The Miami Dolphins improved to 5-3 on the season in Week 8. Tua Tagovailoa played well in the game as he looks to return to form after his concussion scare.
Tua Tagovailoa was back to business in Week 8
Tua Tagovailoa had a strong game in Week 8, the first solid performance since he returned from concussion protocols. The Miami Dolphins were on the road against the Detroit Lions as -3.5 favorites (Unibet). The Dolphins barely covered that spread, defeating the Lions 31-27. The loss sees Detroit fall way down to 1-6 on the season while the Dolphins improved to 5-3.
Tagovailoa’s statistical performance
Tagovailoa was 29 for 36 for passing in the game. He threw for a distinguished 382 yards and went 3 to 0 on touchdowns to interceptions. He finished with a 138.7 passer rating and also rushed for 19 yards. The Dolphins needed a strong performance in the game from their QB as they struggled against Detroit at times before notching their 5th win of the season.
Hill and Waddle continue to shine
The top receivers in the game for Miami were Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. They had 188 yards and 106 yards receiving respectively.
Waddle had two touchdown receptions in the game and the two stars combined for a very efficient 20 receptions on 23 targets. Hill entered the week as the receiving yards leader in the NFL while Waddle was in 4th place. Tight end Mike Gesicki was the other touchdown scorer among the receivers for Miami.
Miami’s success when Tagovailoa starts can’t be ignored
The Miami Dolphins are 5-1 in games in which Tagovailoa starts. They are also 5-0 in games in which he starts and finishes. The only loss the Dolphins had in a Tagovailoa start was in Week 4 against Cincinnati. The QB took a scary hit in that Thursday night game and had to exit before the Dolphins fell to the Bengals. Miami would go on to lose two more games before Tagovailoa returned last week against Pittsburgh.
The game against the Steelers wasn’t the best one for Tagovailoa. However, the game against Detroit marks a return to form.
The Dolphins do not have that bad of a schedule upcoming. They will face Chicago, Cleveland, and Houston in their next three games. Between Cleveland and Houston, Miami will have a bye week. An 8-3 record is definitely achievable for the Dolphins as they look to re-emerge as contenders in the NFL.
