Rival Plummets To Last In Quarterback Rankings Before Facing Patriots

The New England Patriots play their first AFC East game against a Miami Dolphins team desperate for a win following a disastrous start to the season. Tua Tagovailoa especially has a lot to prove on Sunday.

Tagovailoa looked all out of sorts to begin the 2025 campaign. The 27-year-old completed 14 of 23 passes for 114 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in a 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

One analyst swiftly reacted to the poor performance. NFL.com’s Nick Shook placed Tagovailoa last, a dozen spots below his preseason spot, when ranking each starting quarterback before Week 2.

“Tua Tagovailoa had a terrible day against the Colts,” Shook wrote. “He sailed an early pass for an interception and took the bait on a simulated pressure that ended with Tagovailoa delivering a pass directly to edge rusher Laiatu Latu. Perhaps most concerningly, the entire game seemed like a chore for the Dolphins.”

Tagovailoa also took three sacks and lost a fumble in last Sunday’s onslaught at Lucas Oil Stadium. His 2.7 QBR was the lowest of any Week 1 starter.

It’s a far cry from the Tagovailoa who posted an NFL-leading 4,624 passing yards in 2023 and completed 72.9 percent of his passes last season. The Dolphins have recently resembled a prolific offense with the former No. 5 pick healthy, but they only mustered one passing play above 20 yards (a 21-yard completion to Tyreek Hill) in Week 1.

Tagovailoa isn’t the only quarterback looking to bolster his stock at Hard Rock Stadium this weekend. Shook moved New England signal-caller Drake Maye down two spots to No. 25 following an “inconsistent” effort in Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.