Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins were on the receiving end of a tough loss on Sunday to the San Francisco 49ers despite going up against rookie quarterback Brock Purdy for most of the game.
Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless took the opportunity after the game to take a shot at Tagovailoa for losing to Purdy.
Tua couldn't even beat Brock Purdy? Never been a believer. I know the 49ers just might have the best defense but … come on.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) December 5, 2022
It was not the best outing for the University of Alabama product, as he only completed 18 of his 33 passes and threw two interceptions. He also threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns.
The first interception wasn’t entirely his fault, as running back Jeff Wilson Jr. slipped right as Tagovailoa threw the ball to him. The second interception was on him, however, as he threw the ball behind star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, which enabled 49ers defender Deommodore Lenoir to pick off the pass.
While Tagovailoa was able to bounce back from those miscues with a 45-yard bomb to Hill at the start of the fourth quarter, it ultimately wasn’t enough to lead Miami to a comeback victory.
TUA 45-YARD BOMB TO TYREEK! Miami right back in it! pic.twitter.com/19xMzE3Aaa
— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) December 4, 2022
Tagovailoa will surely take lots of heat over the next week for the loss, but Purdy deserves tons of credit. Purdy entered the game in a difficult situation and played pretty well. He completed 25 of his 37 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Naturally, he made some rookie mistakes, but he was able to keep his composure for the most part and lead the 49ers to a crucial victory over a very good opponent.
With Jimmy Garoppolo out for the season after suffering a broken left foot, it seems as though Purdy will be take over the starting role for San Francisco. It will be interesting to see what he does next week in a showdown against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, they will look to regroup and shift their focus to their Week 14 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Tua on the loss: "Don't think that we're taking this lightly. … Great opportunity for us that we'll use and take coming into the L.A. game next week."
— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) December 5, 2022
Mike McDaniel: "We have the guys in the locker room that collectively will take this piece of adversity and get better from it."
— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) December 5, 2022
With the loss, the Dolphins are no longer in first place in the AFC East. They are now one game back of the Buffalo Bills, their opponents in Week 15.
