Has Mike McDaniel Lost Confidence In Tua

Has Mike McDaniel Lost Confidence In Tua

The Miami Dolphins won their 3rd game in a row in an ugly 21-17 win over the New Orleans Saints. There was a sequence during the game that had fans booing and analysts scratching their heads. 

Right before halftime, Rasual Douglas intercepted a pass and returned it into Saints territory. The Dolphins had one timeout left and burned it after the first play, and were inside the Saints’ 40-yard line. It looked like the Dolphins would be able to score a touchdown to go up three scores, but McDaniel ran the ball and then had quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spike the ball in the closing seconds to settle for a 48-yard field goal. The field goal was made, so the Dolphins went up 16-0 at halftime. I personally didn’t have a huge issue with it. 

However, as the days have passed, it has got me thinking why McDaniel was so conservative before the half. 

Think about it, when was the last time you really saw him be conservative with his play calling since he has been the head coach? One of the things that I found refreshing when he started as head coach and calling plays was his aggressiveness going for it on 4th down, like in his first game before the half against the New England Patriots in 2022, he had a 4th and four just inside their 45 yard line, and he went for it and they got a touchdown to Jaylen Waddle.

Later that year, in a second-half game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he faced 4th-and-short in a low-scoring game, and instead of kicking the field goal, he went for it and didn’t get the first down.

The next year in the opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Dolphins started a drive just past their 30-yard line with no timeouts and less than 15 seconds, and instead of kneeling it and going into the half, decided to throw a deep ball and got a pass interference penalty to get a field goal before the half. 

These are a few examples of how McDaniel has been, and there are plenty of others, I’m sure, so it got me thinking about why he was so conservative. Most coaches would have wanted to get a touchdown before the half. McDaniel’s explanation of how the Saints were getting the ball to start the 2nd half, and the goal is not to give the ball back to end it, is correct, but still, it seemed unlike McDaniel. 

It got me thinking, has he lost confidence in his quarterback? There was talk earlier in the season about some tension between the two. Also, Tagovailoa, earlier in the game, got the ball in around the same spot after a turnover and threw a careless deep pass into double coverage for an interception. Tua has been off all season long, and in Sunday’s game, he was missing throws he normally makes, such as the screen pass to De’Von Achane.

That would have been a touchdown if he had thrown it more accurately. Tua has also thrown the most interceptions, 14, this year, more than any other quarterback in the league. Combining that with his accuracy issues, it makes you wonder if McDaniel has lost his confidence in him. 

McDaniel has gone more of a running offense lately, and I commend him for that because I’ve always been critical of him for getting away from the running game at times. I know he doesn’t have Tyreek Hill, and that could come into the equation as well, but his quarterback must play better no matter who is on the field, and Tua has been off this whether it be inaccurate passes or throwing careless passes for interceptions.