Tua To Start: Dolphins London Press Conference Recap
The Miami Dolphins arrived in London on Friday morning, and you could have understood if they were in a bit of a funk… 4 straight losses after an impressive season-opening win in New England, and Head Coach Brian Flores is suddenly under pressure to right the ship… and fast.
However, if you were just judging by the atmosphere at their practice and press conference on Friday, you would have absolutely no idea of that looming expectation. Flores & GM Chris Grier have built a team over the past few season that had significant expectations of being a playoff contender less than 6 weeks ago, and after the aforementioned great start defeating the evil Belichickian empire in Foxboro, many – myself included – felt this really could be the start of a special season for the Dolphins.
But then. Tua’s ribs got cracked, the Bills destroyed the Fins, the Raiders nicked one in OT, and the Colts took one away from Hard Rock Stadium… Momentum (and hope) had been dampened. After being blown away by the cannons of the Buccaneers offense late last Sunday, Miami are 1-4 and in desperate need of a victory to get this show back on the road. So, you could be forgiven for perhaps thinking a trip “across the pond” would not be the ideal way for Flores’ men to get back to business… and yet… the vibe of the camp couldn’t have been more calm, positive, and confident: Tua’s back, starting his first game since Week 2 this weekend.
Tua To Start
Of course, the return of your star 2nd year Quarterback will give everyone in the organisation a lift, but the Fins players and staff just appeared happy to have a change of scenery and a new experience to help them get back in a winning rhythm. Flores’ mood before practice was calm and jovial, but he emphasised how special of an occasion this was, and that he (and the whole Dolphins organisation) felt lucky to be involved. You almost got the feeling he was aware of the magnitude not just of this game – with the Dolphins desperately in need of a win – but also the honour to bring his players abroad.
Questions about Tagovailoa’s availability have understandably dominated much of the early week press availability, and Flores was quickly pressed on whether or not the former Alabama Crimson Tide man would be able to lead the team out at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday afternoon. He duly confirmed (barring any setbacks, of which there were none) that Tua would be the starter, then shared a joke with the assembled media as everyone in attendance took out their phone to tweet the news immediately. “Take your time!” Flores said, enjoying a moment of silence in the aftermath of his statement.
Playmakers
Flores went on to elaborate saying “we’re excited to have Tua back,” but also emphasised “it’s a 53 man roster. 48 will play on Sunday; no one player makes all the difference.” It may be a team game, but the Dolphins need the playmakers on that team to step up.
After a bright start, Jaylen Waddle has had a couple of down games, and had a pass go off his fingertips for an INT against the Buccaneers. Despite that, there is rampant enthusiasm amongst coaches and fans alike about what Waddle could be for this team, and he flashed his slick playmaking ability by snagging an amazing one-handed catch in the corner of the endzone during the open viewing part of the Dolphins’ Friday practice:
Nothing to see here… just @D1__JW making one-handed grabs from @Tua. Love to see it. @TheTouchdownNFL #NFL @MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/pQ3jF2JHr6
— Callum Squires (@callumjdsquires) October 15, 2021
Waddle can’t do it all on his own though, and Flores was effusive in his praise for his lead back, who caught two touchdowns against Tampa Bay last weekend. “We absolutely trust Myles (Gaskin),” when asked about the Running Back’s improved passblocking and ability to make plays as a runner and receiver for the Fins.
Gaskin has made himself indispensable to this offense, and in a summer where many were expecting the Dolphins to draft a running back in the early rounds, Miami appear content to lean on the University of Washington alums they have, in Gaskin & Salvon Ahmed, to lead this ground game alongside Malcolm Brown. Gaskin will be essential to this team’s successes in the coming months. Elusive and shifty, with quality hands when needed, Gaskin has turned himself into a reliable three-down back who could become a star in this league.
Notable Absences
During the portion of practice open to the media, we were fortunate enough to have the QBs up close and personal to us. Tagovailoa, Jacoby Brissett, & Reid Sinnett were slinging passes to most Dolphins receivers, though DeVante Parker was conspicuous by his absence from the drills segment. He has since been ruled out for Sunday, along with star defensive back Xavien Howard. Howard may well be more important to the Dolphins’ hopes, and harder to replace than Parker, but Parker being able to play would have been a real boost to a Dolphins offense looking for some sparks.
Following the training session, Jerome Baker detailed just how excited he was to get to go to bed that evening once the team let them, Christian Wilkins regaled us with his passion for Hamilton, and acknowledging the history London (and the U.K. generally) has in the Musical Theatre sphere, and Mike Gesicki re-emphasised the general excitement of the team to have their signal caller back and spoke glowingly about the prospect that rookie Tight End Hunter Long is for this franchise. Despite the humbling the defense (and the whole team really) took last weekend, the tone was positive and excited throughout. You got the impression the Dolphins really believe they will be victorious on Sunday.
A Must Win
Got to ask @Tua about how important this game vs @Jaguars could be for the @MiamiDolphins looking ahead for the rest of the season. Dolphins were in a calm and relaxed mood today, seemed confident heading to @SpursStadium on Sunday. @TheTouchdownNFL #NFL #NFLUK pic.twitter.com/l8x71vS1ab
— Callum Squires (@callumjdsquires) October 15, 2021
The Dolphins really need to win this game, but acknowledged nothing would come easy against a talented, young and hungry Jaguars team, who themselves are desperate to get in the win column, especially after the… indiscretions… of their head coach a couple of weekends ago.
In that sense, both teams could really do with some positive momentum. Tagovailoa closed by saying “it’s hard to get a win in the NFL, but we try to prepare as if we’re gonna win every time, and at the end of the day, every week that’s the goal for us.”
If Tua is fully back and able to be himself, despite the ribs which cannot be 100% healed, then Miami could well get their season back on track this weekend, and leave their in-state counterparts 0-6. If the Dolphins do lose, you have to believe it’s “onto 2022” for this team. In Tua we trust… and hope for sunnier days ahead.
Feature Image Credit: Associated Press
CALLUM SQUIRES
NFL ANALYST
CALLUM IS FROM LONDON, BUT PLAYED COLLEGE SOCCER AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, WHERE HE LEARNED NEVER TO CHEER FOR THE COWBOYS. CALLUM IS A LONG-SUFFERING DOLPHINS FAN WHO BELIEVES THE TUA HYPE