Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa returns to site of defining moment with everything at stake

It was a coming-out party of sorts for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa the last time he played in Baltimore.

In Week 2 of last season, Tagovailoa overcame a pair of first-half interceptions and rallied Miami from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit in a 42-38 win against the Ravens. Tagovailoa threw for a career-high 469 yards and six touchdowns, including the game-winning throw to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, as the Dolphins tied their second-largest comeback in team history.

At the time, Tagovailoa still faced major questions about his viability as a starting quarterback. But that game seemingly marked a watershed moment in Tagovailoa’s career, and he’s taken off ever since.

When he returns to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, much more will be on the line: the AFC’s No. 1 seed and possibly even the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

With a Ravens win, Baltimore (12-3) would clinch a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But a Dolphins (11-4) win would put Miami in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed, only needing a win against the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale to secure their spot atop the conference.

As he did in the aftermath of the victory last season, Tagovailoa on Wednesday downplayed the significance of the individual performance.

“It was a hard-fought game,” he said after practice. “Our team, we were able to not let the score dictate how we wanted to finish or how we wanted to continue to play that game. Obviously, the result was a win. But it’s a new year.”

When McDaniel was asked about the game, he called it “one of the things in the journey and growth that I know Tua got to learn from.”

McDaniel recounted Tagovailoa’s second interception before halftime, which he called “out of character.”

“‘Dude, you’re trying to win the game on every play. That’s not your job,’” McDaniel said he told Tagovailoa on the sideline.

McDaniel added: “From that game to where we’re at now, he would say to himself there’s been definite highs. You can just look at his numbers. It’s really, really, really hard to play the quarterback position at the level that he plays it at. But there’s also been so many things that’s learned from as well. I feel like that game he was probably — let’s say arbitrarily he was 20 years old. Now, I feel like he’s 32. Still in his prime.”

As for the MVP award, quarterback Lamar Jackson is the current front-runner to receive the honor after a two-touchdown performance in the Ravens’ convincing win against the San Francisco 49ers, compounded by a disastrous four-interception outing from quarterback Brock Purdy, the former front-runner.

After a hot start to the season, Tagovailoa’s MVP buzz dwindled a bit. However, entering Week 17 he’s widely listed with the third-lowest odds to win MVP, only behind Jackson and 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.

It has been a career-best season for Tagovailoa, who leads the NFL in passing yards (4,214), and completion percentage (70.5 percent). He also ranks second in yards per attempt (8.5) and is tied for sixth in passing touchdowns (26). Tagovailoa, who has played in every game this season, was limited in practice on Wednesday because of injuries to left thumb and quad.

“I think he’s played so skillfully and so smart throughout the season and probably hasn’t got the credit he deserves,” CBS NFL analyst Charles Davis, who will provide color commentary for the game, told the Miami Herald in an interview. “But when people really take a good look at it, the accuracy, the preciseness, all the things we loved about him coming out of college, they’re still on display.”

With no runaway favorite for MVP, the final two weeks of the regular season for the Dolphins, which consists of high-profile matchups with the Ravens and Bills, could be a major deciding factor in who wins the league’s top individual honor.

When asked about the MVP discourse surrounding this weekend’s game, Tagovailoa reiterated his apathy for the discussions.

“I could[n’t] care less,” he said.

Tagovailoa, though, noted his respect for fellow MVP candidate Jackson, who he said reached out to him in 2019 to congratulate him on his play at Alabama.

“I’ve been hearing talks about what people say about him and whatnot and how he handles himself and how he goes about his business,” Tagovailoa said. “Very respectable, very commendable. He’s a baller. That’s flat-out what he is and that’s what he does. He’s a game-changer with what he can do in the pocket, throwing the ball deep, on the run. And then he can make you miss with his legs. So, I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”