Tua Tagovailoa says 'miscommunication' with Cedrick Wilson Jr. was reason for missed pass at end of Dolphins-Chiefs

Bryan Murphy

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Tua Tagovailoa says 'miscommunication' with Cedrick Wilson Jr. was reason for missed pass at end of Dolphins-Chiefs image

The Dolphins found themselves down by a touchdown in the final minutes of their game against the Chiefs on Sunday. QB Tua Tagovailoa and the offense had the ball in Kansas City territory, threatening to tie the game. 

On third-and-10 at the Kansas City 31-yard line, Tagovailoa tried to connect with wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. on the outside. Wilson had broken away from Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson, and all that the Dolphins quarterback needed to do was drop the throw into the basket of his receiver in what would have been a likely touchdown. 

Instead, as Wilson sprinted away from the stumbling Watson, Tagovailoa's throw fell short.

Well short. 

Rather than potentially securing the game-tying score, the Dolphins instead were faced with fourth-and-10, needing to convert to keep the game alive with just over a minute left. The subsequent play could not have gone any worse, as the snap went right through the hands of Tagovailoa, causing the QB to fall on the ball and end the game. 

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After the game, the Miami quarterback said that there was "miscommunication" between himself and Wilson on the third-down play, which was the reason for the poor-looking throw. 

"What happened with me and (Wilson), that was just miscommunication," Tagovailoa said. "In big-time moments, those things can't happen. I've got to throw a better ball. There was just miscommunication there."

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniels put the blame on himself for the botched play that could have kept Miami in the game. He stated after the contest that the miscommunication was on him for not getting the two better equipped in the days leading up to the game. 

"Tua said it (third down) was on him. It wasn’t," McDaniels said. "A lot falls squarely on my shoulders. The miscommunication doesn’t happen if I put them in the appropriate situation during the weeks. Tua signaled one route and Cedrick interpreted it as another."

While Wilson is not typically one of Tagovailoa's go-to targets, the two had connected earlier in the game. In the third quarter, the Dolphins finally were able to get on the board thanks to a 31-yard touchdown reception from the wide receiver. 

As for the faulty fourth down play, Tagovailoa took blame for the errant snap. 

"With the last play of the game, I'm always gonna blame myself," Tagovailoa said. "I've got to catch the ball. So whether that's getting in a better position to catch it or whatever it is, can't end the game like that when we have an opportunity like that against a really good team."

With the loss, the Dolphins now are 0-3 on the season against winning teams and 6-0 against losing clubs, previously losing to the Bills and the Eagles. It leaves the team owning the league's highest-scoring offense with some major questions surrounding their legitimacy as one of the AFC's top Super Bowl contenders. 

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.