Are the Dolphins suffering from a Tua Tagovailoa issue?

Three quarters of the Sunday game will be played by the quarterback Tua Tagovailoa The Miami Dolphins Did enough.

Then, in the fourth quarter, they — and particularly their ball security — thoroughly imploded.

This is the same quarterback who started December with 19 touchdowns to only three interceptions in nine matches. He also had that total turnover in a quarter.

Mike McDaniel, head coach, admitted that there were mistakes after the game. 26-20 loss The Green Bay Packers, compounded. They threaten to ruin a promising season unless Tagovailoa or the Dolphins address them.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s also something every quarterback really goes through,” McDaniel said. “You have to really figure out how you don’t let mistakes snowball. … You can’t let the past influence the present.

“I think there could be some portions of that that have to do with him kind of snowballing in his own mind.”

McDaniel insisted his quarterback is strong and the coach is “confident” he’ll move past this. But a four-game Dolphins skid continues to wreck their postseason viability and even, after Sunday’s loss, their postseason contention.

The Dolphins had an 83% chance of making the playoffs when they entered Sunday. FiveThirtyEight’s playoff predictor. They came home with 67% chance.

And while McDaniel emphasized Tagovailoa alone wasn’t at fault for blowing this game, the quarterback’s decision-making undoubtedly contributed. He knew this.

“You get an opportunity to play on Christmas Day against a really good team,” Tagovailoa said, “and I go out there, not able to put my best foot forward.”

Communication errors and the ‘wrong way’

Although Dolphins fans may not want to remember this, it was Packers quarterback. Aaron Rodgers Who threw the first interception during a Christmas Day close game?

Rodgers attempted to receive receiver when third-and-15 was called less than one minute into the fourth period. Allen Lazard In the end zone. Dolphins rookie cornerback Kader Kohou Instead, he made his first career selection, which allowed the Dolphins win from a tie of 20-20.

Tagovailoa was able to target the receiver with his first snap Tyreek HillIn the hope of throwing the ball over a defender, he put air on it. He miscalculated his throw and sent the ball over Hill’s head. Cornerback for Packers Jaire Alexander watched the play unfold, thinking to himself: “Wow, is he really overthrowing it?”

“Oh, man,” Alexander said in his postgame interview with Fox sideline reporter Pam Oliver. “That’s easy.”

Tagovailoa said the throw “got away” from him.

Three minutes and fifteen seconds later, the Packers made a field goal to make it 23-20 after three quarters with no leads.

The Dolphins seemed to settle down on the following drive. Tagovailoa was able to locate three receivers, each with a double-digit gain. His team alternated between the pass and the run. Remnants of the rhythmic explosive game that had dominated the first half — Tagovaila had actually completed 9 of 12 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown Before halftime — seemed to trickle in.

Until a miscommunication.

Facing second-and-13 from the Packers’ 30, Tagovailoa fired almost as soon as he fielded the snap. This time, Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell nabbed the catch, no Dolphins player even within reach. Tagovailoa took the blame for what he called “some communications errors” on the play, the quarterback shrugging that he “might have said the wrong play, I’m not too sure.” McDaniel, however, defended his quarterback on that play.

“There was one of his interceptions that the primary receiver kind of busted,” McDaniel said. “Ran the wrong route. This is a concept that we used many times in this week. So it’s not just him.

“That is a team failure, not a one-person failure.”

As they ran out of time, the Packers decided to settle for a field touchdown. With 1:56 left to play, Tagovailoa with his teammates took the field again. They had a chance.

Two plays later, that wouldn’t matter. Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas I thought about the saying that turnovers come as a bunch. “You get one pick,” he reasoned, and “more gonna come.” Tagovailoa dropped back and fired cross-body toward the right sideline. Douglas leapt the route designed for tight end Mike Gesicki and effectively sealed Green Bay’s win.

“Just not a good ball for my receivers to have been able to make a play on that,” Tagovailoa said, wearily rubbing his neck. “It’s tough.”

Are Tagovailoa and Tagovailoa at Risk for a Repeat?

McDaniel argued against blaming the Dolphins’ entire four-game streak on Tagovailoa’s ball security. In a 33-17 loss to the Dolphins on Dec. 4, Tagovailoa committed three costly second-half errors San Francisco 49ers. But he didn’t throw an interception in subsequent losses to the Los Angeles Chargers Or Buffalo BillsA teammate recovered his one-lost ball from a strip bag.

“So to go from zero turnovers to four is going to impact the game in a grave way,” McDaniel said. “If you don’t do right by alignments, you don’t do right by protecting the football, these are the things that will happen. Our young team is having to learn the very, very hard way.”

And Tagovailoa, after Sunday’s dramatic ending, must incorporate lessons quickly for the Dolphins to maintain their grasp on this season. His first-half performance vs. Packers was exemplary and must be sustained. His communication with his teammates needs to be more crisp and his throws better-judicious. Incoming opponents will exploit the tendencies demonstrated in three interceptions on three consecutive drives to three different defenders.

The Packers appeared to already be capitalizing.

“We knew he was a guy who’s going to anticipate, and he’s going to let the ball go,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said. “But if you can read the quarterback the right way, that also gives you some opportunities defensively. And our guys did a great job of that.”

With two AFC East games rounding out the Dolphins’ regular-season slate, the road will not get easier. The Dolphins will face the New England Patriots Then the New York JetsThe teams that entered this week were ranked eighth or fourth in total defense. The Patriots also have 16 defensive interceptions which are tied for second place in the league.

All three teams are vying for AFC wild-card spots, the 8-7 Dolphins’ record just one game better than their counterparts.

The Dolphins’ first-year head coach implored his team after the game to ensure “these situations manifest … improvement.”

“At some point if we want to make the next step, we’re going to have to put up or shut up,” McDaniel said. “Nothing comes easy in this game. The one thing I do know is if you’re able to dig yourself out of it, it does benefit you in the next phase of the season. That’s where you don’t want to have wilting or snowballing play or anything but clean football.”

Tagovailoa understands that he must recover and refocus. McDaniel believes that his coach and teammates must improve their game.

“What type of people are we and are we able to really get through this together?” he said. “There’s no one else outside the team meeting room that is going to come save us.

“We have to figure it out ourselves.”

Follow Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein