Is Tua Tagovailoa's Time Running Out in Miami? Bama in the NFL Tracker Week 8

Every day there seems to be a different headline with the the Miami Dolphins, none of them good. On Thursday it was wide receiver Tyreek Hill saying he's undecided about returning or retiring after suffering a horrific knee injury this season. On Wednesday, former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said the obvious, that he's not the tallest player on the field, and it blew up in the media.

Specifically, he said "I’m not the tallest guy in the back there either, so being able to see and then sometimes when that happens, you don’t want to just throw it blindly and you’ve got to progress."

It wasn't exactly breaking news material that he's listed on the roster as being 6-1, but demonstrated how the Dolphins have become mired in their own mess, and don't have a clear way out. The more they continue to be stuck, the more the blame game goes around.

Tagovailoa knows from his time with the Crimson Tide that no matter what he says right now, social media and surly fans are going to be all over him. It can even be something he's talked about before, like his height, and the critics are going to complain. This is what happens with a 1-6 start to a season (or even a two-loss season at Alabama).

So when he made a critical comment about teammates being late to a players-only meeting, it made news and made him look bad even though it was clearly frustration that was doing the talking. He also took grief for responding to Cam Newton's comments about how expectations rise with big contracts, and for a line about his family is happy to see him "whether I throw five picks or five touchdowns."

And then head coach Mike McDaniel took heat for this comment when he was trying to simply say that Tua is still his guy behind center: "Yeah, (Tua's) going to take the snaps this week and he’s going to be our starter this week, and my expectation is that we don’t throw 10 picks."

Yeah, things really aren't going well for the Dolphins, and everyone seems to be in agreement that something needs to be done, but no one is quite sure what. Either the blame has to start with the general manager Chris Grier, who has been with the franchise for 25 years, McDaniel, who at 42 is anything but a typical head coach, or the quarterback who has had concussion problems and at age 27 is struggling.

One of these guys is probably going to take the fall, and no matter who it is it's probably not good for Tagovailoa. Even though he's in the first season of his four-year contract extension for $212 million, of which $167 is guaranteed (making him nearly impossible to trade or cut), he's tied for the league lead in interceptions with 10, has taken 15 sacks, and hasn't been able to get the ball effectively downfield.

No one cares that the offensive line that was ranked 26th in run blocking and 28th in pass blocking last season has been a mess, or that last week there were heavy rains and wind during the first half against a good Cleveland defense. Everyone just sees a quarterback who isn't playing with the same confidence as two seasons ago when he was named to the Pro Bowl.

How do you turn that around?

“I wouldn't say there's any losing of the confidence,” Tagovailoa said during a recent press conference. “I think the confidence comes from within, but then also the confidence comes from what you know you can do, what I've done in the past.

“I think we're this close to being able to go out there and show what we've said we've wanted to do, but we just got to be able to put them all together. I think that's what it is. But I don't think I'm the only one who has that kind of confidence. I think there are a lot of guys in the locker room that have that too.”

The soap opera in South Florida continues, with Tagovailoa's future in the balance. Stay tuned.

Bama in the NFL Week 8 Tracker

For the full set of statistics on how the former Crimson Tide players did this week, check out our elaborate Bama in the NFL Week 8 Tracker, including Thursday night's Minnesota Vikings at Los Angels Chargers game. It will be updated throughout the weekend until every game is concluded.

Bama in the NFL Tracker - Click to view full stats | Kristi L. Patrick

The Ultimate Bama in the NFL Database

Contract Info, Status of Former Alabama Crimson Tide Players
Active Crimson Tide Players by Team, Position
All-Time Alabama Crimson Tide Players in the NFL
All-Time Crimson Tide Draft Selections

Bama in the NFL: Game of the Week

There are only two games games this week between teams with winning records, one of which is the Packers at Steelers, which features Aaron Rodgers playing his old team. That's going to get huge ratings Sunday night. For our purposes, though, we're going to be checking out the other matchup, which is surprisingly Buffalo at Carolina. Since Week 16 last season, the Panthers have won four consecutive home games and can win five consecutive home games for the first time since 2017-18 (10 consecutive home wins). Plus we want to see what quarterback Bryce Young can do against the Bills defense, especially with home-field advantage,

if you're looking for a decent undercard, try Chicago at Baltimore, with the 1-5 Ravens coming off a bye.

Bama In The NFL: Week 8 Notes

• Bengals safety Jordan Battle described this week's opponent, the Jets as being "Like a wounded animal. That one time he reacts and comes back. We understand they're going to give us their best. We have to make sure it's a dominant win, not a close one."

• Even tough Josh Jacobs is dealing with a calf injury, Packers coach Mike LaFleur said he's begging for more reps. "That’s a great mindset to have. I want all our guys to have that mindset, but ultimately you’re talking about that’s going to be a medical decision.”

• Mac Jones, who, yes, is expected to make another start when San Francisco visits Houston, on his toughness: "I've played with a lot of tough players and watched a lot of tough quarterbacks play in front of me, whether that was in college or whatever, and just learned it. "I think it rubs up on the team and I feel like if you're able to play and you can protect yourself, you should be out there. So that's what it's all about. Those guys are getting hit every play, so they have it much worse than I do."

• Did you notice where Tagovailoa's game will be played this weekend? Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He was 3-0 there with Alabama, including the national championship game at the end of the 2017 season (the Second-and-26 overtime game) but is 0-1 as a pro with the Dolphins.

• With seven receptions for 74 yards Thursday night, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson surpassed Julio Jones as the fastest player to reach 8,000 receiving yards in the Super Bowl era. Jefferson did it in 84 career games, Jones did it in 85. ,

Season Leaders Among Former Alabama Players

Category, Name, Team, Stat (Second-most player)
Passing yards: Jalen Hurts, Eagles 1,498 (Mac Jones 1,404)
Passer rating: Hurts, Eagles, 108.9 (Jones 89.8)
Rushing yards: Jahmyr Gibbs 526 (Derrick Henry 439)
Receptions: Devonta Smith, Eagles, 38 (Jaylen Waddle 30)
Receiving yards: Smith 504 (Waddle 405)
Forced Fumbles: Quinnen Williams, Jets, 3 (no one with more than one)
Fumble recoveries: No one with more than one
Tackles: Mack Wilson, Cardinals 53 (Jordan Battle 50)
Interceptions: Jordan Battle, Bengals, 3 (Kool-Aid McKinstry, Saints 2)

How to Watch: NFL Week 8

The Minnesota Vikings at the Los Angeles Chargers was the Thurssday night game, and it seems like half of the league is on a bye including
the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. That leaves us with:

Sunday’s Games
Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons, noon CT (CBS)
Chicago Bears at Baltimore Ravens, noon (CBS)
Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers, noon (Fox)
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals, noon (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans, noon (Fox)
Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots, noon (Fox)
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles, noon (Fox)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 3:05 p.m. (Fox)
Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos, 3:25 p.m. (CBS)
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts, 3:25 p.m. (CBS)
Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers, 7:20 p.m. (NBC)

Monday’s Game
Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs, 7:15 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)

Kristi Patrick at Travelmation - Visit www.EscapeWIthKristi.com | Call today!