Just what are Tua Tagovailoa's statistics when under pressure?

MIAMI GARDENS - ESPN football analyst Mina Kimes noted this week that Tua Tagovailoa must play better when facing pressure in the pocket.

Kimes noted that Tua's quick release and Mike McDaniel's Miami Dolphins scheme limits pressure.

And that's true.

Tua faced pressure only 15.5 percent of the time, which was 30th-most among NFL quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Reference.

That's the good news.

But Kimes noted that under pressure, Tua ranked in the bottom 10 in the NFL in "EPA."

EPA stands for Expected Points Added. It's measure of how well a team performs relative to expectation.

Those numbers hold up when compared to Pro Football Focus' pressure statistics.

According to PFF, Tagovailoa graded 93.6 when "kept clean."

This ranked third in the NFL, behind only Josh Allen and Jared Goff.

According to PFF, Tagovailoa graded 51.6 when "under pressure."

This ranked 15th in the NFL, just behind C.J. Stroud and just ahead of Trevor Lawrence.

Tua Tagovailoa did not excel under pressure in 2023

Tua's completion percentage under pressure ranked 22nd in the NFL.

Tua's yards per attempt under pressure ranked 18th.

Tua's passer rating under pressure ranked 21st.

We know that Tagovailoa is not a dynamic runner, such as Lamar Jackson.

But after the season, McDaniel specifically noted that Tua can "buy extra time" and "extend the play."

This week, McDaniel seemed to indicate Tua is on board with that.

That's why Tua Tagovailoa has become 'svelte'

That's clearly part of the reason why Tua lost a lot of weight this offseason.

And it's likely something Tua worked on with new personal quarterback coach John Beck.

Tua is not slow. He'll want to limit scrambles for health concerns.

But if he can avoid pressure in the pocket and find more receivers on broken plays, that is the ingredient that could lift him to another level.

Tua averaged 5.3 yards on 15 scrambles in 2023.

That's 29th among quarterbacks with 8 games or more started.

Will Tua Tagovailoa choose to run more in 2024?

In Tua's first two seasons, he started 21 games and ran for 26 first downs, per PFR.

In Tua's last two seasons, he started 30 games and ran for 9 first downs, per PFR.

One of Tua's most memorable plays was a scramble as a rookie in a defeat of Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.

Surely it seems Tua plans to bring some shake 'n bake and wiggle back to his game in 2024.

Are there risks to that? Sure.

But he really needs to have that weapon in his tool box.

Miami's offense is based on rhythm and timing and quick passing.

But what if Tua could make a few more off-schedule plays?

The ability to "wow" folks on a few more occasions - think of Murray and Patrick Mahomes, for example - could elevate the national perception of Tua.

Tua Tagovailoa's healthy must remain priority

Tua will just have to pick his spots.

Tua has learned how to avoid hits and protect his head at the end of plays with jiu-jitsu training.

After a full year of health, he likely feels 2024 is a time to take a few more chances.

Of course, if he has a long-term deal in place it will make those decisions a bit easier.

Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa must improve when under pressure