Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa nearly breaks NFL scoring record with Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa continued his stretch of proving he’s one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks by leading the Miami Dolphins to a 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

In fact, the former Alabama quarterback has been so dominant to start the season, he said the Dolphins scaled back the scoring barrage late despite having the opportunity to kick a field goal that would’ve broken the NFL record for most points ever in a single game. The single-game record of 72 was set by Washington in 1966.

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“We’re not trying to humiliate teams,” Tagovailoa told reporters after the game when asked why Miami didn’t try to break the scoring record.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel added: “It felt like chasing points. Chasing a record. It’s not what we came into the game to do. It doesn’t have a bearing on the overall season outcome. I saw it as — 10 times out of 10 you can see the kneel down in those situations.”

Tagovailoa, who entered halftime a perfect 16 of 16 passing, completed 23 of 26 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Sunday. He led eight touchdown drives before exiting early in the fourth quarter in favor for the Dolphins’ backup Mike White, and Miami racked up 726 total yards.

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In 2023, Tagovailoa has completed 72 of 101 pass attempts for 1,024 yards — second-most in the NFL — and eight touchdowns.

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He also had a 77.2 total QBR (Quarterback Rating) heading into the Dolphins’ Week 3 matchup, which ranks second in the NFL behind Dak Prescott.

Tua Tagovailoa's no-look touchdown vs. Denver Broncos

Tagovailoa also had a highlight play against the Broncos on Sunday, flipping a no-look pass to running back De’Von Achane for a touchdown early in the second quarter.

After the game, Tagovailoa said he’s done the move a few times in practice.

“When I did it in practice, everyone thought it was super cool,” he said.

Tagovailoa later said: “Me no-looking defenders and moving guys with my eyes is not new for our guys to see.”

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tua Tagovailoa NFL scoring record: Dolphins QB nearly does it in Week 3