The Miami Dolphins defeated their AFC East rival, the New England Patriots, 17-16, in Week 1 on Sunday (September 12) at Gillette Stadium, but their starting quarterback hardly impressed one of their opponents.
Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson gave a candid response when asked about Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's fourth-quarter interception, which could have cost Miami the game had it not recovered a Damien Harris fumble on New England's ensuing drive.
"That's what Tua do," Jackson told reporters after the game when asked about the interception via the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan. "If he doesn't have his first read, he's just gonna throw the ball up."
Jackson added that he expected the Patriots to come up with an interception earlier in the game.
Tagovailoa finished Sunday's game with 202 yards on 16 of 27 passing, as well as two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing).
The performance came after months of speculation that the Dolphins weren't totally sold on the former University of Alabama standout, who was selected No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, as their franchise quarterback amid inconsistent performances during his rookie season.
Still, Tagovailoa now holds a 2-0 record against the Patriots, having previously defeated New England, 22-12, last December.
Fellow former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones finished Sunday's game with 281 yards and one touchdown on 29 of 39 passing while making his NFL regular-season debut for the Patriots.
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