Tyreek Hill backs Tua Tagovailoa following insider's 'bad take'

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins' Tyreek Hill backs QB Tua Tagovailoa following insider's 'bad take'

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 12/4/23

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill defended quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on social media Monday morning after a Washington Commanders reporter gave what the speedster called a "bad take."

NBC Sports Washington's Grant Paulsen shared a video of Tagovailoa and Hill's 60-yard touchdown hookup from Sunday's Dolphins win. While praising the wideout, Paulsen said he couldn't "stress how bad" the signal-caller's throw was. The four-time first-team All-Pro took the blame and said his teammate did everything he was supposed to do.

Bad take I ran my route wrong Tua threw that ball exactly where I was suppose to be . He noticed my angle put enough air time on it just to give me time to adjust https://t.co/C0b9Q5y4h3
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) December 4, 2023

While Hill and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a special connection for four seasons in Kansas City from 2018-21 (Mahomes played only one game as a rookie in 2017), the domination of the "Cheetah" and Tagovailoa has been unmatched.

Despite missing four games due to multiple concussions in 2022, Tagovailoa still recorded 25 touchdown passes, seven of which went to Hill. This season, the duo's connection has been on another level.

Through 12 games, the Alabama product has registered 3,457 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. Absurdly, 42.8% of the quarterback's passing yards have gone to the seven-time Pro Bowler and half of the scores have landed in Hill's arms as well.

Tagovailoa ranks second in the NFL in yards per pass attempt (8.6), tied for second in completion percentage (70.1%) and touchdown passes and is third in passing yards and passer rating (106.0). Hill has been even better amid a potentially historic season.

He leads the league in receiving yards (1,481), receiving touchdowns (12), receiving yards per game (123.4), yards after catch (604), receiving first downs (66) and 20+ yard receiving plays (24). Hill is also second in receptions (93) and tied for second in targets (127).

No wideout has ever won the league's regular season MVP award but Hill seems to have just as good a chance as anybody. He's on pace to break Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson's single-season record for most receiving yards (1,964), set in 2012, and has been a crucial part to Miami's 9-3 start.

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