As most of you know, I'm an eternal optimist and always seem to find reasons to remain upbeat and positive when it comes to the Miami Dolphins. So even after we lost a string of close games to inferior talent this season, I kept waiting for the mid-season turnaround that happens with small adjustments to scheme, technique, and game planning. It wasn't until I watched the worst team in the league beat the snot out of us this past Sunday to realize what we're actually facing this season; there are no adequate adjustments to scheme, technique, and game planning. This entire team was built around Tyreek and Tua, the dynamic duo, to bust zone coverages with quick shots downfield. That's what McDaniel bet everything on...that and a solid run game...but neither aspect can work because we simply don't have the personnel. Losing Tyreek was heartbreaking, but the even larger problem was the vast majority of our offensive line on injured reserve for the up-teenth year in a row. Without competent line play, you have to scheme for the misdirection by using speed to create opportunities. And that worked for awhile. But defenses have adjusted to the quick slant passes and the outside zone runs...and what's there to adjust to? We can't run between the tackles because we're dominated. We can't throw slant routes because LBs are waiting for it. All that's left is variations of screen passes and jet sweeps, because there's literally no other option without multiple world-class speedsters at WR to create chaos. That's not a knock on Waddle or anyone else, mind you. But without the "Tyreek effect" on a defense, it's easy to double Waddle and force bad decisions by Tua. I counted eight plays last week where an unblocked defender inside the B or C gap had a free sprint at Tua...that's literally unheard of at the NFL level. For Tua, I still think he has talent, and I still think we could win with him under more optimal conditions (for instance, giving him more than 1.5 seconds to throw before he's obliterated by an unblocked rusher). As bad as this team is right now, Tua's actually making them look better than they are because of his quick release. But at the same time, I can't defend Tua anymore because he has given up on the team. In short, his spirit is broken because there's nothing he can really do in this offense in its current state- everything is broken and the gimmicks are too one-dimensional now. Is it his fault? That's a different conversation entirely and I'm not going to go there other than to say that he's a victim of Grier and McDaniel's roster decisions. The defense- I don't think we need to talk about that either. I know injuries have been a problem the entire year, but we don't have two starter-worthy corners on the active roster. Meanwhile, we're loaded on front-line talent...which sounds great on paper...until you realize that receivers are getting instant separation and our pass rush doesn't have time to get the job done. Minkah is the only guy in the secondary that belongs on the field and darn, poor dude getting traded back to Miami this season. What a waste of a season. I know Ross doesn't have plans to fire anyone yet, but he's a fan at heart (like us) and I doubt he'll absorb much more. Tua has quit on this team and in many regards, so has McDaniel. Because let's state the obvious here- what could McDaniel actually do to improve this team mid-season? We just don't have the right bodies in the building anymore so gimmicks are out the window. But traditional football requires our six tough guys up front to beat up the other team's tough guys...and that's clearly not an option either. The other thing I look at to gauge a team's buy-in is the amount of penalties they commit. We have to be the best in the league at giving other teams a first down after facing a 3rd and long that they fail to convert. It's almost laughable the number of games we've given away on penalties on the final drive of the game. As I said last year, now's a great time to become a Detroit Lions fan and root on former Miami head coach Dan Campbell. To me, it's the most exciting thing that's come out of Miami for awhile now....and remember, I'm the eternal optimist of the group. When we look at our roster and see elite talent like Achane, who can't find a single hole to run through, I can't help but go back to the phrase "perennial playoff contender" and the guy who said it so smugly after conning our owner and the entire franchise. The sad truth is that Grier's little project could have actually worked if he drafted and traded differently. Keep Tunsil, keep Tannehill, draft Jalen Hurts at the end of the 1st round. That