Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa received some criticism after his inability to catch a shotgun snap resulted in a safety during this past Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals that Miami lost 28-27.
Tagovailoa spoke with reporters on Wednesday and rebuked those who blamed him for the club's slump to 2-5 on the season.
"It’s as simple as catching the ball in the gun," Tagovailoa said, as shared by the Dolphins' website. "I would say I’m a pretty good shortstop guy. I have pretty good vision. I have pretty good hands. I’d like to see a lot of other people go in the back there and try to catch that ball, too."
Interestingly, Tagovailoa somewhat tossed center Aaron Brewer under the figurative bus regarding the unforced error that cost the Dolphins two points at Hard Rock Stadium.
"You’ve seen it," Tagovailoa continued during his comments. "It wasn’t Brews' best, and Brew knows he can get it better. But it wasn’t my best, as well. But I’m just saying to give perspective, it’s not as easy as what it looked like sitting down on your couch eating chips."
Tagovailoa was credited with three fumbles, none lost, in the Week 8 defeat but otherwise played well in his return to the lineup after he missed four full games due to his most recent concussion. In total, he completed 28-of-38 passes for 234 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed for 13 yards on three attempts.
"There were some things that I was really not happy about with myself with some of the play, passes and things that we did in the pocket that we [will] try to get fixed and work on a lot this week," Tagovailoa said about his performance against Arizona.
As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Dolphins as six-point underdogs for this coming Sunday's game at the 6-2 Buffalo Bills. Tagovailoa went down with his latest concussion during Miami's Week 2 loss to Buffalo on Sept. 12.
"I’m a football player," Tagovailoa said when asked if he spends any time before and/or during games thinking about previous injuries he suffered against certain opponents. "...If you have any of those thoughts, I think that’s when it’s time to call it, man. So go out there, just enjoy it. Enjoy being out there, enjoy that opportunity. I love it."
