Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa faced criticism after an unconvincing pregame speech, coinciding with a disappointing 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on October 26, 2023. The Dolphins, entering the game with a record of 2-6, had recently secured a significant 34-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. This win followed a tough 31-6 defeat to the Cleveland Browns, during which Tagovailoa struggled, throwing three interceptions.
As the team prepared for Thursday Night Football, head coach Mike McDaniel emphasized the need for improvement, particularly regarding Tagovailoa’s turnovers. Despite previously calling out his teammates, Tagovailoa attempted to motivate the Dolphins prior to the game. “We got 60 minutes tonight. Four hours of pain,” he declared in the tunnel, but the reality was far from encouraging as the Dolphins managed only one score at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Ravens capitalized on the opportunity, scoring four times, while Tagovailoa recorded his 11th interception of the 2025 season. In addition to Tagovailoa’s interception, teammates Malik Washington and Tahj Washington also fumbled the ball, contributing to the team’s lackluster performance.
Following the game, Tagovailoa addressed the mistakes made on the field. “They know they got to hold onto the ball just like any of the guys that are ball carriers, even myself. I know I got to protect the ball,” he stated. He highlighted the importance of encouraging his teammates rather than reminding them of their errors.
When discussing his own performance, Tagovailoa shifted some responsibility to the crowd noise generated by Ravens fans, which he claimed affected his cadence during the game. “The Ravens fans, it maybe got a little muffled with my cadence and, you know, the crowd noise. So, you know, we kind of talked about that on the sideline after and got that corrected,” he said.
The Dolphins’ offensive struggles were evident throughout the game. “I think for us offensively just started with the little things. We’re off a little bit here on this play, we’re off a little bit there on that play, and we just couldn’t find our flow in that,” Tagovailoa explained. He acknowledged the penalties and other issues that halted the team’s momentum, taking responsibility for the team’s performance.
Despite the defeat, Tagovailoa expressed a desire to improve moving forward. “This isn’t a game where we’re discouraged. It’s one of those games where you wish you could have done more or whatever you could to help the guys go out there and execute the way we wanted to execute offensively,” he concluded.
As the Dolphins reflect on this loss, the upcoming games will be critical in determining the trajectory of their season and the future of their star quarterback.
