Men lie, women lie, but the numbers they never do, and that is the case with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Throughout his first two seasons, Tua and his supporters had to almost constantly hear about how the Southpaw quarterback could not throw the ball downfield. Still, since being paired with Tyreek Hill and a head coach who actually knows what he has in Tua, those claims have quickly become disproven to anyone who’s watched the quarterback over the past year.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for a league-high 1,664 passing yards targeting vertical routes last season, over 250 more than any other quarterback.
📸: A look at the passing yardage leaders targeting vertical routes (i.e., Corner, Post, Go, Wheel) in 2022#FinsUp pic.twitter.com/33nDhzKsl3
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) June 14, 2023
Despite having over 80 fewer passing attempts on the season than the other quarterbacks rounding out the top 5 on this list, Tua had over 250 more yards than the quarterback with the second-most yards on vertical routes last year. Not bad for a quarterback, who, if you listened to some talking heads, cannot throw deep and relies on yards after the catch for his passing totals. It really makes you think about Mike McDaniel’s recent comments on why people tend to be so emphatic with negative opinions of Tua.
Coach Mike McDaniel on all the hate & “constructive criticism” (notice its in “quotes”) Tua gets.
He could not be more right! pic.twitter.com/Cy9gIP27Tw
— Jonathan Gumble 🐧Do The WADDLE!🐧 & 🐬⬆️ Always! (@STOP_Gumbytime) June 14, 2023
Nearly half of his yardage total came on vertical routes last year, and that is scary to think about, considering how Mike McDaniel has noted that Tua’s improved this offseason and his knowledge of the offense has grown as well.
Tua has added 5-10 pounds of muscle this offseason, which Mike McDaniel said has helped in essentially every aspect of his game:
“His ability to make certain plays is enhanced, his ability to protect himself is enhanced.”
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) June 7, 2023
It’s also worth noting that star wide receiver Tyreek Hill stated that he didn’t fully know what he was doing last year in McDaniel’s offense and instead was “out there just using all athleticism.” So not only will Tua be operating with a higher understanding of the offense this year, but Tyreek Hill will also, after setting franchise records for receiving last season.
Tua’s growth under Mike McDaniel has been a beautiful thing to watch, as he has not only flourished on the field but off of it as well. Year 2 of the Tua/McDaniel partnership should be an exciting time for Dolphins fans as they aim to expand on their success from last season and make a run in the postseason.