Tua Tagovailoa posts inspirational tweet after win in first NFL start

Tua won his first NFL start against the Rams on Sunday

The Dolphins are a sleeper to make the playoffs in the AFC after three straight wins has them sitting pretty at 4-3. Miami made a quarterback change just a week ago, benching the veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick for No. 5 overall pick Tua Tagovailoa. It was a move that was expected by most to happen at some point this season, but not necessarily while the Dolphins were winning. Fitzpatrick himself was very surprised, but remained supportive of the rookie Tagovailoa.

In his first start, Tua completed 12-of-22 passes for just over 90 yards passing. It was a pedestrian day offensively against one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Aaron Donald, for one, welcomed Tagovailoa to the NFL with a sack on his first play.

The Dolphins rode a 21-point second quarter to victory

Miami only scored 28 points in the entire game, and their second quarter output is all they would’ve needed to win. The Dolphins scored through the air, on the ground, on defense and on special teams, giving Tagovailoa all the support he would need.

Just one game in, Tagovailoa understands he has a long way to go before he demands the respect of the Dolphins locker room. But his first start in nearly a year went according to plan, and most importantly, he escaped unscathed.

The schedule doesn’t lighten up next week, as Miami heads to Arizona to take on the surging Cardinals. Tagovailoa vs. Kyler Murray ought to be an exciting quarterback matchup, but one Tua will be ready for. If Nick Saban taught him anything, it’s to prepare week in and week out. He’s taken that mentality with him to the next level.