A mighty dragon was slain on Sunday by the Miami Dolphins.
After losing their last six meetings against the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins broke the streak with a 21-19 win.
That win puts them atop the AFC East because they are undefeated.
However, there have been doubts about Miami’s ability to win tough games this season.
Tua Tagovailoa is the young Dolphins quarterback who many people doubt.
But now that he’s 3-0 for the season, will people start taking him seriously?
Critics Will Point To Miami’s Defense As To Why They Won
NFL fans are quick to point out how it was the Dolphins’ defense, not Tua, who won the game.
He didn’t win. Technically, he did. But, less than 200 yards and then these stats indicate the Bills missed a FG and the Dolphins defense won the game by bending but not breaking. pic.twitter.com/oh0RppWpPg
— Cliff (@CliffycLGM) September 26, 2022
However, that’s not completely accurate.
What is accurate is how the Dolphins’ defense stepped up once again to give Tagovailoa the chance to score points.
They were out on the field for 40+ minutes, while having to hold back the Bills on 90 plays.
The Bills ran 90 plays! The Dolphins just 39. Crazy. Miami found a way. pic.twitter.com/BMqmSn3mbf
— Will Manso (@WillManso) September 25, 2022
The Dolphins’ defense holding up for that long, with that many plays in the heat, is impressive.
But their job was to give Tagovailoa the chance to come back and win the game.
Had the defense stopped Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense all day, then you can say they won the game.
However, they allowed Tagovailoa the chance to come back from a 17-14 deficit and achieve a victory.
A Key Pass Got The Dolphins The Win
When the Dolphins needed a play, Tagovailoa and his receiver Jaylen Waddle gave the team a big moment.
3rd and 22. Tua to waddle!!! pic.twitter.com/28uvYwlXwT
— josh houtz (@houtz) September 25, 2022
On 3rd and 22, Tagovailoa hit Waddle down the middle, putting the Dolphins inside the ten-yard line.
With a goal-to-go situation, the Dolphins QB made the right calls to get the team to score.
A 3-yard touchdown rush by Chase Edmonds gave the Dolphins the lead, which they never lost.
The @MiamiDolphins take the lead! #FinsUp
📺: #BUFvsMIA on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/AgvEitKLgz pic.twitter.com/IxB9WeSWDP— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022
However, if Tagovailoa never made that clutch pass to Waddle, the drive would have ended in a punt.
With that in mind, it’s clear Tagovailoa helped his team defeat the Bills.
But does this mean people will start taking him seriously as an elite QB?
Defeating The Bills Shows He’s Not A Fluke
Early in the year, Tyreek Hill came out as a hype man for his new QB in Miami.
However, it looks like the young Dolphins QB is delivering on the hype.
Even before the Dolphins defeated the Bills, it was said a win against the Bills shows Tagovailoa isn’t a fluke.
"Maybe Tua is for real." @Pschrags delves into the potential development of the 3rd-year QB (via @Gmfb) pic.twitter.com/wYKLETbx6v
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 21, 2022
While he didn’t score another six touchdowns against the Bills, he made his best plays in pressure situations.
Clutch passes and protecting the ball made the young QB a hero on Sunday.
With many talking about the Dolphins’ defense, they shouldn’t forget what Tagovailoa did on Sunday.
They can look and see how his zero interception game allowed the Dolphins to stay in the game.
Had the Bills gotten an interception off Tagovailoa, they might have won.
However, the young QB is showing he’s getting smarter with his plays, making himself a potential MVP in 2022.
NEXT: Are The Dolphins Contenders If They Win Against The Bills?