Tua Tagovailoa says the quiet part out loud about Dolphins down year

The Miami Dolphins sit at 5-7 after a dispiriting loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Not much has gone right for the Dolphins this season, which stems from Tua Tagovailoa's extremely publicized four-game absence after a concussion he suffered in Week 2.

This wasn't Tagovailoa's first concussion. It has become a worrying trend in his career, which led folks to debate whether he should even play again. Of course, Tagovailoa, being the competitor that he is, decided to suit back up and attempt to salvage Miami's season. He inherited a 2-4 record from backup QB Scoop Huntley.

It has gone better with Tagovailoa back at the helm, but the Dolphins are fighting an uphill battle. We are used to Miami's offense just outclassing opponents during the regular season, easily leading the NFL in total yards, passing yards and rushing yards — the trifecta of in-game gains. This season, Miami's offense ranks 19th in total yards per game. That accounts for four weeks of Miami's patchwork backup QB situation, but still, the sheen has worn off on the Mike McDaniel experience a little bit.

When asked about how surprising Miami's struggles have been, Tagovailoa admirably took accountability for the Dolphins' precarious situation.

Tua Tagovailoa blames himself for Dolphins' 5-7 record

That is a commendable sentiment from Tagovailoa, who isn't beating around the bush. The Dolphins straight-up wouldn't be below .500 with 12 games of a healthy Tagovailoa, so in a sense, he is absolutely correct.

It's less clear if we (or he) should blame Tagovailoa for "putting himself in harm's way." That is a slippery slope of thought and probably not the best way to talk about an extremely unfortunate and unpredictable injury. Of course Tagovailoa needs to be more careful when running or operating under pressure in the pocket. That said, blows to the head are, unfortunately, part of the game. Tagovailoa's injury was a product of football, not of his own shortcomings. That much should be made clear.

There is still time for the Dolphins to salvage this season and squeak into the playoffs, although their postseason track record doesn't inspire much confidence in what the Dolphins might accomplish on that stage. Miami has a winnable stretch of games to finish the season — Jets, Texans, 49ers, Browns, Jets. Basically, three games against a losing team and two against faux contenders who just can't seem to find their footing right now.

If Miami can steal four of their next five, that puts them at 9-8, which could be enough for a Wild Card berth. The first-place Buffalo Bills are out of reach in the division, but we know this Dolphins offense can find a higher gear at any time. We are in the middle of Tyreek Hill's worst season to date, while De'Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle both appear to be operating below their capacities. There is a switch to flip in there somewhere, and Tagovailoa has been playing better of late. He has nine touchdowns and zero interceptions over the past three weeks.

The margin for error is zilch for the Dolphins moving forward, but Tagovailoa is capable of special runs. Let's see if Miami can turn this ship around in the nick of time.