Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tries to take advantage of joint practices with Falcons

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) talks to tight end Adam Shaheen (80) during an NFL football practice Saturday, July 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) (Marta Lavandier, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins are once again mixing things up at Training Camp.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the Dolphins are hosting joint practices with the Atlanta Falcons at the team’s new training facility in Miami Gardens.

Recommended Videos



On Saturday night, those two teams will meet in a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said, “Yeah, I think their DC does a great job, their defense overall, of disguising looks. I mean they have a lot of good players on their team. They do a great job of communicating what they want to do and what they want to accomplish. I think today for us offensively, we have to be a lot better operationally. Getting on the ball quicker, seeing what the defense is giving us and playing.”

Tagovailoa emphasized that he wanted to see the offense minimize mental errors.

Tagovailoa said, “Joint practices are good because you get to see a good glimpse of the packages that these coaches have installed with the players on the defense and with their team.”

In terms of the games, the quarterback said the teams don’t want to show everything.

The conversation continued about who gives the play calls to the Dolphins quarterback.

Tagovailoa said that Charlie Frye, the quarterbacks coach, is the last voice that he hears in his headset in terms of play-calling.

Whatever conversation happens between the offensive staff, the Dolphins quarterbacks don’t hear it. They only hear what Frye calls.

Tagovailoa met Frye when he was in high school.

Having practiced with the Bears last week, Tagovailoa said, “I think it’s really good for not just young quarterbacks but young rookie players to get this opportunity, to see different looks... There’s just a lot of things. For us, that’s what we’ve seen. We’re going to go into the film room and we’ll get those things corrected come tomorrow.”

Tagovailoa said that he had the chance to meet Matt Ryan, the longtime Falcons quarterback.

The Dolphins quaterback said he used to watch Ryan play when he was young, and Ryan came up and introduced himself.

As for the relationship with rookie receiver Jaylen Waddle, his former teammate at Alabama, Tagovailoa said, “I think it’s tailored more to what the defense is giving us. With these guys, when they’re bringing the pressure, we’re trying to get the ball out quick, we’re trying not to get hit... I never realized how much times he was targeted today... that’s the mindset we had to get the ball out quick and let our playmakers make plays for us.”


Recommended Videos