The Atlanta Falcons may have a pretty good idea of what Tua Tagovailoa does best. However, their offensive coordinator also may have accidentally revealed the biggest question mark that surrounds his game.
While addressing the media yesterday afternoon, Falcons OC Tommy Rees recently offered an assessment of Tagovailoa's accuracy, telling reporters, "When things are clean, he's as accurate as they get."
That sounds like a strong compliment… At least on the surface. But the phrase "when things are clean" stands out.
For a quarterback competing for a starting job with Michael Penix Jr., that qualifier creates a pretty interesting question. What happens when things aren't clean? That could end up being one of the biggest factors in Atlanta's quarterback competition.
Even Falcons assistant coaches are aware of Tua Tagovailoa's limitations
Now there is plenty to like about Tua Tagovailoa's skill set. Accuracy has always been one of his strengths, and Rees clearly sees that firsthand after working with him throughout training camp. The problem is that NFL games rarely stay clean for very long.
Defenses pressure quarterbacks. Protection breaks down. Receivers get covered. Plays have to be extended. A quarterback has to make something happen when the original plan falls apart.
That is where Rees' wording becomes interesting. He didn't just say something like ‘Tua is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL.’ He specifically tied that accuracy to the offense being clean and the offensive line giving him a clean pocket.
His first preseason opportunity did not exactly help his case… He completed 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards in two drives against the Denver Broncos. Atlanta managed just 24 yards on eight plays with Tagovailoa under center.
Tagovailoa admitted afterward that his performance was "definitely not up to standard, not even up to par."
So there is already a pretty obvious connection between Rees' comment and what the Falcons need to see from the 28-year-old.
Now the Falcons don't need Tua to go out there and be Patrick Mahomes. They need him to show that his accuracy and decision-making can survive when a defense starts creating problems. That's especially with Penix waiting in the background..
Rees may have intended his comment as nothing more than praise for his quarterback's accuracy. But with the Falcons' quarterback competition suddenly wide open again now that Michael Penix Jr. was cleared for full contact the qualification may have said more than he intended.
Tua is as accurate as anyone when everything is going right. His time in Miami proved that. Now he needs to show Atlanta that he can still make the right play when it isn't.
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