Dec. 8, Miami (UPI) — Now, when Tua Tagovailoa makes a mistake, Mike McDaniel becomes positively “fired up”.
The coach of the Miami Dolphins claims that his actions are an acknowledgment of the quarterback’s newly
developed capacity to use rage as fuel.
According to McDaniel, the quarterback’s toolkit—which he learned from the likes of sports legends like Michael
Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Tiger Woods—is “never going away.”
“Since nobody ever claims to be flawless, why make the commitment? At a press conference on Thursday, McDaniel
—who guided the Dolphins to a 9-3 start—said, “And I’m seeing it from Tua in an incredible fashion.”
“You want to discuss about someone who is coachable—these are psychological and philosophical issues. Hearing it
is one thing, but over the course of a year and a half, he really enthralled me, and that’s what drove me up. You have
to be present in the moment, just as he is. That will always exist.”
McDaniel claimed that in the past, Tagovailoa’s annoyance at mistakes—such as interceptions, fumbles, and
misreads—led to an excessive amount of self-criticism, which increased pressure and resulted in additional mistakes.
To make sure the Dolphins’ engine doesn’t stall, the coach worked closely with the fourth-year quarterback to figure
out how to convert that enthusiasm into an infinite supply of mental gasoline.
On the most recent episode of Hard Knocks: In Season With the Miami Dolphins, one of those coaching moments
was captured on camera. During practice last week, Tagovailoa, who had thrown three interceptions in his two prior
games, threw another one to CB Jalen Ramsey.
Pulling the trembling quarterback aside, McDaniel praised the repetition as “great.” It was another opportunity to
control anger and transform uncertainty into a stronger will to carry out.
Tagovailoa was informed by McDaniel, “You feel how you feel.” “And you [expletive] channel your frustration, which
I can sense you’re feeling! Really, that’s what it is when you list the people who have accomplished it—Jordan, Kobe,
Tiger, etc.”
McDaniel claimed that, like many others, he grew up following the sports icons. “One of the most impactful people”
in his life, he described Jordan as. The six-time NBA champion is still admired for his unbridled confidence and
merciless attitude.
However, McDaniel also recalls the occasions when Jordan struggled to make shots, but that didn’t stop him from
playing a strong role.
McDaniel stated, “It’s about the inevitable failure that will happen, not about how much you succeed.” How would
you handle that?”
Similar to Jordan, Tagovailoa entered the conversation for league MVP because of his undoubtedly high “best-in-
the-league” standard and his refined mentality to control rage.
When questioned about his errors on Thursday, Tagovailoa responded, “I’m able to move on from it a lot quicker
than I have in past years.” “I believe that represents my personal and professional development as a football player.
“You have power over how you respond to things, even though they won’t always go your way. The game is never
won in the opening, second, or third quarters. Thus, if you make an intercept, you always have
With 24 touchdown passes, Tagovailoa is two behind league leader Dak Prescott and tied with Josh Allen for second
place. With the help of McDaniel’s top-ranked motion offense, receiving yardage leader Tyreek Hill, the NFL’s No. 2
rushing assault, and a much stronger offensive line, he ranks third in passer rating (106) in passing yards per game
(288.1).
Under McDaniel, right tackle Austin Jackson is developing as well. Jackson covers Tagovailoa’s blind side. Similar to
Tagovailoa, the linemen experienced setbacks in his initial seasons due to injuries, lack of confidence, and low
output.
According to Tagovailoa, that resulted in the players receiving criticism from the media and the former coaching
staff. Jackson received a contract extension on Thursday as a result of his growth under the new coaching staff,
which has sparked the offense.
Tagovailoa praised McDaniel’s development of his colleagues, calling it “truly remarkable.” “To sit through meetings
where you’re told things about yourself [by former coaches] that you know aren’t true, but they still stick in your
head, and you’re under constant media scrutiny.”
“Then you have someone like Mike and his coaching staff come in and basically just build you back up.”
During his debut season, Tagovailoa was benched multiple times by former Dolphins coach Brian Flores.
Subsequently, rumors circulated regarding the quarterback and the ousted coach’s reported tense relationship
(2022).
On the I AM Athlete podcast last year, Flores refuted the accusations, labeling them as “a crazy narrative.”
When questioned about his relationship with Flores—who is currently the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota
Vikings—Tagovailoa remains evasive in his answers. Last year, he stated that while he was grateful to the coach for
picking Flores with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he had no opinion over the latter’s dismissal.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, a former quarterback with the Dolphins, went into further detail on the Flores-Tagovailoa
relationship on Thursday. Fitzpatrick, who shared starting duty with Tagovailoa in 2020, claimed that under Flores
and the previous coaching staff, Tagovailoa suffered severe mental and emotional damage.
According to Fitzpatrick, “he was broken from Brian Flores, [with] the way he treated him and the way he coached
him,” during the Thursday Night Football game on Prime.
“What takes place? Entering, Mike McDaniel restores his
In addition to being a Top 10 candidate, Hill leads the NFL in receiving yards (1,481) and is on track to surpass
Calvin Johnson’s single-season record (1,964 in 2012).
At Miami Gardens, Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium, the Dolphins, who currently own the top seed in the AFC playoff
race, will welcome the Tennessee Titans (9-3) on Monday. ESPN will broadcast that game at 8:15 p.m. EST.
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