USA TODAY Sports activities

The Dolphins opened Saturday night time’s preseason recreation with a play that Miami followers hope to see loads of occasions this yr: Tua Tagovailoa throwing the ball deep to Tyreek Hill.

After a fast play-action faux, Tua fired the ball to Hill for a 51-yard acquire. After the sport, Tagovailoa talked concerning the play.

“It was good,” Tagovailoa advised reporters. “Understanding that Tyreek was taking part in, he wished a ‘go’ ball. We gave him a shot. The throw wasn’t to my liking. That complete spiel. If it was a greater ball, if it was in all probability extra in entrance of Tyreek, you already know, we might have scored on the primary play in all probability. You understand, I feel it’s a credit score to the practices that we’ve had with the Eagles and the way onerous our guys have been working. Not simply this week however all coaching camp and OTAs. It’s actually good that folks lastly can see the onerous work that we’ve all been placing in collectively.”

Tagovailoa mentioned that, when the play was referred to as, there wasn’t a selected route to choose the deep choice to one of many quickest gamers in soccer, if not the quickest.

“Mike [McDaniel] didn’t essentially inform me who to go to with the ball, however for me it was a kind of offers that if we obtained a selected protection from their protection that no matter who was on Tyreek or not, we wished to take that shot,” Tagovailoa mentioned. “And so we obtained the premier look of what the play consisted of and that’s why we took the shot.”

McDaniel, who spoke at size concerning the sudden passing of crew govt Jason Jenkins on the outset of the press convention (we’ll be posting one thing on that later this morning), mentioned he was “simply joyful for these two people as a result of they’ve invested lots.” McDaniel added that he was “joyful for the crew and the group often because they’ve invested lots,” and “let’s simply say it was cool to see them not blink and do what they love doing.”

McDaniel was requested whether or not the play was supposed to ship a message to the remainder of the league.

“We’re actually simply attempting to work on our craft,” the first-year coach mentioned. “You don’t know what protection they’re going to run on the market. You need to execute the play, and I used to be joyful that it was a troublesome look, however Tua is making that call to throw to him whereas on the identical time his again is to the protection. It takes lots of coaching, however we had been fairly assured that if we obtained the fitting look that, they’d execute it. That’s why they’re who they’re, and that’s why all of us imagine in them a lot.”

Tua mentioned it himself. The throw wasn’t ideally suited. However with a expertise like Hill, it doesn’t need to be.