Tua Tagovailoa throws first NFL TD after shaky start

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hit DeVante Parker on a landmark three-yard TD.

Tua Tagovailoa has an NFL touchdown pass to his name, putting a shaky start behind him to get the Miami Dolphins on the board in his first pro start against the Los Angeles Rams.

After fumbling on his first dropback under pressure from Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd, Tagovailoa saw successive drives end in punts before he led a scoring drive to tie things up at 7-7.

The six-play drive, which followed a Jared Goff interception, featured a 15-yard completion to Jakeem Grant and was capped by a three-yard scoring hookup with DeVante Parker.

On third and goal, Tua reacted well to the pressure off the edge, delivering rapidly off his backfoot to Parker after the receiver had come open on an in-breaking route.

The play saw Tagovailoa demonstrate the kind of poise Dolphins fans will hope to see much more of down the stretch this season, while he and Parker will look to develop an excellent rapport.

A fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by Andrew Van Ginkel put the Dolphins up 14-7, with a spectacular 88-yard punt return for a score from Grant then extending their lead to 21-7. Myles Gaskin capitalized on Goff’s third turnover of the first half to make it 28-7 to Miami.

The Dolphins’ strategy of parting with high-profile assets in exchange for draft picks last season was the subject of widespread scrutiny.

However, with one of the most exciting prospects of recent memory under center and both the defense and special teams delivering game-changing plays, Miami’s grand rebuilding plan looks set to start delivering the desired results.