The connection between Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and WR Tyreek Hill is a special one. And after another huge game by the duo that featured a pair of 60+-yard touchdowns in a blowout win over the Commanders, Hill took to Tagovailoa’s defense on social media after a reporter criticized one of his passes.
The play in question was the second of Hill’s two touchdowns, a 60-yard catch-and-run on a deep ball from Tagovailoa. To make the catch, Hill had to flip his hips at the last second and reel in the throw on the opposite side of his body from the way he was running the route. Grant Paulsen, a popular radio host in the Washington D.C. area, credited Hill for making a remarkable adjustment, but in the process blamed Tagovailoa for a bad throw, saying he “cannot stress enough how bad this throw was.”
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
But there’s more to the story, according to Hill. He responded to Paulsen on social media, saying that he was the one who had made the mistake by running the wrong route and Tagovailoa had thrown the ball to the right spot.
Bad take I ran my route wrong Tua threw that ball exactly where I was suppose to be . He noticed my angle put enough air time on it just to give me time to adjust 🥹 https://t.co/C0b9Q5y4h3
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) December 4, 2023
The transparency from Hill was pretty cool to see, and a good reminder that not everything is quite as it seems given how complicated most NFL plays are. Fans loved seeing Hill stick up for his quarterback.
I don’t care nearly as much about the play itself (both guys deserve credit for any TD they score together) as I do the strength of the relationship between Tua and Tyreek. A QB’s ability to appease an elite WR might be the single most underrated task in football. https://t.co/0AGBAFFwpU
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) December 4, 2023
This is for all the tape warriors out there. Unless you know exactly what the play call was and where Cheetah was supposed to be… you’re just guessing. Good on Tyreek to set it straight https://t.co/Ytv7gLJZ2X
— trey wingo (@wingoz) December 4, 2023
Find you someone who loves you like Cheetah loves Tua. https://t.co/9iMlbNzjVO
— Marion Cobretti (@Vandenburgh47) December 4, 2023
Man I can’t tell you how much I enjoy when pro athletes set the record straight in these situations
— Aaron Borgmann (@RehabAllStar) December 4, 2023
Well done on you @cheetah https://t.co/f0JxW3mkJC
LOVE this response from Tyreek. Not just because he’s sticking up for his guy, but so many watch football and think they know what’s going on. So much is happening out there, that you’re just not aware of. https://t.co/SE802O7Ep4
— Jonathan Zaslow (@ZaslowShow) December 4, 2023
Just a reminder that no matter how much film you watch, you never KNOW what a player is supposed to do unless you're in the room with them. https://t.co/YukT6Pv0L8
— Parker Blake (@ParkerBlake60) December 4, 2023
