Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores had high praise for his rookie quarterback on Sunday afternoon, highlighting Tua Tagovailoa's role in helping pace the surprising AFC East contenders to a 34-31 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

The win improved the Dolphins to 5-3 on the season, and Flores couldn't be more proud of Tagovailoa after his performance.

In only the second game of his young career, the former Alabama standout improved to 2-0 as a pro, even though he was asked to carry a much larger burden on the offensive side of the football than he was in last week's victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Despite throwing a touchdown pass, Tua Tagovailoa only gained 93 passing yards against Los Angeles–on 12-22 pass attempts–as Miami was content to let the former number five overall draft pick manage the game while the defense and running game shouldered much of the responsibility.

On Sunday against the Cardinals and Kyler Murray, however, Tua displayed the athleticism and arm strength that made him such an enticing quarterback prospect, avoiding pressure and stretching the field on passes more than 10 yards–going 8-11 with 148 yards and a score.

Down seven points at the end of the third quarter, Tagovailoa calmly led the Dolphins on a 10 play, 93-yard drive that tied the game and ultimately prevented the Cardinals from ever retaking the lead.

Winners of four straight games,  Miami and their quarterback will play host to the Los Angeles Chargers next week as they look to secure a five-game winning streak for the first since 2016. They also try to keep pace with the Buffalo Bills for what would be their first division title since 2008.