Just Another Game for Tua

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is getting ready for a crucial Week 17 game at Buffalo

Days after being benched, Tua Tagovailoa is preparing for the biggest game of his young NFL career with the Miami Dolphins facing a potential win-or-out contest against the Buffalo Bills.

No big deal, says the rookie first-round pick.

"I'd say for me there's really no extra, added pressure," Tagovailoa said during his weekly Zoom media session Wednesday. "The expectation for myself is very high in how I perform and how I go out there and try to lead the guys to victory. Obviously, this past weekend, I didn't play to that standard. It's more so me knowing that we've got to go out here and get the job done. If you can't get the job done, then that's on you. That's on no one else."

Tagovailoa was replaced by veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter of the improbable 26-25 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night, the second time in eight starts this season he was pulled from a game.

Tagovailoa completed 17 of 22 passes against the Raiders, but managed only 94 yards.

He was asked Wednesday how to go about creating more big plays in the passing game while running a run-pass option system.

“You get the ball in the hands of our playmakers and you let them make plays," Tagovailoa said. "I would say that’s how you do it. That’s one way. Other ways are also just pushing the ball downfield. And I would say that’s what I need to do a better job with, especially this past game and games prior.”

Tagovailoa, who took over as the starter during the Dolphins bye week in October, has called his rookie season a continuing learning experiment.

Actually, he said the learning never stops.

And that includes dealing with sitting and watching from the sideline.

"I think there just needs to be understanding, situational understanding of what we want to get done as a team," Tagovailoa said. "From that perspective, you've just got to get out of yourself and into the team and see it from that perspective instead of yourself. My freshman year (of high school), I played junior varsity. In our league, you couldn't play varsity right away. But it's all about what you can gain from everything. For me, it's a learning experience. Like I said in all of the previous interviews that I've had, it's not like a one-and-done thing.

"I just think it’s a continuing learning process, whether you’re a rookie or a second-year, third-year (player), there’s always things you can learn. But it’s how quickly you can digest those things. And then kind of go out there and execute them. So that’s the biggest thing for me."

Maybe part of the reason Tagovailoa isn't fazed by the magnitude of the Dolphins' season finale at Buffalo — if the Dolphins don't win, they'll need one of three heavy favorites (Baltimore, Cleveland, Indianapolis) to lose to make the playoffs — is because he's played in big games before.

RELATED: Updated Week 17 Dolphins Draft and Playoff Scenarios

That, of course, started during his freshman year at Alabama when he came off the bench in the national title game to rally the Crimson Tide to an overtime victory against Georgia.

"I think at the end of the day, it just comes down to our 11 guys against their 11 guys," Tua said. "It’s football. This time it’s a lot different because there’s no fans. But you do know that there’s a lot at stake. It goes back to what I said before: You’ve got to go out there and perform. And this is crunch time and now is not the time to be making mistakes and all these things. You’ve got to really zero in on what you’ve got to do to help the team become successful and get a win."