Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has become a magician with the football. At times more point guard than quarterback, he runs a sleight-of-hand offense that keeps defenses constantly guessing as to where the ball is going.
On Tuesday, Tua was asked whether his no-look skills, whether throwing it down the field or flipping it nonchalantly behind him, were inspired by any specific basketball player.
“I would say no basketball player that I know inspired me to do any of that,” Tagovailoa told reporters. “Definitely get a kick out of it. It’s always fun when you can manipulate the defense with your eyes just because you know the spots in which guys are going to be with the throws and you’ve been working on that for some time with those guys as well.”
How about inspiration from a football player? “I would say no,” Tua said. “In my opinion you’ve either got it or you don’t. That’s what it is.”
Offensive coordinator Frank Smith was asked about Tua’s skills when it comes to getting the ball to places where his eyes aren’t.
“Some things are part of ball handling mechanics, other things he adds his flavor to it, but at the same time it comes through the repetitions of knowing where guys are at, knowing intent and purpose,” Smith told reporters. “Some things we add through what we’re trying to do with ball handling. Other things are when he feels very comfortable and thinks he can manipulate a defender a certain way and normally it goes into all of our preparation to make sure that guys handle all that stuff appropriately.”
Whatever it is and wherever it comes from, it’s working. More importantly, it doesn’t work that way with any other quarterbacks.
While the Dolphins can be faulted for not having a competent replacement for Tua during his four-game absence due to his most recent concussion, the truth might be not many people can do what he does. Now that he’s doing it again, there’s an appreciation for the fact that only so much of it can be learned.
Like Tua said, you’ve either got it or you don’t.
And most don’t.
Millions will get to see it on Thanksgiving night, when the Dolphins face the Packers at Lambeau Field on NBC and Peacock.
