McDaniel credited Tagovailoa with how he recovered from his first half. One of the biggest obstacles McDaniel believes his quarterback has had to overcome is his own frustration at his game within the game. It is a sign of progress that Tagovailoa is able to set aside his own frustration — he was still clearly unhappy with the interceptions after the game — and function well enough to lead the offense for the rest of the game.
In the meantime, the defense — which was overshadowed by the explosive offense early in the season — has blossomed. The run defense, in particular, has improved, and it held New York to just 29 yards rushing, thwarting it in the Jets’ early drives, and then forcing them to abandon it entirely because the Jets were playing from behind.
That kind of complementary football is the ideal, no matter the caliber of the opponent. For those looking for a more telling litmus test, the wait may have to continue. The Dolphins have games against the Commanders, Titans and Jets again, before a final three-game stretch against the Cowboys, then at the Ravens, and against the Bills that should give a truer picture of just how complete this team is. The Dolphins were 8-3 last season, too, before losing five games in a row and then losing in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The difference now is that Tagovailoa is healthy, and the offense, as a result, is even more productive.
“I feel good,” he said Friday night. “I feel as good as anyone in the league is feeling in Week 12.”
For a team that still has something to prove, that is no small thing. When McDaniel was asked about the trajectory of his defense, he pushed his hand toward the sky. That, too, may be the limit for the Dolphins if they are as complete as the Jets made them look.