Getty Tua Tagovailoa calls out a play in a game against the Buffalo Bills.
The Buffalo Bills handed Tua Tagovailoa a big loss on Saturday night, then sent a message to the Miami Dolphins quarterback — Alabama’s got nothing on Western New York weather.
In the leadup to the key divisional showdown on December 17, there had been much attention on the sloppy forecast for Orchard Park. The region was hit with a snowstorm that stretched from late Friday to early Saturday, with the snow picking up once again around the fourth quarter. Tagovailoa had downplayed the importance of the weather in the days before the game, noting that he saw snow while playing for the University of Alabama and wanted to remain focused on the game itself, not the snow.
“It snowed in Alabama my first year. So it snows in Alabama, guys. People don’t know that,” Tagovailoa said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
“Could be snowing, could rain, I don’t know,” Tagovailoa added. “It’s a mindset thing, really, and if I’m too focused and worried about, Is it too cold? Can I grab the ball or not? Then I’m focused on the wrong things and it’ll be hard to play that way.”
After the 32-29 win for Buffalo, the Bills’ stadium staff sent a reminder to Tagovailoa that Buffalo weather is in a class of its own.
Bills Troll Tagovailoa After Win
As Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News noted, the stadium sent Tagovailoa home with the song “Sweet Home Alabama” playing over speakers soon after the game ended.
“Sweet Home Alabama” playing inside Highmark Stadium. Well played, #Bills.
The move earned some praise from Bills fans, who took issue with Tagovailoa’s remarks comparing the weather in Alabama to Western New York.
“I wonder if Tua still thinks it shows in Alabama like it does in WNY?” one fan tweeted. “And major props to the Bills for playing Sweet Home Alabama while we walked out of the stadium.”
Highmark Stadium ends the night with “Sweet Home Alabama.” 😉
Goodnight Miami, and goodnight Tua.
Tagovailoa Remains Optimistic as Dolphins Sink
Though the Dolphins held a one-game lead over the Bills in the AFC East as recently as November 10, the Bills have reeled off five straight wins while Miami has now dropped three straight games, leaving the 11-3 Bills close to clinching the division.
Despite the losing streak that now has the Dolphins in danger of falling out of the playoff picture, Tagovailoa said his team did well against the Bills in the difficult conditions.
“I’m just really proud of our guys,” Tagovailoa said. “They came out, and the environment was electric, the atmosphere was crazy. A little chilly, but regardless of that, I think we played a great game.
“I thought we handled the elements pretty well for a team that comes from 80-degree weather. I think for our team after this performance we’re able to put that to rest – that we can’t compete against cold-weather teams.”
Tua was cold as hell on that sideline.
Tagovaiola himself seemed to erase any doubt that he could play in the cold and snow, completing 17 of 30 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns. But he was forced to watch from the bench, huddled in a large winter jacket, as quarterback Josh Allen led the Bills on a 15-play, 86-yard drive that ate up the final 5:56 of the game and ended with the game-winning field goal from Tyler Bass as time expired.