It’s Week 15, the time when the race for the playoffs enters crunch time. One team whose fate was decided on Monday was the Miami Dolphins, who went on the road as underdogs and lost, slumping to 6-8 for the season. Tua Tagovailoa’s team faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in perfect rhythm, riding a four-game winning streak. Even more impressively, they continued their unfathomable dominance in Monday Night Football games, with 23 straight wins since 1991.

The Dolphins lost to a team peaking at the right time, and their attempt at a comeback in the fourth quarter fell well short. The scoreboard showed: Steelers’ win, 28-15, Dolphins eliminated. In the post-game interview, Tagovailoa reflected on the Dolphins’ disappointing season as a whole.

“It is tough,” he admitted. “We got to play better ball if we want to win games against good teams. It’s disappointing we didn’t get the outcome we wanted to and everything that goes on with the playoffs. To start the season the way we did—we made it hard on ourselves.”

Did Tua do enough in this do-or-die game? Sure, the quarterback finished 22 of 28 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick. However, the majority of his numbers were picked up in the fourth quarter, when the Dolphins were trailing by 28-3. The game was already out of Miami’s hands by then. 

In the first three quarters, he barely had 65 yards. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he threw a horrid interception (15th of the season) on a promising early drive. However, head coach Mike McDaniel refused to put the entire blame on Tagovailoa. In his opinion, everyone was responsible for the loss in one way or another. 

“Everybody has to do better,” said McDaniel, including himself. “It’s been a multitude of things. It has to be better for us to be able to win games when you’re not owning time of possession or controlling the game on the ground. That limits you a ton. So it’s not up to standard.”

The Steelers were simply a better team, the head coach admitted. Though the head coach stood by Tagovailoa, he highlighted the receiving corps’ inconsistencies at times, even when the QB was on the right track, and later dodged questions about benching the 27-year-old signal-caller. The bottom line is, the 2025 season may have made the front office realize the dire need for a replacement. 

Troy Aikman rips Tua Tagovailoa

The signs are already here. Week 15 pretty much sums up the Dolphins’ entire 2025 season: a slow start, a little late hope, but ultimately, disappointment. Stephen Ross has big decisions to make, not just regarding the quarterback, but also head coach McDaniel and General Manager Champ Kelly. 

The urgent decision appears to be about quarterback Tagovailoa, who’s taking home $50 million a year. His first-half interception not only broke his 2023 mark, but it also moved him into the league lead. Still, Troy Aikman believes the count should be more than 15. 

“I’m not sure exactly what’s happened,” said Troy Aikman about Tagovailoa. “Because when I watch Tua, he should have a lot more interceptions than the league-leading 15 that he has.”

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The former legendary QB refused to shift blame to the receiving corps or the passing game for Tagovailoa’s inconsistencies. Aikman bluntly asserted that the Pro Bowler has been in the league long enough to know not to make that throw. He was referring to Tagovailoa’s throw to WR Jaylen Waddle running an out-route toward the sideline. The ball came up short of where Waddle was headed, and Asante Samuel Jr. intercepted it.