Some folks have been poking fun at Tua Tagovailoa after the quarterback’s botched plays near the end of the Miami Dolphins-Kansas City Chiefs bout.
The Chiefs came out on top with a 21-14 victory, but the Dolphins had a chance to tie the contest up when Tagovailoa’s pass to Cedrick Wilson Jr. with over a minute remaining in the contest came up short.
Tua had Cedrick Wilson Jr. wide open for the game-tying score here but severely underthrew him pic.twitter.com/2xZxcs4JBF
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) November 5, 2023
In addition, the star couldn’t catch the snap in the ensuing play, and because it was fourth down, Miami lost possession of the ball and the opportunity to pull off the comeback win.
This is how the Fins lose… pic.twitter.com/p0wQCPuk5t
— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) November 5, 2023
Tagovailoa addressed the plays in his postgame conference, attributing the errant pass to miscommunication and owning his mistakes.
“That was just miscommunication,” the 25-year-old said. “And in big-time moments, those things like that can’t happen. So, I gotta throw a better ball. It was just miscommunication there. And then with the last play of the game, I’m always gonna blame myself. I gotta catch the ball, so whether that’s getting in a better position to catch it or whatever it is, can’t end the game like that.”
Of course, Tagovailoa isn’t solely to blame for the Dolphins’ heartbreaking loss, even if he completed 21 of his 34 passes for a season-low 193 yards.
Coach Mike McDaniel defended his star, pinning the blame on himself.
Mike McDaniel said that missed communication was not on Tua — it was his own fault for not putting them in the right position.
Said there wasn’t enough time for Tua to “observe” — he called one audible and Wilson interpreted it as something else. McDaniel took the blame for it. pic.twitter.com/kqkmKoePss
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) November 5, 2023
The Dolphins getting off on the wrong foot also played a role in the loss, as their offense couldn’t catch a break in the first half. They went scoreless while allowing the Chiefs to put up 21 points off of Patrick Mahomes’ two touchdown passes and Bryan Cook’s 59-yard fumble return.
Some people have also accused the referees of poor officiating, with Raheem Mostert’s agent criticizing the officials on X (formerly Twitter) for making the game “unwatchable.”
Despite its first-half struggles, Miami still put itself in prime position to pull off the upset. Its defense was impressive after intermission, helping hold Mahomes to a total of 185 passing yards. Tagovailoa also came to life, connecting on a 31-yard touchdown pass to Wilson. Mostert then narrowed the gap by rushing for a 13-yard touchdown with little time remaining in the third period.
The final frame was more of a defensive battle, as neither team was able to score, which spelled bad news for the Dolphins. With the loss, Miami is now 6-3. All of its defeats have come against opponents with winning records.
