Tua Tagovailoa Claps Back At Doubters Before Patriots Game

The Patriots on Sunday will go up against a quarterback who lit it up in Week 1.

When Tua Tagovailoa rolls into Gillette Stadium, he will be coming off one of the best games of his NFL career. The Dolphins quarterback torched the Chargers for 466 yards with three touchdowns in Miami’s 36-34 win in Los Angeles. For reference, no other quarterback threw for more than 350 yards last weekend.

Three days after Tagovailoa’s dynamic performance, a reporter asked the 25-year-old if he thinks there’s anyone who still believes he can’t throw it deep.

“I don’t care. I mean, I don’t care,” Tagovailoa told reporters. “Four-sixty-six. That’s what 466 is if I can’t throw deep. Thanks.”

The Patriots undoubtedly will respect Tagovailoa and his entire skill set when the AFC East rivals meet for a primetime tilt in Foxboro, Mass. The 2020 fifth-overall pick currently owns a 4-0 career record against New England — a very impressive feat when you consider Bill Belichick’s track record of not letting history repeat itself.

Tagovailoa’s arm doesn’t figure to be a prevailing factor Sunday night, though. The southpaw signal-caller only averaged 181.5 passing yards per game across four matchups with New England and the Patriots are coming off a game in which they largely subdued a Philadelphia Eagles offense loaded with elite talent.