Dolphins are finding ways to win games despite Tua Tagovailoa’s struggles – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

December 1, 2025 Peyton Crawford

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Some of the first words out of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s mouth after Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints were praise for running back De’Von Achane and Miami’s defense.

If not for the two, the Dolphins may not have been celebrating a victory at all.

Achane’s 134 yards rushing and the defense’s three takeaways and pivotal stops down the stretch helped the Dolphins edge the Saints 21-17 after a lackluster showing from Tagovailoa and Miami’s passing game.

Outside of the opening possession that Achane capped with a 29-yard rushing touchdown, the Dolphins struggled to finish drives and settled for four field goals the rest of the way.

Tagovailoa appeared unsettled and hesitant, completing just 52% of his passes with several bad misses — including an interception that he floated into double coverage — and was sacked four times. He finished with just 157 yards passing and threw his NFL-leading 14th interception, which matches his career high from 2023.

“(Improvement) definitely starts with me,” Tagovailoa said, “starts with my performance with how I distribute the ball, how I operate the guys.”

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel praised his team for winning its third straight game after a 1-6 start, however it may have looked, but he also said Miami’s success ultimately depends on how well Tagovailoa is playing.

“As the quarterback of the team, his job is to lead us to victory,” McDaniel said Monday. “And there’s a lot of things that go into that … It wasn’t his best game. So you’re trying to find why and improve it so that he can have his best game when his best game is required.”

Despite recording only 134 yards passing and going 4 for 12 on third down, the Dolphins rushed for 164 yards as a team.

Miami’s offensive identity has shifted from a high-flying passing attack to a run-first approach, but McDaniel acknowledged that formula may not work every week.

“At some point we’re going to have to execute in the near future,” McDaniel said, “because in the NFL, if you have success in a phase or success in running the ball, people will overcommit. And you’ll eventually need to pass to win. I think that will be a big thing that we’ll be working on this coming week.”

What’s working

The running game and defense have powered Miami’s winning streak. Miami’s defense has allowed just 14.3 points over the past three games and has forced seven turnovers since Week 10. The Dolphins have averaged 176.7 yards rushing during their three-game streak, the best mark in the NFL since Week 10, along with 5.6 yards per carry.

What needs help

The passing game. The Saints limited WR Jaylen Waddle and TE Darren Waller, but the biggest concern in the passing game is Tagovailoa, whose lack of mobility and inability to evade pressure is proving to be a hindrance.

Stock up

LB Chop Robinson and S Minkah Fitzpatrick. Robinson had his best game of the year on Sunday — only the second start of his career — with 1 1/2 sacks, three quarterback hits and a tackle for loss. Robinson was also involved on the Dolphins’ crucial 4th-and-1 stop of Saints quarterback Tyler Shough that ended the game.

Some may have questioned the Dolphins’ decision to trade All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith to the Steelers in exchange for Fitzpatrick last offseason, but that is proving to be one of the Dolphins’ most fruitful moves of 2025. Fitzpatrick is having a stellar season, highlighted by his dominant performance Sunday. He had a strip sack of Shough that led to a fumble recovery in the first half, then intercepted Shough in the fourth quarter on a 2-point try and returned it to the opposite end zone for a defensive 2-point conversion.

Stock down

Tagovailoa. He has struggled all season, even with his accuracy, which has been a strength his entire career. One year after completing a career-high 72.9% of his passes, Tagovailoa has a 67.2% completion rate this season.

Injuries

FB Alec Ingold is day to day after suffering a stinger in Sunday’s game.

Key number

7 — The number of games this season in which Tagovailoa has failed to reach 200 yards passing. He hadn’t had more than three such games in a season since 2021, his first year as a starter.

Next steps

Miami travels to face the New York Jets on Sunday. The Dolphins picked up their first win of the season when they beat the Jets in Week 4, which was also the game where WR Tyreek Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury.