The Miami Dolphins are sitting at 1-6, but the biggest concern is Tua Tagovailoa. The quarterback has been battling a left thumb issue and has been on the injury report for a couple of weeks. So, there’s a chance he might miss Sunday’s game, but after practicing fully, the 27-year-old signaled he is ready to play against Atlanta Falcons.

According to NBC Sports’ Myles Simmons, “Tagovailoa was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.” And when asked about the thumb during his weekly press conference, the quarterback kept it short and steady. “It’s good.” That’s all he said.

Even so, grit can’t hide the numbers. Tagovailoa hasn’t been himself lately. Against the Cleveland Browns, he completed just 12 of 23 passes for 100 yards. Worse, he threw three interceptions. And it doesn’t end here.

He finished with a career-low 24.1 passer rating while the offense managed only two field goals. It was his second straight game with three picks, a stretch no quarterback wants. And in 7 games, he has a passer rating of 82.8 with 1,313 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Still, head coach Mike McDaniel stood firm. He confirmed that Tagovailoa will stay as QB1 next week. “He’s gonna take the snaps this week and he’s gonna be our starter this week.” But there’s a condition. The coach added, “My expectation is that we don’t throw 10 picks.”

And yes, Tagovailoa also addressed head coach’s comment.

Tua Tagovailoa stays optimistic

Soon after Mike McDaniel’s interview, Tua Tagovailoa faced the cameras and didn’t dodge the topic. Instead, he took the head coach’s comments in stride, showing the kind of maturity Dolphins fans have been hoping to see.

“That’s true, no? You don’t want anyone that’s going in there to hinder the team from being able to win the game. The way I’ve turned the ball over this year, you can’t expect to help the guys win the game,” Tagovailoa said.

However, McDaniel’s words sounded more like a challenge than criticism, and Tua clearly got it. “I’m frustrated about those, and I got to do something about that. That’s for sure,” Tua said.

Even with the turnovers, McDaniel’s faith in his quarterback hasn’t wavered. “As Tua and I have always operated, I think there’s zero uncertainty with Tua on my conviction in him and my belief in him,” McDaniel said. “So I think we’re both very, very eager to do better at our jobs. And we’re both very committed and trusting of each other to respond to what is necessary for the team to do better.”

So now it’s on both of them. Week 8 is coming fast, and the pressure is only getting louder. Will they bounce back? What’s your take?