Why Tua Needs to Stop Playing Losing Game

Tua Tagovailoa continues to be and probably always will be a polarizing player, one whose every move will be dissected.

It's been that way for a minute for the Miami Dolphins quarterback, and the latest episode involves his response to comments from former NFL first overall pick Cam Newton and subsequently the reaction to that response.

Through it all, Tagovailoa is not getting much national support in taking on Newton, but more importantly from this vantage point Tua missed the mark in feeling the need to respond to somebody, anybody criticizing his performance.

NEWTON'S COMMENTS AND TUA'S RESPONSE

In the aftermath of the Dolphins' 0-3 start that featured costly Tagovailoa interceptions in the fourth quarter against both the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, Newton said on his podcast basically that Tua needed to step up his game.

"Tagovailoa is making more than Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, Matthew Stafford, Jayden Daniels," Newton said. "Am I pocket watching? No, I'm putting things into perspective here. ... In this case, it should be more money, more expectations. When I see Tua Tagovailoa over this year, alone, I've heard him more than I ever had. That's not to say you can't talk. I like quiet Tua. Alabama Tua. Chip on your shoulder Tua. Not 'Is somebody going to come in and watch film.'

"What you're being paid, what you're asked to do, what you have the capability of — from one quarterback to another, I look at the situation like come on, dawg. Especially when you've got a Ferrari and a Lamborghini and other amenities that other quarterbacks wish they had."

During his weekly media session Thursday, Tagovailoa was asked how his contract — often reported at four years for $212 million — factored in the criticism of his performance.

The question then was clarified with a reference made to Newton's comments, prompting this Tua response: “Well, anybody can play quarterback in this league then. I want to see anybody on the streets come and play quarterback. Cam (Newton) is doing his thing for sure, but I think it’s easier to be able to hold a clicker and talk about it that way or talk about what someone else is doing wrong when you’re not going out and having to do the same as them. I think it’s easy to do that, I think anybody can do that. I don’t think anybody can play quarterback.”

The verbal volleying went on Friday with Dan Patrick and Stephen A. Smith both criticizing Tagovailoa for not recognizing that Newton isn't a regular fan, but a former MVP who took the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.

Newton himself had a response to Tua's response.

"OK, part of me wants to admit to say, anybody can go 0-3, anybody can really look at the optics and say, Hey, dog like but did I lie, though?" Newton said. "But this is where we have to understand, do I feel a certain type of way? Absolutely not. I've said what I said, and I'll stand on what I said. This Tua Tagovailoa that we have seen within the last 12 months is not something and someone that is indicative of what we've seen before. I use the reference as quiet Tua, Alabama Tua, Tua under Nick Saban, and everybody understands where I'm coming from when I see the situation that has taken place in Miami. It's more Love Island drama than football, and in large part I wouldn't say it's all on Tua, but it is a main ingredient. And I just know what he's capable of.

"There were times that we've seen Tua Tagovailoa play football, and it was at a high level. You don't make $53 (million) by just being a random on the street. Now I don't know if he was using the references. Anybody can do it with the clicker. Yes, Tua, you are absolutely right. It is extremely easy to try to do what us good constituents are doing. But the truth is, it's also easy to go over. And I want you to hear this, Tua, let it rip. And when you have a Jayden Waddle, when you have a Tyreek Hill, when you have Mike McDaniel as your coach, you have all the assets and the amenities that you have once showed that you're capable of. I don't know what this is in Miami."

WHAT TUA SHOULD AVOID

What's interesting about all this is the Newton reference at Tua's press conference came after the quarterback already had said he needed to play better.

So the question that needs to be asked is why Tua felt the need to go there with the "clicker" comment — regardless of who had made the comment.

The quarterback already had said he hasn't been playing his best football; Newton kinda said the same thing.

Why couldn't Tua simply have answered by saying something along the lines of "Everybody is entitled to their opinion, my opinion is that I can play better and I'll leave it at that."

Why the need to go beyond and take a shot (admittedly a mild one) at those critiquing his performance?

Tua should know by now that kind of comes with the territory.

This, of course, was reminiscent of his comments last year after he came back from his concussion, overall had a good game against the Arizona Cardinals but mis-handled a shotgun snap, leading to a safety in an eventual 28-27 loss, when he said it was easy to criticize while eating chips on the couch.

That, quite frankly, was beneath a starting quarterback, let alone a franchise quarterback.

Like it or not, playing quarterback brings about a lot of scrutiny, particularly when you're getting paid what Tua is getting paid.

Sure, it's easy to sit at a laptop and point out quarterbacks should ignore the critics — see what I did there? — but there's pretty much no option unless the commentary is out of line.

And, of course, that happens, especially on social media.

But that's a different story.

Media analysis doesn't tend to get personal — there are exceptions, of course, such as Rex Ryan obnoxiously calling Mike McDaniel "nerd boy" — so Tua shouldn't take it personally.

In the end, Tua doesn't come out looking better for having pushed back against the Newton comments.

It's, quite frankly, a losing game. And Tua should stop playing it.

More Miami Dolphins Coverage: