Tua in Rare Company and Other Dolphins Tidbits

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has accomplished something no other rookie in franchise history has done
Tua in Rare Company and Other Dolphins Tidbits
Tua in Rare Company and Other Dolphins Tidbits /

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa became the first rookie in Miami Dolphins history to win his first three starts.

He's also the first QB in Dolphins history not to throw a pick in any of his first three starts. Actually, he joined Carson Wentz (2016) as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to win their first three starts without throwing an interception.

Tagovailoa has five touchdown passes with no picks in his three starts, and has produced a passer rating over 100 each of the past two games — 122.3 against Arizona and 106.9 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

As a point of reference, Dan Marino had a passer rating of 96.0 as a rookie in 1983 when he became the starter in Week 6 and went on to be selected to the Pro Bowl.

Interestingly, Tagovailoa's five touchdown passes have gone to five different receivers: DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Mack Hollins, Jakeem Grant and Durham Smythe.

OGBAH ON A STREAK

Emmanuel Ogbah's sack in fourth quarter, which came right before Xavien Howard's key interception, extended his streak of games with a sack to six.

It's the longest current streak in the NFL and also tied for second-longest in Dolphins history.

The only Dolphins players with streak of six games or longer are Jason Taylor and Doug Betters.

Taylor holds the record with an eight-game streak in 2002, and had six-game streaks in 2000 and 2003. Betters had a six-game streak in 1983.

NOTEWORTHY NUMBERS

-- The Dolphins did not allow a sack for the first time since the October 2018 game against Chicago.

-- The Dolphins reached 21 points for an eighth consecutive game, their longest such streak since the 2001-02 seasons.

-- The Dolphins have scored at least 17 points in the first half in each of their past five games, their longest streak since at least 2000.

-- With Baltimore failing to create a turnover Sunday night against New England, the Dolphins now have the NFL's longest streak of games with at least one takeaway at 16.

-- Cornerback Nik Needham, who dropped Justin Herbert for a 13-yard loss in the first quarter, became the 10th different Dolphins player with a sack this season.


Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.