Howard: Colts exposed Tua, forced him to panic in the loss

Xavien Howard Criticizes Tua Tagovailoa’s Performance After Colts Victory

Former Miami Dolphins star player and current Indianapolis Colts cornerback, Xavien Howard, offered a harsh assessment of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa following the Colts’ victory last Sunday. Howard, who signed with the Colts last month, 18 months after being released by Miami, stated that the Colts left Tagovailoa in a difficult situation during Indianapolis’ 33-8 victory.

We knew the guy gets rid of the ball pretty quickly. And once we take away his first read, I feel like he panics. And that was seen yesterday. We took away his first read and he tried to get rid of the ball really quickly.

Xavien Howard

Tagovailoa, according to Howard, seemed rushed and didn’t react well to the pressure and the different coverages of the Colts. He had two interceptions, including one thrown to defensive end Laiatu Latu, and also committed a fumble after being sacked. After the match, Latu shared similar sentiments to Howard’s.

It could be noticed in his eyes and in his frustration.

Laiatu Latu

This was Tagovailoa’s seventh game since entering the league in 2020 with at least three turnovers. Only Trevor Lawrence of Jacksonville has more in the same period. Tagovailoa recorded a QBR of 2.7 in the game, the worst by a Dolphins starting quarterback since Josh Rosen in 2019. He finished with 14 of 23 passes for 114 yards and the Dolphins did not score until 6:21 remained in the final quarter.

Howard, who played his first game since the last week of the 2023 season, reunited last month with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, his former position coach in Miami.

I could barely sleep the night before the game because I was thinking about how I would feel playing against my old team. And I went out there, put my feelings aside, and focused on the job and we did it.

Xavien Howard

Howard played 32 plays in the game and was the one who recovered the loose ball after Kenny Moore II stripped the ball from Tagovailoa. Howard expressed his desire to make a mark after Miami’s decision to part ways.

I wanted to prove it. But as a team, we got the victory. We definitely didn’t want them to score points, but they got eight points. We definitely wanted to keep a clean sheet.

Xavien Howard