Tua Tagovailoa goes 5 for 5 with a touchdown in his preseason debut, leading the Miami Dolphins to a 13-6 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Bollywood Fever: Tua Tagovailoa made an impressive preseason debut, completing all five of his passes, including a touchdown, to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 13-6 victory over the Washington Commanders on Saturday night.
This marked Tagovailoa’s first game since signing a four-year, $212 million extension, and he wasted no time showcasing his sharpness.
Tagovailoa threw for 51 yards on a 61-yard scoring drive, culminating in a 13-yard touchdown pass to River Cracraft on a crucial fourth-and-1 play.
“It feels good any time you start to get back into a routine and get back into the games,” Tagovailoa said after the game. “We executed the way we wanted to and did what we wanted to do.”
Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels also had a solid outing, going 10 of 12 for 78 yards and adding 13 rushing yards in his two series.
Although his drives ended in field goal attempts rather than touchdowns, Daniels expressed satisfaction with his performance: “I wished we would have finished with some touchdowns but put the team in position to score points.”
Riley Patterson, Washington’s kicker, struggled throughout the night, going 2 for 4 on field goal attempts, with successful kicks from 46 and 38 yards but misses from 49 and 43 yards. On the other side, Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders made both of his attempts from 39 and 33 yards.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel praised Tagovailoa’s calmness and decision-making: “I thought it was probably the least amount of nerves that he’s had the first time stepping out on the football field. He didn’t force any issues. I really liked his decisions, his ball placement.”
Miami converted two key fourth downs during the scoring drive, with Tagovailoa emphasizing the trust placed in the team by McDaniel: “Mike just trusted us that we’d get it done. Very proud of it.”
Washington’s backup quarterbacks, Jeff Driskel and Trace McSorley, took over after Daniels, with Driskel completing 11 of 15 passes for 82 yards. McSorley, who joined the team after Sam Hartman’s preseason injury, went 11 of 21 for 93 yards with an interception.
The Dolphins sealed the victory with a defensive stand inside their 10-yard line in the closing seconds, thwarting Washington’s attempt to tie or win the game. Commanders coach Dan Quinn acknowledged the effort from his players: “A number of the players absolutely emptied the tank.”
Rookie edge rusher Chop Robinson, Miami’s first-round draft pick, made his debut and contributed with a key stop for a 4-yard loss.
Tagovailoa played without his top receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who were both out of uniform, but still managed to lead his team effectively.
Injuries:
- Commanders: DE Jalen Harris left the game after stopping Je’Quan Burton for a 1-yard loss in the fourth quarter.
- Dolphins: RB Chris Brooks suffered an upper-body injury following a 59-yard run. C Sean Harlow walked off with a left knee injury, and LB David Long did not return after a left hand injury in the first quarter.
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