Investigating Tua Tagovailoa's Claim To Having The 'It' Factor

God, I love me some confident Tua. In fact, everyone loves a confident Tua; even Jets fan Rich Eisen loves confident Tua. You don't even have to be a Dolphins fan to see the night-and-day difference in Tua's confidence level from when he was with Brian Flores to where he is now with Mike McDaniel.

Not only has Mike McDaniel transformed Tua's performance on the field into that of one of the best QBs in the NFL, but he's also opened the window for us fans to see who he really is off the field. Under the Flores administration, Tua was basically the guy who subs in for someone on "The Yak," scared to talk for fear of the ramifications of saying too much into the microphone. Luckily for us Dolphins fans and football fans across the world, that is no longer the case.

There's no denying that Tua has "it" off the field, as he has completely been reborn, but does he have "it" when he's on the field? Let's find out:

When he has "it"

There's no denying that Tua has had his "it" moments in the NFL. One standout example is when he threw for six touchdown passes in a game against the Baltimore Ravens, leading the Dolphins to an incredible comeback after being down 35-14. In addition to that, Tua led the entire NFL in passing yards, ranked second in yards per game, and was fifth in touchdowns. You don’t achieve that unless you have a little bit of "it" in you. Although it might not be saying much, given the subpar quarterback play we've had since Marino left, I will say that Tua Tagovailoa is by far the best Dolphins QB I’ve seen. Chad Pennington is a close second.

When he doesn't have "it"

The second the temperature drops below 50 degrees, the Dolphins and Tua are in trouble. I’m not sure what could help them prepare—maybe sending the whole team to the southern equator during the first month of summer? Regardless, Tua and this team seem far from "it" when it matters most. Unfortunately for us Dolphins fans, those are the games that count the most. When it comes to his performance against teams with winning records, the numbers aren’t great. Tua has a record of 9-15, with 31 TDs, 20 INTs, and a passer rating of 84—not exactly stellar.

Conclusion:

Here’s my stance on Tua. I believe he is a great QB who can run Mike McDaniel’s offense better than anyone else in the league. He’s incredibly accurate, a great leader, an amazing person, and a top 10 QB in the NFL. That being said, you can’t truly have the “it” factor until you start winning the big games. Yes, he stepped in as a freshman in the National Championship game, and won, but that’s in the past. I don’t care what a player did in college; this is the NFL. Tua needs to start winning the big games and shining when the lights are brightest if he wants to earn the “it” factor in the NFL.