Tua to Be QB1 for Dolphins vs. Falcons After Benching, HC Hopes to Not See '10 Picks'

Despite being pulled near the end of Sunday's ugly 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will remain the starter for the Miami Dolphins going into their next game against the Atlanta Falcons.

"He is going to take the snaps this week, and he is going to be a starter this week, and my expectation is that we don't throw 10 picks," head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques.

While McDaniel turned the offense over to Quinn Ewers near the end of Sunday's loss, it was not a traditional benching since the score and game situation dictated that move. The outcome was well in hand, and the Dolphins were playing out the string at that point.

But it's not as if Tagovailoa played well enough to avoid a benching.

He went 12-of-23 for 100 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions against a Cleveland team that was 1-5 entering play. It was the Alabama product's second straight game with three interceptions after he also struggled in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Miami is now 1-6 on the campaign and arguably the most disappointing team in the league relative to preseason expectations.

"In this case, I thought it was important for us to watch the offense together," McDaniel told reporters when revealing he watched film with his quarterback after the loss. "So, we watched the pass game together this morning and had direct communication about the ebbs and flows of the game and how we can both improve for each other. 

"Because to me, when you go through a performance like that, I don't see it as all on a player or all on a coach. It's a working relationship, and we both have to get better together because that's not good enough."

Tagovailoa isn't the only one under the microscope during Miami's poor start to the year.

It has also led to plenty of rumors about McDaniel's job status, although both ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday the organization isn't planning on moving on from him in the immediate future.

Perhaps the conversation will be different if the Dolphins also lose to the Falcons, but Tagovailoa and McDaniel are both safe in their current roles as of Monday.