puts us on an entirely different course to shore up the line while focusing on "win now", so we don't have the huge youth movement and Flores enters year one with some actual talent. We saw how elite his defense became with a group of nobodies- who knows what could have been without the 5-year reset plan...that's leading straight into another one. I'll still root for this team and hope for the best, but I just don't see how we turn things around with this level of dysfunction. We need an offensive line now, and maybe we'll have one in coming weeks, but it's going to be too little, too late. The same goes for the secondary. For Grier, he must be let go in the weeks to come. For McDaniel, he must be fully transparent how he got to where he's at...there's no way to gimmick anything when you're starting a division 2 college offensive line. Maybe Ross keeps him for another season, maybe not. He does deserve to be fired, despite a lot of this being outside his control. For Tua, there aren't any solid answers since his spirit is broken, he can't be productive, and he probably feels betrayed by his own team. So much of this isn't his fault but as QB1, you have to show up and lead your team. RT went through the same stretch where he was getting pummeled, but he got back up and held his head high. I don't know if Tua's built that way, to be honest. He's lost the team and I'm not sure if there's a path back from this for him. For the games ahead, it's a smart move to start Ewers in some regards, and it's a terrible idea as well. The offense will be extremely limited under any QB and the pressure will be dialed up regardless. It could cost the kid his career on this "Tank for Tua-like" roster. I really don't have an answer at QB since the main problems come from the offensive scheme and the other personnel (linemen). For Achane and Waddle, I would start thinking about moving them before the trade deadline. I hate even thinking that, but it feels inevitable that a rebuild without Tua is on the horizon. We actually have a shot at picking 1st overall after being embarrassed by Cleveland, so a few more early picks could make a big difference. It sucks, but that's where we're at. All I have left is "Go Lions!"
Browns have the worst front office in the league due to the treatment of players x dumbass decisions.. as far as what they do on the field though, i never considered them the worst product out there. I said before the game, they have a top rated defense, tua is guaranteed to have turnovers, he doesnt play well against a defense that is average not to mention above average. I dont expect much of him next week against another top rated defense. We are the second worst team in the league, only in front of the Jets who we beat in a close hame at home.
Even when Tua has time to throw, he's not necessarily making good decisions. I'm not saying the line is good, it's not, but hasn't this season he had some of his longest times to throw? I could be wrong on that.
No one cares anymore. Tyreek did. Tua did. He tried to hold other people accountable one time and the media cherrypicked his quote and shredded him. He has clearly checked out. The entire team is really bad. Just ride it out and hopefully it gets to the point where they decide to clean house because it's clearly broken.
When people act like a highly paid captain, who is consistently ****ing up himself, can call out other players and hold them accountable, I question whether they ever played any organized sports. If you aren't playing your best, and you are making big big mistakes, shut your mouth and focus on improving your play.
With Tyreek hill and Bradley Chubb both being candidates of post june 1 cuts in 2026.. and those two contracts accounting for nearly 38 million in dead cap space, there is no chance in hell that the dolphins entertain tua being cut in 2026, he alone is a 56 million dead cap charge. we will just have to look for a veteran qb and a draft pick to have a real quarterback competition for next season despite tua’s enormous salary
Don’t know about the longest times to throw, but o-lines in general aren’t that good in the NFL. The Lions and Eagles o-lines are the only ones that come to mind being good. Tua is part of the problem especially after his decline this season.
If Grier really isnt fired after this season then im going to believe in the conspiracy theory that he has Ross by the balls over Brian Flores lawsuit.. and if that is true then we are cooked as a fanbase and organization.
And, in 2027 we will be watching Tua in a real organization, with a real head coach, winning divisions and breaking records throwing to Nacua.
