Last year, trailing the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-7 at halftime, the Miami Dolphins’ offense did not look familiar. They were No. 1 in total offense and No. 2 in scoring in 2023. Yet they could only manage 160 yards. That’s when their once-quiet QB, Tua Tagovailoa, finally spoke. In the locker room, he called out his team for accountability. Result? The Dolphins beat Jacksonville 20-17 on a walk-off field goal with 400 yards. Although they ultimately dropped to 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time under HC Mike McDaniel, there was a visible evolution of who the Dolphins once brought in to be their franchise QB.

“Each and every time he’s on the field, he’s finding a way to get better just by how he attacks it, regardless of the result on the field,” McDaniel proudly stated of his QB fulfilling his ask. And he has, every year since the HC moved to Miami. First year, it was about rebuilding the QB’s confidence after the Brian Flores era. The second year was about improving his durability. Then, it was about becoming a bit more mobile. His fourth? Tagovailoa has his own plans.

Despite suffering three concussions in the last three seasons, Tagovailoa has reaffirmed his position in the Dolphins. In seven straight practices, he has no picks so far. Even insider Omar Kelly offered a glowing review as he stated, “He’s turned up the volume on his consistency. No wasted throws. No steady diet of checkdowns. Just efficiency every single day.” Over the years, Tua Tagovailoa has blindly trusted his O-line, which has ended in picks. But the QB is only focused on improving himself.

After his training session on Wednesday, when a reporter asked him about the streak, Tagovailoa explained, “I’m not thinking too much about if I throw an interception or if I don’t throw an interception. In camp, you just wanna see how consistent you can be with the plays that you’re given. And a lot of times, it’s, ‘I’m just going to try to see what this is going to look like’ and ‘What this is going to play like’, and if you want to try to see if this fits in this window on a certain pass, you try to see it. We did that today on one of the first plays, maybe, of camp today.

“I’m not really basing it off of what the result is or isn’t for myself in this training camp. I have about two or three things max that I have for myself that I’m focusing on for each practice that I do out there. I can tell you two of the three things I did not do really well today. So that’s what I’m saying. It’s not result-oriented, because I know for myself what I wanted to get done, and I wasn’t able to get that done today.”

When another reporter further asked about those things, Tagovailoa simply responded with a wide grin, “Those things are private.” Tua Tagovailoa has grown. He’s no longer chasing highlight stats in practice. He’s focused on becoming a more complete quarterback. That mindset could make all the difference.

And the Dolphins seem to be looking for a similar experienced mindset as they just made a small but telling move on offense.

Mike McDaniel adds more experience to Tua Tagovailoa’s OL

While Tua evolves mentally and physically, Mike McDaniel has also been at work. As the pressure from expectations keeps rising, the head coach just made a key change up front. The Dolphins swapped out two backup offensive tackles. But this could matter more than it seems. Obinna Eze, who just signed with the team, is now on injured reserve. In his place, Miami added Jalen McKenzie, an undrafted player trying to stick in the league.

Eze had bounced around since entering the league with the Detroit Lions in 2022. He spent time on the practice squads of the Lions, Steelers, and Jets. McKenzie, meanwhile, has had an even wilder ride. Since 2022, he’s been with the Titans, Seahawks, Raiders, Patriots, and the Giants. Still waiting for his first NFL snap, McKenzie is now an offensive lineman on Miami’s active roster.

Eze was brought in quickly after Bayron Matos was taken to a hospital following a camp injury. With Matos out and recovering, McDaniel signed McKenzie to trim the roster and build an O-line that can actually protect Tua Tagovailoa.

With Tagovailoa dialed in now, McDaniel has been tightening the roster. The Dolphins no longer measure success by flashy plays or empty stats. It seems that just like Tagovailoa, the team has shifted its focus to doing the small things right every day. And that mindset might help the Dolphins turn the tables finally, this season.