Take Two for Tua

Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be looking to take a step forward in his second start against Arizona

Miami Dolphins center Ted Karras was caught by NFL Films encouraging rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa near the end of his first NFL start.

"You have to savor a dub," Karras told Tagovailoa, who clearly wasn't thrilled with the way things went for the him or the offense against the Los Angeles Rams.

This is great: #Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa wasn't satisfied with his performance despite getting the win last week. Center Ted Karras came in and did what leaders do.

"You have to savor a dub."

(🎥 @JMia305)pic.twitter.com/UuSFsdZKm0

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 5, 2020

Tagovailoa will be looking to improve his record as a starter to 2-0 when the Dolphins face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, though he'd certainly like better production this time around.

And if he doesn't get it, it won't be for lack of trying.

Before they flew out to Arizona, Tagovailoa made it a point to spend extra time with his teammates after practice.

“We’ll stay after practice and throw extra routes and work on timing and just getting more and more reps and more and more comfortable," tight end Mike Gesicki said Friday. "At the end of the day, I think obviously there is something to say about chemistry and Tua knowing that, ‘I’m going to put it here. That’s where Mike likes it.’ Or me knowing, ‘All right, I know the ball is going to be here. This is how Tua throws it.’ "

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The idea is for Tua and his receivers to develop the kind of rapport that comes with familiarity.

“You can’t get anything right unless you work at it," fellow rookie Malcolm Perry said. "Especially with Tua coming in recently, we’ve been working with him since he’s gotten here. We’re not too far off, but there is some fine-tuning to do. The reps after practice are extremely important, just as important as the reps in practice. We’re getting with him and trying to get things right every day.”

Tagovailoa's debut against the Rams saw him complete 12 of 22 passes for 93 yards with one touchdown and no interception. He didn't have a completion longer than 15 yards, nor did he lead a drive longer than six plays.

It clearly wasn't a good for the offense, which was bailed out by a defense that produced four takeaways and a touchdown as well as Jakeem Grant's punt return for another score.

But this wasn't just about Tagovailoa.

There were three clear drops by the Dolphins — two by Preston Williams and one by running back Myles Gaskin — and the offensive line had its hands full with Aaron Donald and the Rams pass rush.

So Tua could use more help from everybody, a fact that hasn't escaped his teammates and coaches.

"Like (offensive line coach Steve Marshall) said, we’ve got a new quarterback, so we’ve got to be perfect for him," guard Solomon Kindley said. "That was his very first game and then playing against the defense that we played against, the offensive line has to do a little bit more to get him comfortable. So all week this week, that’s what we emphasized — doing more, doing more, doing more so we can be able to give him the amount of time that he needs or even more time he needs on the field.”

Head coach Brian Flores is constantly preaching player development, and he likes what he's seen from Tagovailoa in that aspect.

“I think he’s just getting started," Flores said. "That’s kind of my thought. He’s just getting started. He’s played in two games. I’ve been around a lot of young players. Every game is an experience. Good plays, bad plays, you learn from them and hopefully you get better. Again, he’s still young.

"This will be his second start and I think the way he practices, the way he prepares, how much he cares about it; it gives him a good opportunity to have some success, but the games are about execution. That’s really what it’s about. We prepare during the course of the week. Practice is about preparation, the game is about execution. But that preparation gives you the best chance to execute on Sunday. I think he works hard and he prepares the right way, so we’ll continue to grow and help him develop.”