He called out the team. Here are his quotes from after the game: I think it starts with the leadership and helping articulate that for the guys, and then what we’re expecting out of the guys,” Tagovailoa said via Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. “We’re expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that? We have guys showing up to player-only meetings late, and guys not showing up to player-only meetings. There’s a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make this mandatory? Do we not have to make this mandatory? It’s a lot of things of that nature that we gotta get cleaned up, and it starts with little things like that.” “Shocked, I guess you can say. This is something that we’ve talked about collectively as a team, about being able to finish big games like this when we have the opportunity to win the game,” Tagovailoa said. “And it’s not just one side of the ball — every phase. I’ve contributed with the turnovers. We’ve had some missed opportunities in teams, and we’ve had some missed opportunities on defense as well. “But for us to go out there, have an opportunity to seal the game, and then, we don’t allow that to happen — either way — last week, Carolina’s offense, this week, you can look at it however you want.” Yeah, he's a whiney monster just blaming everyone! I am so sick of the out of context gotcha sound byte news of today.
There's something physically wrong with Tua. That's certainly not the team's only problem, but its become a huge elephant in the room, and a big reason that they've fallen from a .500 type team to one that had a day like they just did in Cleveland. When he came back from his (unnecessary) IR stint last season, he was good to go from the Cardinals game in Week through the Packers game in Week 13. The team didn't win all of those of course, but that was as much on the defense and a lack of a run game as anything else, as Tua played great and the offense put up points most weeks. But then something happened to him during the Jets game in Week 14, whether it was re-aggrevating the hip or back injuries he'd suffered before or something new, and his arm lost a ton of its zip and accuracy starting during the second half of that week. He labored through the Texans and 49ers games the next two, gutting it out, but the arm wasn't there and they shut him down. My hope and expectation was that he'd heal before this season started, but he didn't look right in the Preseason, and then we all saw what happened in Week 1 at Indy, and every week since. He's got nothing on most of his passes, long ones just die in the air, and he's frequently high on shorter throws that he wouldn't be before. At this point, I have to worry that its permanent, and if he can't even play the way that he did in the middle of last season any longer when the offense revolved around shorter passes to Achane and Jonnu, then he's cooked. And because of his contract, that likely means that 2026 is a sandbag year before any real rebuild can start in 2027.
Still throwing out those predictions, maybe you get luckier with this one although unlikely. Some people never learn…
He called out the team. Here are his quotes from after the game: I think it starts with the leadership and helping articulate that for the guys, and then what we’re expecting out of the guys,” Tagovailoa said via Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. “We’re expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that? We have guys showing up to player-only meetings late, and guys not showing up to player-only meetings. There’s a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make this mandatory? Do we not have to make this mandatory? It’s a lot of things of that nature that we gotta get cleaned up, and it starts with little things like that.” “Shocked, I guess you can say. This is something that we’ve talked about collectively as a team, about being able to finish big games like this when we have the opportunity to win the game,” Tagovailoa said. “And it’s not just one side of the ball — every phase. I’ve contributed with the turnovers. We’ve had some missed opportunities in teams, and we’ve had some missed opportunities on defense as well. “But for us to go out there, have an opportunity to seal the game, and then, we don’t allow that to happen — either way — last week, Carolina’s offense, this week, you can look at it however you want.” Yeah, he's a whiney monster just blaming everyone! I am so sick of the out of context gotcha sound byte news of today.[/QUOTE] Tua always takes accountability. Whether people decide to skip over that part is up to them. Clearly an agenda. Frankly, I think its about time he called out his teammates and coaches in some instances. Six years of "it's all you" seems to have finally taken a toll.
That would fit with what I see as well, and would prove the one major criticism of him that I agree with correct. Maybe, one shouldn't draft a player recovering from a major career altering injury with a top 5 pick.
Careful. Be respectful. He's the most knowledgeable poster on the site. He has the track record to prove it.
Then you don't understand what leadership is. It doesn't matter if you had a bad game, if people aren't showing up when they are supposed to then that should get called out. It could be the back up RB doing the calling out. Super high performers aren't always the best leaders. So what you're essentially saying is that if Tua doesn't play well and people aren't doing what they need to do then he should just shut his mouth. THAT is not leadership. In the realm of sports, leadership is not just about the physical performance on the field.
I’m slightly confused here. When you have a player who skips town, demands a trade and after he’s safely away calls the team soft, he’s heralded as a reliable source as to the Dolphins woes, but when a current players calls out teammates at the mic, he’s throwing his team under the bus and not setting a good example as a leader. I don’t get it.
