Dallas Is The Test Miami Has Been Waiting For
Photo Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Over the last five weeks, the Miami Dolphins have had the luxury of playing some downtrodden teams. Miami beat the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Jets, and the Washington Commanders. They also lost to a 4-8 Titans squad on Monday Night Football in hilarious fashion, before taking their frustrations out on the New York Jets in a 30-0 blowout. Since the Kansas City Chiefs game in Week 9, the Dolphins have gone 4-1 against opponents under .500. It’s been easy pickings for a while now.
This week is different. The Dolphins are playing the Dallas Cowboys, who were one of the first teams in the NFC to clinch a playoff spot with a 10-4 record. Dallas is led by Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike McCarthy, who has the offense playing at a high level. The Cowboys boast the ninth-ranked offense in DVOA, and have one of the league’s best receivers in CeeDee Lamb. What’s more impressive is their defense featuring Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs that ranks sixth in the league in overall defensive DVOA. The Dolphins rank third in overall offensive DVOA, so this is an intriguing matchup.
Even more intriguing, are the similarities between Tua Tagovailoa and Dak Prescott. Tua and Dak are both high-end system quarterbacks who don’t do anything spectacular. That’s not a diss towards either of them, but these guys aren’t throwing no-look sidearm passes like Patrick Mahomes, or speeding past defenders while rushing for 100 yards like Lamar Jackson. That being said, both Tua and Dak have been playing great football, and they both deserve to be in the MVP conversation even if neither of them are generational talents.
Prescott and Tagovailoa also play in glamorous markets that are known for being flashy.
Miami is known for their art-deco skyscrapers, food, and culture with a Caribbean flair, and South Beach where college students and smoking-hot instagram models from across the country go to party.
Dallas is a bit more subdued, but if there’s one thing to know about Dallas, it’s that they live for football. Back when Al Davis was still around, the Raiders had this certain allure surrounding their franchise because of Davis’ cult of personality. The Cowboys have the same thing with Jerry Jones, and the massive, Texas-sized stadium they play in is aptly nicknamed Jerry World. To put the cherry on top, both Tua and Dak have three letter names.
Despite the fact that Tagovailoa and Prescott are playing great football right now, there are serious questions regarding how far each player can take their team in the playoffs.
Prescott is 2-4 in the playoffs, and is now 30 years old. While he still has plenty of football ahead of him, it’s clear that the Dak Prescott you see is exactly what you’re going to get. There’s not much room for development at his age, since he’s now a veteran player.
With Tagovailoa, you have a bit more hope because he’s only 25 and has never made the playoffs. One could make a reasonable argument that he still has room for growth.
The thing is, Tua has struggled against equal competition this season, with head-to-head losses against elite quarterbacks like Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts. He also has a tendency to get flustered and turn the ball over at inopportune times.
The Dolphins have done a good job of making things easy for him, so this isn’t something we’ve seen often this year. Mike McDaniel is the league’s best young play caller, Tyreek Hill has been the league’s best wide receiver this season and leads the NFL in receiving yards, and when healthy the Dolphins offensive line is among the league’s best. Currently, the Dolphins offensive line is nowhere near fully healthy with Connor Williams out for the year, plus Hill missed last week with a minor injury and has been banged up all season. McDaniel can’t turn water into wine. No coach can.
Tagovailoa will inevitably find himself in suboptimal situations where things aren’t going as planned. We know that he can play at an MVP level against the Commanders or the Jets. But can he maintain the same level of play when his offensive line is injured through hell and back against a quality opponent, all while doing so in a high-pressure environment where both teams have everything to play for? This game will be a significant litmus test for Tua.
Can he prove that he is more than just a high level game manager like Dak Prescott and silence all of his doubters with a statement victory? Or will he fold under the pressure that comes with playing in a big game and allow those questions to haunt this Dolphins team that wants to show the world that they’re legitimate Super Bowl contenders? Only time will tell.
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