Tua Tagovailoa is going to start his 17th Dolphins game. Here's why it's an important step

MIAMI GARDENS — Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel tells his players not to get mad about narratives, perceptions and talking points, but to do something about them.

That's exactly what Tua Tagovailoa has been trying to do.

There were legitimate questions about whether Tua could get through a 17-game professional football season healthy. He will start his 17th game on Sunday.

"I take a lot of pride in it," Tagovailoa said Wednesday. "But I also take pride in in helping our team win. And I look back at some of the losses that we've had. I wish I could have had some back."

Tagovailoa has had a very successful season. He's about to start every game for the Dolphins in a season in which such quarterbacks as Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson have all sustained season-ending injuries.

Mike McDaniel addresses Tua starting all 17 games

"I think it's significant for the organization, but more importantly, it's significant for the player," McDaniel said.

Tua leads the NFL in passing yards and is probably most worthy of co-MVP honors with teammate Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins are also 11-5 and can win the AFC East by knocking off the Bills on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.

"I would say that's our goal," Tua said. "Short term, we want to win the division. But like I've said in many of these press conferences, in order for us to go where we want to go, we've got to win every game and it starts with this."

The second key narrative that Tua will address on Sunday is whether he can beat the Bills.

In his career, Tua is 1-5 against Buffalo with five touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of only 79.6.

"They're very sound defensively, they're coached well, they know where their problems are and they hide their problems well," Tagovailoa said. "I mean they're really good in that sense. They're really good also with their disguise."

Josh Allen of Bills has been a Dolphins killer

Conversely, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is 9-2 with 31 touchdowns, five interceptions and a rating of 110.8 in the regular season against Miami.

McDaniel said Wednesday that Tua arrives early and leaves late in his dealings with trainers and in his preparation for the next week's opponent.

"He's not inching his way out of the door," McDaniel said.

Asked how he's evolved in those areas since his rookie season, Tua said he's discovered what works best for him, through trial and error.

"I think someone that has a really good process, or routine, weekly is Christian Wilkins," Tua said. "Like, he has a really good process of how he goes about taking care of his body, taking care of the mental aspect of things, how he goes in and does his thing."

Tua enters Sunday's game with injury concerns regarding his throwing thumb, quad and throwing shoulder.

Tua downplays injuries in public settings

"My shoulder's good, brother," Tua said Wednesday. "It's all good. Thank you."

Tua started 12 and 13 games in Years 2 and 3 of his NFL career, notably missing time last season with at least two concussions.

In his pro career, Tua has had injuries that include: thumb, ribs, finger and back.

In college, he sustained serious hip and ankle injuries.

McDaniel said Tua "exudes toughness."

Tagovailoa wants badly to win Sunday's game. But he and everyone around him knows that starting at least 17 games this season is a victory, too.

"It's a blessing that I get to play you know, the entire season," he said. "I think anyone would say the same around the league, that it's a blessing to make it this far. You know, as healthy as anyone could be right now leading up to this week. So very blessed, very fortunate, not to take this for granted."

Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.

Sunday's game

Bills (10-6) at Dolphins (11-5)

8:20 p.m., NBC; streaming on Fubo, NFL+, Peacock and YouTube Sunday Ticket outside South Florida

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tua Tagovailoa healthy enough to start each Dolphins game in 2023