Four Miami Dolphins the Broncos need to worry about

Miami Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (91) tips a pass attempted by Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) on fourth down and one at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, November 15, 2020. Dolphins took over on downs. (ALLEN EYESTONE / THE PALM BEACH POST)20201115 Dolphins Chargers
Miami Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (91) tips a pass attempted by Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) on fourth down and one at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, November 15, 2020. Dolphins took over on downs. (ALLEN EYESTONE / THE PALM BEACH POST)20201115 Dolphins Chargers /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) heads onto the field at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, November 15, 2020. (ALLEN EYESTONE / THE PALM BEACH POST)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) heads onto the field at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, November 15, 2020. (ALLEN EYESTONE / THE PALM BEACH POST) /

Tua Tagovailoa 

If this one seems obvious, well, that’s because it is.

Any NFL franchise’s success truly starts and ends with the success of their quarterback. For the most part, a franchise needs one that can at least function to succeed.

The Dolphins have found theirs.

The NFL world was astounded when the Dolphins benched veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick in favor of Tua Tagovailoa following their bye week, especially considering the success the team had found with Fitzpatrick.

It’s worked out well for them so far. Tua seems to not have missed a beat following the horrific injury that cut his NCAA career short, and is poised to lead the Dolphins to a playoff spot, maybe even a divisional title, if they can play their cards right.

More from Predominantly Orange

Tua’s stats aren’t overly flashy, but stats do not always tell the full story. Tagovailoa is an extremely efficient quarterback, finishing his past two games with QBRs of 122.3 and 106.9. Tua is also incredibly mobile, and can burn a defense using his legs.

Tagovailoa looks to start his career off 4-0, and if HE can accomplish it, he will be the first NFL rookie QB to do so since Big Ben in 2004 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, the Broncos need to do everything in their power to avoid this. Tua’s success or failure is the biggest key to a victory for both sides. If the Broncos’ pass rush can clog the pocket and force Tua to make errant throws or even get him on the ground, the Broncos will have a shot to win this game.

The defense’s handling of Tua will be crucial, especially to the Denver offense. This offense struggles to score 25+ points a game, and if the Denver defense can keep this a low-scoring contest, there will be less pressure on Drew Lock, and perhaps, the Broncos can pull off an upset in what will be their last home game in front of fans this season, due to an increase of COVID-19 cases in Colorado.