NFL Overreactions Week 10
Sports Seriously’s Mackenzie Salmon discusses the wildest games in NFL Week 10.
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INGLEWOOD, California – Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins (3-6) overcame a sloppy first half and held on to win the Los Angeles Rams (4-5), 23-15Unpleasant keep their play-off chances alive.
The win ended Miami’s three-game losing streak. Additionally, it was Tagovailoa’s first win since returning from injured reserve in Week 8. The Dolphins quarterback is 1-2 since coming off IR due to a concussion.
“It was a deserved victory. I’m very proud of the team,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “We knew we lost a few games that we could have played. You can use that in two ways: to make you worse or to make you better. So I think I was really happy with the way the guys persevered, stayed together, came through the country and found a way to win.
Tagovailoa finished with 207 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. His performance was up and down, especially in the first half. He threw an interception in the second quarter and then lost a fumble on Miami’s next series. When Tagovailoa was intercepted, he moved in to make the tackle Rams linebacker Christiaan Rozeboom and hit his head on Rozeboom’s knee during the attempt.
“I feel good. Everything is good,” Tagovailoa said after the game. ‘I wasn’t going to use my head. … That was a pretty bad approach.”
Tagovailoa’s tackling technique was poor. But Tagovailoa’s decision to lead with his head was even worse his concussion history. Concussions have become a concerning trend during Tagovailoa’s five-year NFL career, during which he was diagnosed with concussions three times. He missed four games this year after being concussion in week 2.
Still, Tagovailoa’s poor tackling form and his desire to keep competing despite all the outside noise and big opinions about his career are a reflection of his self-confidence.
“My confidence from the moment I came back against the Cardinals had never dropped since the first game I played against the Jaguars,” Tagovailoa said. “I think when you’re playing, when you’re outside, the game is too fast to think about anything else. And if you start thinking about something else, it will be difficult for you to concentrate on your work. So go and play football there.”
With Tagovailoa on the field and playing with confidence, the Dolphins have a chance to make a playoff push after a 2-6 start.
The Dolphins have very winnable games against the Las Vegas Raiders And New England Patriots on their schedule. The competition gets tougher after that Week 12 with matches against the Green Bay Packers, Jets from New York, Houston Texans And San Francisco 49ers on the calendar.
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The (8-2) Buffalo Bills“Four-game lead (plus the tiebreaker) in the AFC East is probably too much ground for Miami to make up. Although a wildcard berth is still within reach as the Denver Broncos (5-5) currently hold the seventh and final wild card spot in the AFC.
“Football is a game of momentum,” the Dolphins defensive lineman said Calais Campbell said. “I think that’s the kind of play you can use to spark a run. But of course it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win the next one.”
Follow Tyler Dragon of USA TODAY Sports on X @TheTylerDragon.
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