The Miami Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa for Ryan Fitzpatrick in the team’s come-from-behind victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday evening.
After the game, Tagovailoa gave his honest reaction to the decision.
“It’s always good to win,” Tagovailoa said.
“It always feels good to win first off. I know outside they are probably going to say well it wasn’t you who brought the win. Of course, it was Fitz and I think it was a great effort by not just him but the entire offense. Him just understanding how to get in a groove and where to go quickly with the ball, that’s what makes Fitz who he is.
“It really wasn’t as shocking tonight to see what had happened. They call him ‘Fitz-magic’ for a reason.”
Tagovailoa went 17 of 22 for 94 yards and one touchdown, but struggled to move the offense forward. Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, came into the game and went 9 of 13 passing for 182 yards and a touchdown.
Thanks to Fitzpatrick’s efforts, the Dolphins beat the Raiders 26-25.
“Dolphins’ HC Brian Flores said Tua Tagovailoa will continue to be the starting QB in week 17 against Buffalo,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Saturday night.
“‘If we’ve got to go to our relief pitcher in the ninth, that’s what we’ll do,’ Flores said. ‘Fitz (Ryan Fitzpatrick), he’s always ready to go.’”
So far this season Tagovailoa is 151 of 232 passing for 1,453 yards, 10 touchdowns, and two picks.
The Dolphins will square off against the Buffalo Bills next Sunday. If Miami loses to Buffalo, the team could possibly miss the playoffs at 10-6.
However, a win over the Bills clinches a spot for the Dolphins and they would return to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
