Tua: Dolphins' record doesn't reflect 'who we are'

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards in 2023, and he has been just as sharp for much of this season.

But on Wednesday, Tagovailoa shouldered a share of the blame for what he called a surprising 5-7 start, saying his month-long stint on injured reserve with a concussion played a huge part in the way this season has unfolded.

“I don’t think that (record) shows the character of who we are as a team,” Tagovailoa said. "It doesn’t show the work that we’ve put in this offseason together.

“Nobody else will say it but me, and I feel like this has a lot to do with myself, obviously putting myself in harm’s way in the second game, going down and basically leaving my guys out to dry ... I do take heart to that as well and don’t want to do that to my guys again.”

The Dolphins looked like they were returning to last season's form during a recent three-game winning streak, but questions about Miami's toughness resurfaced after a poor performance at frigid Lambeau Field last Thursday, when the temperature at kickoff was around 27 degrees.

Miami missed 20 tackles, per Next Gen Stats, and allowed 114 yards on the ground while only rushing for 39 yards. Tagovailoa was sacked five times.

The Dolphins have lost their past 12 regular-season or postseason games in which the temperature at kickoff was 40 degrees or lower, with more potential cold weather games coming up at Houston, Cleveland and the New York Jets later this season. Miami was 4-10 in games played in December or later in the past two seasons.

“Collectively you’ve got to all have that same mindset,” Tagovailoa said of Miami's toughness. “That’s why we have team football, that’s why you’re in team sports. I think you’ve got to look at it as, are you mentally tough and are you physically tough? They have to go hand in hand. If one of those things has a kink in it, it could go one way or the other.”

A few weeks after former Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott said the Dolphins were “soft” when he played there, linebacker Jordyn Brooks criticized his team's toughness after losing to Green Bay.

“I feel like we let the elements control the way we played,” Brooks said after the 30-17 loss. “As a group, I thought we were soft. Simple as that.”

Coach Mike McDaniel said he expects all kinds of criticisms to come when the team fails to reach expectations, but added that he uses the game tape to measure toughness.

“If I have an example of weak-mindedness or situations where a guy is turning something down or how he’s loafing because of a result, those are things I can coach,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel added he didn't see anything on the tape to suggest players weren't giving full effort, but he did see many instances of missed tackles because of straining and poor technique — not bringing their feet through the tackle — which got worse as the game went on.

He also said players would have insisted he bench teammates if they were “loafing” or turning down assignments, which he indicated didn't happen.

“I'm very aware that the narrative exists," McDaniel said, "and with absolute certainty, I know that the narrative will exist unless it changes. There’s one way to change it. And that’s winning a game against the New York Jets.

"And you know what? People still might not call you tough. Cool. I take it very serious as a head coach to be responsible for things that can help to be accountable and to bring forth information that’s actually helpful, not finger pointing."

Some Dolphins players disagreed with the notion the team isn't tough enough.

“I guess we’ve got to prove it wrong," said defensive tackle Zach Sieler. “If people think that, we’ve got to go out there and beat it. I don’t think that’s the case. I think we play physically up front. I think we play physically all around. I think we’ve got to make sure we’re showing that on Sunday.”

Miami placed backup cornerback Cam Smith on injured reserve after he dislocated his shoulder against Green Bay. The Dolphins also signed tackle Jackson Carman off the practice squad and signed cornerback Jason Maitre to the practice squad. ... Edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Cameron Goode practiced Wednesday for the first time this season, and McDaniel didn't rule out the possibility of one or both of them playing on Sunday. Chubb tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Week 17 last season, and Goode ruptured a patella tendon in the season finale.

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