Bills see a Different Tua Tagovailoa This Time Around

They knocked him out of their first meeting last month, but they see an improving second-year quarterback taking command of the Miami Dolphins.

To a man, the Buffalo Bills are impressed with what they've seen from studying Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on tape.

Of course, videotape really is all they have on him from this year, considering they knocked him out of their first meeting last month after just nine offensive snaps, which included three incomplete passes in four attempts and two sacks. The second-year player missed the next three games, but has come back strong in the Dolphins' previous two games leading up to Sunday's rematch in Orchard Park.

Last week, he was 32-of-40 for 291 yards and four touchdowns in his 13th career start and left the field for the final time having given his team a lead over the Atlanta Falcons. Alas, the Falcons had enough time remaining to drive for a game-winning field goal as time expired, dropping the hapless Dolphins to 1-6.

Needless to say, the Bills are expecting that Tagovailoa instead of the one who was a non-factor when these teams met in Week 2 and Buffalo came away with a 35-0 shutout.

"I think he has more confidence," Bills safety Micah Hyde said. "You could see that from earlier in the season to now. A lot more confidence, confidence in the offense, confidence in the players around him and has a better understanding of what's going on in the league and stuff like that.

"So definitely a different quarterback than the first time we faced him."

Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier also was complimentary.

"When I put the tape on and was beginning to watch, I saw a guy who's playing with a lot of confidence," Frazier said. "He's making some great throws in tough situations. And showing some toughness as well, even when the pocket collapses around him and he's still standing there and making those throws, making some accurate throws.

"So he's grown as a player. He's still growing. His ability to be able to see coverages now — he's gotten so much better at being able to identify where the balls go from the quarterback position. Yeah, he's grown, he's improved and we'll have our work cut out for us Sunday."

Safety Jordan Poyer believes the main challenge for the defense will be to contain Miami's RPO game that Tagovailoa is starting to master.

"I think Tua is feeling a little bit more comfortable within that offense and within that scheme," he said. "You know, he's getting to his reads, getting the ball out quick. It's going to be a lot of the ball out quick and open space, open-field tackling, hands up. Like I said, they've got some talented players on that football team."

Starting with their reinvented quarterback.

Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.