NFL Exec Would 'Be Scared to Death if' Tua Tagovailoa Was My QB With Game on the Line

There isn't a ton of confidence in Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's late-game execution from around the NFL.

"He is probably a 2 on the production, but if the game is on the line, I'd be scared to death if he were my quarterback," an executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic.

Tagovailoa was ranked within Tier 3 of all quarterbacks at No. 17 overall in a Monday poll of 50 NFL coaches and executives conducted by Sando.

In close games during the fourth quarter, there was some skepticism surrounding the signal-caller's effectiveness without a rushing attack to lean on.

"It is the off-script plays that he doesn't have," a defensive coach said, via Sando. "And if it is not paired with the run game to draw the under coverage, then you don't get full utilization of his accuracy on the second and third level."

Tagovailoa has 10 game-winning drives under his belt through his five years in the NFL, but his fourth-quarter production does lag behind the first three quarters.

The 27-year-old owns a 93.1 passer rating in the fourth quarter throughout his career, the lowest of any quarter (via Pro Football Reference). Tagovailoa's 14 fourth-quarter interceptions are also the most of any quarter despite attempting the fewest amount of passes in that period compared to the other three.

Still, his impact on Miami's offensive effectiveness is clear. The Dolphins owned a 6-5 record with Tagovailoa last year, but finished with a 2-4 mark in the six games that he missed.