MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa felt the pressure in the pocket, dashed to the left, and likely sensed the rising tension in the stadium with each step he took.

Tagovailoa gripped the ball with his right hand, slid down to avoid a hit, then stood up and pointed toward the end zone in celebration after making a first down. The fans at Hard Rock Stadium, already on their feet as he made his move, erupted into chants of his name.

“Tua! Tua! Tua!”

This season hasn’t offered many reasons for the Dolphins to cheer, especially since something as simple as Tagovailoa’s sliding for a 13-yard gain received the loudest cheer of the day. Unfortunately, his comeback from a concussion on September 12 was marred by Kyler Murray leading the Arizona Cardinals to a thrilling 28-27 victory over Miami on Sunday.

However, that sliding run reaffirmed Tagovailoa’s commitment to his career despite the NFL’s spotlight on concussions.

“I thought that was super cool,” Tagovailoa said, smiling.

Left tackle Terron Armstead remarked, “This team and this city have faced a lot of challenges. It was a great moment for Tua to show his courage.”

The tough times continued for the Dolphins, whose record fell to 2-5 after this home loss to Arizona. Murray threw two touchdown passes, orchestrated two touchdown drives after halftime, and set up kicker Chad Ryland’s 34-yard field goal that clinched the victory.

Tagovailoa managed to toss a touchdown pass to running back De’Von Achane just two plays following his run. The Dolphins pulled ahead 27-18 after Raheem Mostert scored his second touchdown of the game with 12:22 remaining.

A turning point in the game occurred when center Aaron Brewer mishandled a snap in the third quarter, sending the ball into the end zone. Tagovailoa leaped to knock it out of bounds, resulting in a safety that halted Miami’s momentum.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did successfully challenge a first down catch by tight end Jonnu Smith with 6:51 left in the game, but Tagovailoa and the offense could only manage a yard on three consecutive plays before giving up the ball for the rest of the game.

“It feels good, but it’s a tough loss against a solid team, which kind of takes away from what I’ve accomplished and also diminishes what others have done,” Tagovailoa mentioned after the game.

The Dolphins managed to score their highest points of the season, thanks to three touchdown drives led by Tagovailoa in his first game back after a four-game absence due to a concussion—the third one documented since 2022.

The team’s pre-snap motions resulted in effective plays rather than penalties and helped avoid poor field positioning.

They demonstrated excellence on third downs, converting 11 out of 15 chances after entering the game with the sixth-worst conversion rate in the league.

This was the type of offense McDaniel envisioned for Tagovailoa to lead—setting aside the mistakes that occurred during the day.

The Dolphins have lost two consecutive games despite leading by at least 10 points in each. Next week, they face the Buffalo Bills, who have triumphed in 12 of their last 14 matchups against Miami since Josh Allen joined the league.

“It’s the same thing every time with them,” Tagovailoa commented regarding Buffalo. “You’ve got to find a way to beat them.”

Tagovailoa completed 28 of 38 passes for 234 yards during the game. His connection with Tyreek Hill was evident, although Hill had just six receptions for 72 yards. Jaylen Waddle caught four passes for 45 yards, while Achane led the Dolphins with a total of 147 yards for the day.

More importantly, Tagovailoa came out of the game with minimal damage. He was only “sacked” once, on his second play, when a tipped ball was caught by his offense. He was officially hit three times by the Cardinals.

That long run was the only time during the match where everyone held their breath, watching to see what would happen.

It was a moment where Tagovailoa demonstrated that he has adjusted his game to keep himself healthy, effective, and safe from injury.

“It was a significant moment. The crowd definitely felt it, and he showed the development in his play,” Waddle told YSL News Sports.

“It’s about practicing and maintaining a different mindset during practice,” Tagovailoa added. “When I’m running or trying to escape the pocket, I’m not aiming to be a hero.”