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Star Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa arrived in Detroit determined to move past last week's difficult joint practice against the Chicago Bears. However, Wednesday's session with the Detroit Lions turned into another frustrating chapter, as the offense failed to find rhythm or energy from the first snap.
Although Tagovailoa avoided the turnovers that plagued him in Chicago, the absence of interceptions didn't hide deeper issues. Aidan Hutchinson and the Detroit defense collapsed the pocket repeatedly, exploiting weaknesses in the offensive line—particularly on the right side with Larry Borom filling in for injured Austin Jackson. The quarterback admitted the team “couldn't get going,” and lacked the usual spark that defines their practices.
Tagovailoa's post-practice remarks made the situation clear. He described an offense that couldn't build momentum in third-down situations, red-zone reps, and team periods.
“All we needed was one play and then jump start the offense, whether it was move the ball, whether it was one of the third down team periods, another team period, red zone, ” he said, stressing the importance of facing adversity “head-on” instead of letting it pass without corrections.
Head coach Mike McDaniel echoed that in-practice growth remains a top priority. He wants the Dolphins to treat each snap—good or bad—as an opportunity to improve. He emphasizes that facing a physical team like the Lions under Dan Campbell is the challenge that toughens playoff-caliber squads.
“I think it was very intentional to bring our organization to Detroit and practice against this team based on the football that they like to play,” McDaniel said, according to NFL.com, downplaying outside noise.
Still, the showing was far from ideal for a team during an 11-day preseason road trip and as they prepared for a pivotal campaign. The flat start came despite added motivation to rebound from the physical edge the Bears displayed a week earlier. Whether it's travel fatigue or a lack of intensity, Miami must show more urgency in the next session if it hopes to match Detroit's pace and put doubts about its competitiveness to rest.
