The Miami Dolphins’ repeated failure to win close games, such as Sunday’s 29-27 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, can change by cleaning up a lot of things, even small details, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said.
Tagovailoa cited, as an example, attendance at the player-led meetings during the week that are not mandatory nor involve coaches.
“I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys and then what we’re expecting out of the guys,” he said when asked after Sunday’s game how players keep from feeling sorry for themselves after yet another heartbreaking defeat.
“We’re expecting this — are we getting that? Are we not getting that? We have guys showing up to players-only meetings late, guys not showing up to players-only meetings,” he continued. “There’s a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make this mandatory? Do we not have to make this mandatory? So it’s a lot of things of that nature that we got to get cleaned up. It starts with the little things like that.”
The quarterback clarified that he was referring to players being late for players-only meetings – sessions which show them giving extra time and effort toward improving themselves and the team.
The Dolphins have started the season 1-5, with the lone victory over the winless New York Jets, 27-21 in Week 4 to stay out of last place in the AFC East.
They had started slowly in 2024 at 2-6 before winning six of their last nine games to finish 8-9. The Dolphins have descended after a 9-8 campaign in 2022 and an 11-6 mark in 2023 qualified them for the AFC wild-card round for consecutive seasons.
Miami has been outscored by opponents 174-134 this year. However, after a season-opening 33-8 blowout loss at Indianapolis, the Dolphins have lost by six, 10, three and two points — and were within one score in the final two minutes in each of those setbacks.
Sunday’s game in Miami Gardens might have been especially painful. Tagovailoa’s 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darren Waller gave Miami a 27-26 lead with 46 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Tagovailoa, who completed 21 of 32 passes for 205 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, went 7 of 7 for 57 yards on what the Dolphins hoped would be the game-winning drive.
But Nyheim Miller-Hines returned the ensuing kickoff to the Los Angeles 41 and, on the Chargers’ second play of the drive, Ladd McConkey caught a screen pass from Justin Herbert, shook off a tackler and sped 42 yards to the Dolphins’ 17-yard line to set up Cameron Dicker’s 33-yard field goal with 5 seconds left.
Tagovailoa was picked off by Derwin James Jr. on a desperation pass in Miami’s final possession as time expired.
Afterward, Tagovailoa said he was “shocked” by the loss and pointed at himself for mistakes such as the three interceptions contributing to the loss, then focused on next week’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
The sixth-year quarterback, a Pro Bowl selection in 2023, talked about figuring out the problems, such as turnovers, and fixing them as a team, studying game film and finding better ways to play.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, when asked Sunday about his quarterback airing out issues that reflect on team culture, said Tagovailoa, 27, is being a leader sending a message to other players.
The player-led meetings are “extra things outside of what I demand,” the coach said.
“We’ve been very accountable to me,” McDaniel said. “It sounds like there was something on his mind with regard to the specific meetings with a couple individuals that he was trying to get corrected by being direct with communication. I think that’s the only way to lead.
“As far as where we’ve been at as a program, I think we’ve opened the air on all of that and it’s very clear how we hold people accountable and what’s non-negotiable with all those things,” the coach continued. “Clearly, he’s sending a message, but from my standpoint, everything that I’ve asked of the guys, they have delivered on. I’m sure whomever he’s talking to, they’ll deliver as well as he’s a direct communicator with his teammates.”
