MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has taken the lion’s share of criticism for the team’s red-zone struggles in recent weeks. But like most any football failure, there isn’t just one person to blame.
On Thursday, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa put the Dolphins’ 2 of 5 performance in red-zone touchdown conversions against the Tennessee Titans on his own shoulders.
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Talks Titans Troubles
“I think that’s something that I have to take,” Tagovailoa said. “Because as we were down in the red area, there were some calls that I made that didn’t help us.”
“There were some decisions that I made as well that didn’t help us,” he added.
“And we had opportunities down there. In games like that here in December, you gotta execute those. I think we only had two field goals down there. … We came out with six points while we were in the red area [for most of the game]. We had a fumble as well on the first drive. Can’t end it like that. Can’t do that.”
Tua Tagovailoa reflects on what went wrong in Week 14 pic.twitter.com/GawMhCikUe
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley)
This is where we should specify that the Dolphins don’t have so much of a red-zone problem as they do a goal-to-go problem.
MORE: Miami Dolphins Depth Chart
They have actually scored touchdowns at a higher rate this year when snapping the ball from the 11-20 than they have from the 1-10.
Play-calling has been an easy target for the team’s issues near the goal line.
On Monday, the Dolphins ran 10 plays in goal-to-go situations. Four were designed runs. Six were pass plays (although two of those six resulted in a sack and a scramble).
The Dolphins’ only two offensive touchdowns came on Raheem Mostert runs.
McDaniel would be wise to stick to that script going forward, particularly with the team’s injuries on the offensive line.
When Connor Williams left the Titans game with a torn ACL, the Dolphins’ offense took a step back, Tagovailoa acknowledged.
The Titans sacked Tua five times and were able to bring pressure on roughly two-fifths of all Dolphins dropbacks.
Considering that the Dolphins’ line could be without four starters again Sunday against the Jets, Tagovailoa can expect to get heated up again in Week 15.
“That was a good rep for me last week,” he said. “It took from Week 1 all the way to whatever week this is or whatever week last week was, you know, to get that rep. I’m actually really glad that I got to get that, and you can only get better from it.”
Tua added, “Whether it comes inside, whether it goes outside, you gotta get the ball out, you gotta make quicker decisions. You gotta know where you’re hot from. Yeah, you gotta play. You gotta go out there and play.”
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