Bleak Start for Miami Dolphins: Can Tua Tagovailoa Change the Narrative?

Things are undeniably bleak for the Miami Dolphins, but at least there’s some novelty to accompany their season-opening skid.

Miami might earn its first victory of the season when the equally winless New York Jets come to town on Monday night, and the Dolphins could, like the Jets, secure their first takeaway of the season.

What we do know is the Dolphins will look Dapper (if not Duper) while doing whatever they do at Hard Rock Stadium, as they’ll be donning their Nike Rivalry “Dark Water” uniforms.

So, there’s that, right? Right?!?

ESPN Research tells us this is the first season since turnovers became an official statistic in 1933 that multiple teams are 0-3 without forcing one.

Ask many in Dolphins Nation and they’d love to count a takeaway as removing various personnel from the front office, sideline, and/or field. After guiding Miami to playoff berths after the 2022 and 2023 seasons – both ending in AFC wild-card defeats – coach Mike McDaniel is 8-12 since.

Optimism and hope were nowhere to be found in a season-opening 33-8 loss at Indianapolis, and there wasn’t much more to like about narrow losses to New England in Week 2 and at Buffalo the following Thursday.

McDaniel still is saying the right things, though, namely about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who took eight sacks through the first two games while looking lost on various reads.

Tagovailoa responded with slightly more than a whimper in Week 3, going 22-of-34 for two touchdowns and an interception while the O-line remarkably kept the former MVP clean.

Tagovailoa entered Week 4 ranked 29th in the NFL with a 35.8 QBR while his 6.4 air yards per attempt were 25th. From McDaniel’s perch, however, Tagovailoa possesses the mental moxie for a turnaround.

“The game of a franchise quarterback is never just still ... there's opportunities that he needs to take advantage of,” McDaniel said. “There's also a ton of opportunities to turn the ball over that he hasn't taken. He's really answered the bell for 99 percent of the time. ... It's not an easy task to be in his shoes, but I'm very happy with where his mind is at and where his focus is at because if he was a weaker-minded individual, it's tough for any quarterback during any losing streak or any whatever.

“He's focused on being 1-0 against the New York Jets and that's why I know he's capable and I'm excited to see his next opportunity that we work on all week because of just that, of being focused on the right things.”

Dolphins faithful also are miffed at Tyreek Hill, you may have heard, so perhaps complementing Tagovailoa’s arsenal could help.

Miami expects 6-foot-3, 238-pound tight end Darren Waller to make his team debut after working through a hip injury in the early season.

“That dude walks around, he looks like a tower over guys,” wideout Malik Washington said. “So, with his ability to catch the ball, his ability to run routes and his ability to block and be on his assignment, we've seen it in practice and stuff. I think adding him to the element, that just adds another playmaker to our team.”

Waller came out of retirement in July, so that’s something new and different for fans, too.

Heaven knows the losing in Miami is getting old.