The Miami Dolphins have built one of the most explosive and prolific offenses in the NFL, with Tua Tagovailoa at the helm.
Just last season, dynamic wide receiver Tyreek Hill mounted a legitimate charge at 2,000 receiving yards, finishing with 1,799 and 13 touchdowns in 16 games. Likewise, Jaylen Waddle caught 72 passes for 1,014 yards in 14 games, posting his third consecutive 1,000-plus yard season to open his NFL career.
Still, even as the Dolphins boasted the NFL’s leading offense, averaging 401.3 yards per game and the second-highest scoring offense, at 29.2 points per game, there have been some questions about whether Tagovailoa is a benefactor of Miami’s playmakers or if another quarterback could take the Dolphins to loftier heights.
However, in at least one critical metric Tagovailoa is best in class across the NFL.
Tua Tagovailoa an Elite Deep-Ball Passer
Perhaps there might not be a quarterback better-fit for the Dolphins’ scheme or explosive receivers than Tagovailoa, though.
According to data released by Fantasy Points Data, Tagovailoa leads the league in catchable passes on balls thrown 10 yards or longer downfield.
Catchable throw rate on attempts 10+ yards downfield
Tua Tagovailoa – 73.8%
Jared Goff – 73.5%
Brock Purdy – 73.3%
Kirk Cousins – 71.8%
Dak Prescott – 71.4%
Jalen Hurts – 70.7%
Lamar Jackson – 70.6%
Joe Burrow – 69.7%
Russell Wilson – 69.0%
Patrick Mahomes – 68.7%Bottom-10: pic.twitter.com/aF4RxcoWPj
— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) July 9, 2024
Similarly, Tagovailoa boasts a 119.8 passer rating when targeting Hill, and a 101.2 mark when throwing Waddle’s direction.
As Tagovailoa and the Dolphins are locked in long-term contract extension talks, if a deal doesn’t get done before this season kicks off, the 26-year-old may need to prove he can lead Miami on a lengthy playoff run in order to extend his career in South Beach. But, at least for the moment, Tagovailoa seems to have the ideal trait to maximize the damage done by the Dolphins’ weapons.
For More Football News:
Follow Matt Lombardo on Threads at @MattLombardoNFL. To read more of our articles and in-depth NFL coverage, click here.
