The Miami Dolphins rolled into Week 8 desperate to turn their season around. They were 1-6 through the first seven weeks of the season, and much of the blame for their poor performances was being placed on the shoulders of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
That’s why fans grew even more concerned when the former Alabama standout showed up on the team’s injury report with an unspecified illness. Then, before the game against the Atlanta Falcons, he was seen with a swollen left eye and a visor on his helmet for the first time in his career. However, Tagoviloa had what was arguably the best game of the season.
How Did Fans Respond to Tua Tagovialoa’s Performance Against the Falcons?
Tagovialoa attempted 26 passes, completing 20 for 205 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions. That gave him his highest passer rating of the season so far at 138.6.
In addition to the impressive numbers already mentioned, Tagovailoa also made a good impression with his decision-making on big plays. At one point, the QB even celebrated a touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle by covering his injured eye, showing good humor in the face of an uncomfortable situation.
What a throw by Tua Tagovailoa, who looks like the old Tua so far today. pic.twitter.com/6V8ZlLj0Wt
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 26, 2025
Jaylen Waddle is a BLUR. 43-yard TD!
MIAvsATL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/k6ggqc9Qu1
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Tagovailoa’s performance (76.9% pass completion, 138.6 passer rating) is even more remarkable considering that the Falcons entered Week 8 as the #1 pass defense in the current NFL season, allowing the Dolphins to dream of a big run in the coming weeks of the regular season.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Spectacular Performance Excites Dolphins Fans
This spectacular performance by the QB did not go unnoticed by fans on social media, with some comments asking Tagovailoa to always play with one eye covered until the end of the season, in addition to comparisons with Drew Brees. Check out some of the reactions below.
One fan wrote, “One eyed Tua is better than 2 eyed Tua.”
One eyed Tua is better than 2 eyed Tua https://t.co/aBkgiBnoyP
— Dadrian🧀 (@KingDay__) October 26, 2025
“One eyed Tua is a gunslinger, Cheetah!” posted another fan.
One eyed Tua is a gunslinger, cheetah!
— Rob (@RobConsigliere) October 26, 2025
A one-eyed quarterback handed the 3-3 Falcons another loss, bragged another Miami fan, “One-eyed Tua embarrassing the falcons smh.”
One eyed Tua embarrassing the falcons smh
— Marz (@stoneymarz) October 26, 2025
“Mike McDaniels punching Tua in the eye before every game after finding out he plays better with one eye,” joked yet another fan.
Mike Mcdaniels punching Tua in the eye before every game after finding out he plays better with one eye pic.twitter.com/pN5RuLONYw
— LombardiLoading (@DijonPierre0) October 26, 2025
Tua is completing 79% of his passes with a swollen eye…
— Ikenna 🦈 (@1PLYMKR) October 26, 2025
It even got Tagovailoa a comparison to a former Super Bowl champion, “Apparently pink eye turned Tua into Drew Brees.”
Apparently pink eye turned Tua into Drew Brees
— Jack Pasquale (@eyeblackjackp) October 26, 2025
Starting a petition for tua to always play with a visor and eyepatch
— wolfbehindacamera (@jewbrick) October 26, 2025
“Tua is dangerous,” bragged another fan.
Tua is dangerous.
— *WADDLEVILLE* (@WADDLEVILLE1682) October 26, 2025
The Dolphins won’t have much time to celebrate their victory, as they will be one of the teams kicking off Week 9 with Thursday Night Football on October 30 against the Baltimore Ravens (who currently rank 32nd in the PFSN Defense Impact metric with a 59.3 DEFi). At least this matchup will mark the start of a long string of home games, as they won’t have to travel for their next games against the Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints.