Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played an impressive game in the Week 16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, completing 24 of 37 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown.
While he has had more impressive games this year on the stat sheet, this game took grit and poise from the fourth-year quarterback, and he didn’t shrink under the bright lights of a big game.
The Dolphins found themselves in a tight contest down the stretch, as the Cowboys took their first lead of the second half on a 17-play, 69-yard drive resulting in a touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott to receiver Brandin Cooks to make the score 20-19.
With 3:27 left in the game, Tagovailoa was given a chance to lead a game-winning drive for his team. He took the offense deep into Dallas territory, running out the clock and exhausting the Cowboys’ timeouts. This set up a 29-yard field goal for Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders to win the game 22-20 as time expired.
It was a statement drive for Tagovailoa and the offense even if it didn’t include the big-play touchdown Miami fans have come to expect. It was the type of drive often seen in playoff games.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked about his quarterback’s execution on the final drive during his post-game media availability.
“I’m happy for (Tua), but there’s not one player on our team that was surprised,” said McDaniel. “The way I try to talk to the team is we define ourselves each and every day. For (Tua), that’s the only way he’s going to be satisfied, is that relentless pursuit of proving his game.”
The win over the Cowboys was a big moment for Tagovailoa, as he outplayed Prescott, who has also been in the MVP conversation. While Tagovailoa didn’t need to throw 300 yards and multiple touchdowns to win in Week 16, it took a disciplined effort from him to secure a playoff-clinching victory for the Dolphins.
Tagovailoa’s true value to Miami has been a widely debated topic in the sports media world, and this game will hopefully bring him back into the MVP conversation where he belongs.
