Miami Dolphins Quarterback Lights up Preseason Finale

The Miami Dolphins made dreams come true for fans during Saturday's preseason finale. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill showed off a connection the NFL had been waiting all offseason to see:

"The @cheetah is loose in South Florida!!" 🐆@Tua to Tyreek for 51 yards!

📺: Watch #PHIvsMIA on @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/8zOZPXLoAx
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 27, 2022

From literally the first pass of the game, the embattled Tagovailoa gave us a taste of things to come. Drafted fifth overall in the 2020 NFL draft, the quarterback is entering a pivotal year following a pair of middling seasons. When the Dolphins broke the bank trading with the Kansas City Chiefs for superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill, many questioned if the undersized Tagovailoa was a match for the speedy wideout. Early returns are promising.

Maybe Hill's value was underestimated. Overshadowed in Kansas City by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, people forgot that the wide receiver's rise to stardom predated the 2018 MVP's arrival. Hill was already a Pro Bowler following the 2017 season, tallying 1183 yards and a career-high 11.3 yards per target for the league's sixth-ranked scoring offense. Who was throwing passes for Hill that year? Alex Smith.

Tagovailoa doesn't need to be a match for Mahomes's superlative talents to get the most out of Hill. The Dolphins offense can take a huge step forward with Tagovailoa and Hill forging their own path.