There would’ve been no reason for Miami Dolphins fans to still be awake near midnight on Sunday night.
The Dolphins had lost earlier in the day to fall to 0-5 on the season, and the only action happening late in the evening was the Atlanta Falcons taking on the Baltimore Ravens. Tua Tagovailoa was there, yes, but he’s not a starter with his new Atlanta team at the moment.
But any Dolphins fans who fell asleep missed Tua’s Falcons debut.
Late in the game, the Falcons had no choice but to call on Tagovailoa. And while it was a tough situation, it also didn’t end well for the former Dolphins QB.
What Happened With Tua Tagovailoa?
Tagovailoa ended up with three offensive plays for the Falcons on Sunday Night Football in Week 5.
He started the night as Atlanta’s backup, but then starter Michael Penix Jr. sustained a ribs injury and had to leave the game.
Oddly, Penix left the game for one play in the fourth quarter, and Tagovailoa completed a pass to Bijan Robinson.
But then the starter came back in, and Tua went back out.
Once the game went to overtime, the Ravens got the ball first and Penix had to sit for a long time. That made it tough for him to come back in, and so it was Tagovailoa who finally took over with the football with 2:57 left in OT and the Falcons needing a touchdown to tie the game.
Tagovailoa completed a pass on their first overtime play, a 20-yarder to superstar wide receiver Drake London.
His second pass, on the Falcons’ second play of OT, went to the other team. Kyle Hamilton jumped in front of another target of London and picked it off.
In the overtime rules where each team gets a chance to possess the football, Tagovailoa had thrown away that chance. The Falcons lost, 30-23.
Tagovailoa had no choice but to leave the field in a bummed-out mood as the Ravens raced to celebrate behind him.
Tricky Job
The reality is that a backup QB is only one play away — anything that knocks the starter out of the game puts the backup in.
But the QB2 can go weeks or even years without that one play coming. Tagovailoa has been a starter more often than not in his career, and even for the most experienced No. 2 quarterbacks, it can be tough to come into a game.
Particularly that late in the night, after spending the whole clash on the sideline, can’t be easy.
Tagovailoa deserves some credit for completing the first two passes he attempted in a Falcons uniform.
The third one comes down to trying to force the ball to his best player, knowing Atlanta didn’t have a ton of time to put together an OT drive to tie the game.
Tagovailoa will want that throw back — particularly because it’s not clear when he’ll get another chance, depending on how quickly Penix heals.
For now, that’s how Tagovailoa has started off with his new team.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Debut Away From Dolphins Ends Horribly