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Colts’ Xavien Howard Sends Clear Tua Tagovailoa Message After 2-Interception Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 3:25 PM ET

For the first time in his nine-season NFL career, Indianapolis Colts cornerback Xavien Howard had an opportunity to face former Miami Dolphins teammate Tua Tagovailoa.

Howard and the Colts left no doubt in a dominant 33-8 victory. The four-time Pro Bowler recovered a fumble, while the defense intercepted Tagovailoa twice and limited him to just 113 passing yards before backup Zach Wilson entered in the fourth quarter.

For his part, Howard didn’t sound too surprised by Tagovailoa’s poor performance. As Howard noted, Tagovailoa has a tendency to get the ball out “pretty quick,” which often works against the sixth-year quarterback.

“Once we take away his first read, I feel like it’s panic mode after that,” Howard told reporters, per The Athletic’s Stephen Holder. “And it showed yesterday.”

Cam Bynum intercepts Tua and is back on his elite celly game #MIAvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/pU08FPXYJo
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

Ouch.

Holder’s X/Twitter post had over 67,000 views as of publication, and the comment section shows many Dolphins fans agreeing with their former All-Pro cornerback.

Even if Week 1 is only one game, it's hard to feel too optimistic about Miami moving forward. The Colts' defense smothered Tagovailoa and an already questionable Dolphins offense all day Sunday, only increasing the significant questions about Miami's ability to compete for a playoff berth.

Unfortunately for Dolphins fans, they shouldn’t expect to see Tagovailoa on the bench anytime soon. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier have repeatedly stuck by Tagovailoa despite various injuries; Tagovailoa only played a full 17-game season once from 2021-24.

Now the challenge becomes avoiding a snowball effect, especially as calls begin mounting for McDaniels and Tagovailoa’s departure. The Dolphins host Drake Maye and the New England Patriots next Sunday in a battle of 0-1 teams.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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