From Newsweek · Jordan Sigler · · 1m 20s
The Falcons' odd handling of Tua Tagovailoa
Atlanta hid Tua's strengths all summer, then fixed the offense right as a back injury took him out of Week 1.
In brief
Atlanta hid Tua's strengths all summer, then fixed the offense right as a back injury took him out of Week 1. A quarterback can only look like himself in a scheme built for him, and Atlanta figured that out two weeks too late. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Cooper Rush gets the call
Atlanta starts backup Cooper Rush against Pittsburgh after Tua Tagovailoa hurt his back in practice this week.
Tua's future is murky
There is chatter the Falcons could cut Tagovailoa the moment Michael Penix Jr. is ready to start.
Penix has a mental hurdle
Penix is medically cleared but not mentally ready. Per Jonathan Jones of The Athletic, naming Rush the starter is meant to push him to get there faster.
The scheme finally changed
After the preseason, Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Rees rebuilt the offense around Tagovailoa's strengths. He looked sharper in the two weeks that followed.
Why so vanilla for so long
Through camp and preseason the plain play-calling made a former first-round pick look like a backup. Play to his style earlier and the job might have been his.
“making Tagovailoa look more like a backup quarterback than a former first-round pick”
Week 2 is the audition
If Penix is not back when Carolina visits, Tagovailoa could start. Tape in an offense built for him is his best shot at another job in the league.
“Better late than never for Stefanski ad Rees to figure that out.”
The key point
A quarterback can only look like himself in a scheme built for him, and Atlanta figured that out two weeks too late.
