Why Tua's Performance vs. Commanders Showed Exactly Who He Is

The Miami Dolphins won an ugly game, 16-13, against the Washington Commanders Sunday morning. Miami’s offense moved the ball throughout the game, but it only got 141 yards from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Tua attempted just 20 passes in the team’s Week 11 win. That is the fewest attempts of Tua’s career in a game he both started and finished that resulted in a Dolphins win since he attempted 18 passes in September of 2022 against the Buffalo Bills.

The Dolphins QB completed 14 of his 20 passes against the Commanders, and his performance was a perfect encapsulation of who he is and who he is not at this point in his career.

Positives of Tua’s Performance vs. Commanders

Tua’s accuracy in the short area of the field continues to be a selling point. His timing in the short middle is also incredibly impressive.

This stood out when he hit Jaylen Waddle on an in-breaking route for a 31-yard gain in the third quarter. Tua’s throw hit Waddle right in the hands, and most importantly, led him across the field.

Tua hits Waddle in stride for a big pickup

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— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025

The placement of the throw allowed Waddle to make safety Quan Martin miss and break deeper into Commanders’ territory. Tua’s anticipation is still quite good, especially when he sees a clear picture after the snap.

Tua has mostly operated within 20 yards of the line of scrimmage this season.

He gets through his progressions quickly and is more than willing to take checkdowns. This was actually an issue for him in previous seasons, but he’s more than willing to trust his playmakers in space these days.

Here’s a look at his NextGen Stats passing chart from Week 11.

Tua Tagovailoa passing chart vs. Washington Commanders | Next Gen Stats

Tua does a good job keeping the Dolphins’ offense on schedule this season, and when he’s on time with his receivers, he’s still more than capable of setting up YAC chances.

Negatives of Tua’s Performance vs. Commanders

Tua was efficient and kept the ball out of the defense’s hands (sorta, we’ll get to that) in Week 11. That’s the winning formula for this version of the Dolphins, but it also speaks to Tua’s limitations.

Tua has never been a mobile player, but he’s looked even less so this season. He took two sacks in the first in Week 11, where it was incredibly clear that Tua just doesn’t have the playmaking juice to extend plays.

He tried to spin out of one sack, and he didn’t even come close.

Not an OL sack, again.

Ingold misses the chip/block. I think it was only 3rd & 2. Would have liked to see Tua just dump it to Ingold here & see if he can make it rather than trying to evade a free rusher. https://t.co/QCFvfQqu02 pic.twitter.com/nkHh2hmlOt
— eric smith (@OLCoachSmith63) November 16, 2025

To be clear, this sack is also the fault of Alec Ingold. He’s supposed to pick up that free rusher or run a quick release route to the flat. He does neither of those things, resulting in a free run.

However, teammates make mistakes all the time, and Tua just isn’t the quarterback to cover up for these types of mistakes.

This game also featured what should’ve been another deep ball interception. Tua threw up a prayer to Waddle in the third quarter that should’ve been intercepted, but Mike Sainristil dropped it.

It would’ve been Tua’s 14th INT of the season, and more than a few of those have come on deep passes. Miami seems to have emboldened Tua to just toss up a few deep balls per game.

Tua threw two similar balls against the Bills, and they were basically arm punts on third and long. Those types of plays are probably fine, but it’s also fair to point out that one reason Miami has regressed to this version of deep ball passing is that Tua’s arm talent limits how Miami can hit those concepts.

Teams aren’t giving the Dolphins any man coverage anymore, like in 2022 and 2023. It’s all zone with two-high safeties and middle-of-the-field robbers. To hit deep balls against those looks, you need a QB with supreme arm talent and mobility.

That’s just not Tua.

What Does This Mean for Dolphins?

This might seem like a negative take after the Dolphins won, but it’s not meant to be that. It’s more so pointing out that everything you saw from Tua in Week 11 is just a microcosm of the quarterback he is now.

He’s no longer the player who was tearing up defenses in 2022 and 2023. He just doesn’t have the tools to create and push the ball down the field if defenses stay disciplined.

That said, if Tua can cut down on the turnovers, he’s the right type of QB for this version of the Dolphins. Miami has been at its best this season when running the ball.

The offensive line is better at run blocking, and De’Von Achane is a star who is more than capable of carrying the offense. The Dolphins don’t need Tua to be a dynamic presence right now — he needs to manage the game like he did against Washington.

Now, if you want to look to the future, that’s a whole different story. Miami’s passing game is incredibly limited right now, and that isn’t sustainable long-term.

For now, though, Tua showed his strengths and weaknesses against Washington. It’s up to the Dolphins to ensure those strengths outweigh the weaknesses the rest of the way.

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