, might be facing back up defenders. Tua and the Dolphins must take advantage of that and score enough points to win the game.

The final reason why Tagovailoa will shut the haters up on Sunday is that Chan Gailey’s play-calling will change. Chan Gailey has admitted to calling different plays for Tua as he does for Fitzpatrick. It only makes sense that the two QB’s have different playbooks. One is a left-handed rookie who has started 8 games in his career, and one is a right handed 16-year veteran who has seen every defense imaginable. Chan Gailey’s approach to the offense with Tua this season has been to be conservative and take care of the football. Although Tagovailoa has missed some opportunities to push the ball downfield, most of Miami’s routes are shallow crossers and slants. Chan Gailey has no option but to open the playbook this Sunday with the season on the line. Tua certainly has the ability to throw the ball downfield and should do so in week 17. A big part of why Miami has not been able to throw it deep is that the receivers do not create enough separation to get open. DeVante Parker back in the lineup should help with this.

Tua and the Dolphins face a situation most fans are not used to in Miami, a playoff berth. For the Dolphins to win on Sunday and clinch their ticket to the big dance, Tua must prove why he is the future face of this franchise. He must prove why he was chosen at #5 overall and why the organization and fan base believe so much in him. He must rise to the occasion and play his best football with the season on the line. We have seen him do this already in the 2018 National Championship game. Tua is ready for this moment, he is prepared for this moment, and he is confident he can get it done. For all these reasons, Tua will have the best game of his career on Sunday.