What axactly is there not to get? You don't air that **** out when you are supposedly the leader of the team in the middle of an active season, you handle that **** in house like a man and a leader. What Tua did is the equivalent of going crying to your mama because your buddy didn't do his part on the group project at school. It's childish and immature behavior, not how a leader among men should handle internal team issues. But then again let's not kid ourselves Tua is not and never has been a real leader. On the other hand a player who asks for a trade does it for a reason, and airing that reason out after the trade has concluded is logical. He is no longer part of the team and is not responsible for maintaining locker room cohesion or showing leadership and loyalty to his teammates.
Tua was often referred to as passive, non-chalant and quiet off the field his entire career. He was chastised for it. Everyone said he needed to speak up. The first time he says something, about a team that isn't any good and clearly doesn't care except maybe a handful of people (Achane, Paul), he's villified. The message clearly wasn't being received in the locker room, maybe it needed to be put out in public.
Is Tua your alter ego that you feel the need to baselessly defend him so much? If he has nothing constructive to say about his teammates it's better he shut up and stay quiet. If they are not listening to him in house what the hell makes him think they are going to respond positively after he goes crying to the media? They don't respond to him because they don't respect him and he has his own issues to address. Airing **** out did not help the situation at all. It was another dumb and childish move by our special needs quarterback.
Talk about awkward. After saying that BS, imagine Tua having to go into the locker after this last game.
Yeah that's it. I don't understand leadership. A leader doesn't have to call his teammates out. His practice and dedication and play on the field does that for him.
You're definitely smarter than this post. You know exactly why the two situations are different, and why one is considered to be throwing teammates/coaches under the bus.
I've defended Tua long enough. Can't do it after this latest run of BS. That and he never took the Drew Brees leap that I thought he'd take at this point. Maybe it's bad O line play, or maybe he just doesn't have it at this point, IDK. If the "ToldUSoers" want to show up and act like kindergarten children about this, then so be it. I wouldn't be doing it if it were the other way around, but people can't help themselves. This situation just flat out sucks, and that's really all that needs to be said. We did it with Tannehill for what? 8 years? This is year 6 with Tua. Tannehill went on and had a nice run with the Titans. I don't think it's out of the question that Tua does the same somewhere else. I can see him doing well with a team like the Rams or San Francisco. That's not far-fetched at all. He's just not "it" here at this point. My own pirate village drunkard of a father was razzing me about it the other day. Telling me in his Boston accent that "Trula Tugavilola aint it kiddo". Coming from a Patriot fan and a Drake May truther, it hurt, but he isn't wrong. Now...What do we do from here? We're looking at a top three pick. I'm no draft guru, but in regards to the first round...It's two man race between Dante Moore and the local Miami kid Mendoza (plays for Indiana). I know we need defensive help. I get that we have Tua under contract. I understand that neither Moore or Mendoza are Joe Burrow/Andrew Luck can't-miss talent. That being said, you have to take that gamble and hope it pays off. It's still early in the football season, so we'll see where things end up. Hopefully we just ride this out and finish dead at 3-14. I'll trust whoever we decide to take in the draft...As long as Grier isn't making the selection.
I get what DK is saying, but in regards to Tua, I just haven't seen him take an ounce of accountability for any of what's gone on. If he had come out against Cleveland and threw for 300 yards, shredded their vaunted defense, and left Ohio with a win, I'd be saying "hell yes...That's how you respond!" Instead he followed up his ****ty comments by playing the worst game I've seen a quarterback play since John Beck was wearing aqua and orange. Wait...Cleo Lemon played for us too.
Thanks! I'm surprised by the number of replies since the site has been slower lately. I'll try to get back to writing weekly recaps of the game so we have more conversations here.
He hates the Dolphins 365 days a year. He's been negative against everything Miami since the day he started at ESPN.
