Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ensured the New York Jets’ offense never got a possession during the overtime period of Sunday’s game by guiding his unit down the field for a walk-off drive that ended with tight end Jonnu Smith recording a 10-yard touchdown reception.
Following the Dolphins’ 32-26 victory that improved them to 6-7 on the season, Smith shared a massive claim regarding where he has Tagovailoa in NFL quarterback power rankings.
“We got the best quarterback in the world,” Smith told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “…I’m here with him day in and day out. I see it. If you were a receiver, pass-catcher, you’d want this guy as a quarterback, end of story. He throws the most catchable ball you can imagine, beyond accurate. Just poise in the pocket, a great person, a great leader, all of these things that you want in your quarterback. I’ve been around a lot of guys, a lot of great quarterbacks. This guy, to me, right now, I always say it, he’s the best quarterback in the world right now.”
Tagovailoa missed four games earlier this season due to the third reported concussion he’s suffered since the start of the 2022 campaign. While he couldn’t prevent the Dolphins from falling to 2-6 in his first two weeks back in the lineup, he’s since won four of five starts.
According to ESPN stats, Tagovailoa ended the weekend ranked 14th in the NFL with a 63.1 adjusted QBR and second with an average of 272.9 passing yards per game for the season. Over nine contests, he’s tossed 17 touchdown passes and only four interceptions.
As of Monday afternoon, the NFL’s website gave the Dolphins a 14% chance to make the playoffs. At that same time, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Miami as a three-point underdog for this coming Sunday’s game at the 8-5 Houston Texans.
“You don’t have room for error,” Smith said about the final four matchups on Miami’s schedule. “We shot ourselves in the foot earlier in the season. It’s hard to win games when your franchise quarterback is not playing. Those guys that came in and stepped up did a heck of a job. But Tua is the guy.”
Of course, the biggest concern for Smith and Co. is that Tagovailoa is always one hit away from possibly being sidelined for more than a couple of plays. That’s a big reason some still feel the Dolphins made a mistake by signing the 26-year-old to a four-year, $212.4M contract this past offseason even though he may be “the best quarterback in the world” when healthy.
