Dolphins look like completely different teams with and without Tua Tagovailoa this season

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — During quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's four-game absence, the Miami Dolphins looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL.

They averaged just 10 points per game while going 1-3 and surpassed 150 yards passing just once.

The Dolphins have appeared to be a completely different team since Tagovailoa's return from a concussion in Week 8, winning three straight games while scoring 30 points twice.

Tagovailoa's precision in a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots was the latest display of his value to the team.

“Tua has been playing great ball,” said receiver Jaylen Waddle, who had a season-high 144 yards and a touchdown on Sunday after averaging just 29.8 yards per game without Tagovailoa.

“It’s really just him, for real. I can’t even explain it," Waddle added. "He comes to work every day, and he just brings that swag, that confidence, and when he goes out there and plays like that, man, it’s just fun.”

Tagovailoa — the NFL's most accurate passer, completing 73.3% of his passes — was 29 of 40 for 317 yards passing and four touchdowns against New England. Since his return, Tagovailoa's 116.2 passer rating is the highest among NFL quarterbacks with at least 50 pass attempts.

He has completed at least 70% of his passes in five straight games, which is the longest streak in his career and longest active streak in the NFL right now. The Dolphins (5-6) lead the league in third-down efficiency (60.4%) and have scored on 14 of 19 trips inside the red zone since Tagovailoa returned.

Coach Mike McDaniel said one of Tagovailoa's biggest areas of improvement has been his ability to let each play stand on its own and not get too caught up on a good or bad play.

“That’s the key for our team,” McDaniel said, “is when you have a confident player touching the ball every play that is impervious to the emotions of the game, good or bad, as a collective unit, you can be a problem for people to defend.”

As well as he played on Sunday, Tagovailoa was ready to turn the focus to a tough game in chilly Green Bay on Thursday.

“I would say it’s always great to win ... We’re still below the .500 threshold," Tagovailoa said, “and it’s a long way to where we want to get to. We’ll enjoy this win, but this next one is going to be big for us, and we’re excited to go down to Green Bay and show everybody on prime time what we can do.”

Tagovailoa described the game as a chance to “kill narratives.”

“Bring it on,” he added.

The Dolphins historically have struggled in cold-weather games.

Miami's dynamic offense was completely shut down last season when the Dolphins faced Kansas City in a blustery game at Arrowhead Stadium in which the temperature was minus-4 degrees at kickoff.

Before that 26-7 loss, they'd lost 10 straight when the temperature was 40 degrees or colder, and by an average of 17 points. Tagovailoa is winless in games of 45 degrees or colder, and the projected low in Green Bay on Thursday night is around 20 degrees.

“The Packers aren’t going to care about our three-game win streak,” McDaniel said. “The Packers are going to want to make us the team that can’t win in the cold or beat good teams. We’ll have an opportunity on Thursday to either prove them right or wrong.”

The Dolphins went from one of the most penalized teams in the NFL early this season to limiting them as the year went on. Miami was flagged three times for 17 yards on Sunday, including none in the first half.

Miami gave up a couple of big plays in the fourth quarter. Patriots tight end Austin Hooper got behind the defense for a 38-yard touchdown, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez returned a fumble 63 yards for a score after running back Jaylen Wright couldn't secure a handoff.

LB Chop Robinson. The rookie has improved throughout the season and had the first multi-sack game of his career with 1 1/2 on Sunday. He also had four tackles, three quarterback hits and two pass deflections. With 3 1/2 sacks over the past four games, Robinson is second among rookies in sacks behind Rams DT Braden Fiske (4).

Backup quarterbacks. Sunday's game showed the huge drop off in play when Tagovailoa is not running Miami's offense. Backups Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle and Tyler “Snoop” Huntley were not able to efficiently run Miami's offense while Tagovailoa was out, resulting in short drives and an inability to string together any momentum. Thompson played one snap on Sunday, which was the handoff to Wright that the running back fumbled in the fourth. Tagovailoa came back in after that.

Starting linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. had to be helped off the field after injuring his hamstring in the second quarter. He did not return.

300 — Miami's defense held New England to 269 total yards, which is the sixth time this season the Dolphins have limited an opponent to fewer than 300 yards. That's tied for the third most in the NFL this season.

The theme among Miami players after Sunday's game was to recover and get their bodies ready for Thursday's trip to Green Bay.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Miami Dolphins linebacker Chop Robinson (44) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) runs for a touchdown ahead of a tackle by New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (23) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) hands the ball to running back De'Von Achane (28) during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) smiles during a news conference following an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) aims a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Workers who clean airplanes, remove trash and help with wheelchairs at Charlotte's airport, one of the nation's busiest, went on strike Monday during a busy week of Thanksgiving travel to demand higher wages.

The Service Employees International Union announced the strike in a statement early Monday, saying the workers would demand “an end to poverty wages and respect on the job during the holiday travel season.” The strike was expected to last 24 hours, said union spokesperson Sean Keady.

Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services cast ballots Friday to authorize the work stoppage at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines. The two companies contract with American, one of the world's biggest carriers, to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs.

American doesn’t expect “any significant disruption” to its flights this week as a result of the strike, the company said in a statement. More than 30 American flights at the Charlotte airport — about 4% of the airline's flights — were delayed at midafternoon Monday, according to FlightAware, which isn’t out of the ordinary.

Workers say they previously complained that they can't afford basic necessities, including food, housing or car repairs. They described living paycheck to paycheck while performing jobs that keep planes running on schedule. Most of them earn $12.50 to $19 an hour, union officials said.

Those workers should make $22 to $25 an hour, said the Rev. Glencie Rhedrick, of Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice, at an SEIU Airport Workers United rally across from the airport. She was joined by striking employees and advocates, many raising signs that read, “Respect Black and Brown workers” and “Respect, Protect, Pay Us.”

“We cannot live on the wages that we are being paid,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said at the rally. “I can honestly say it's hard every single day with my children, working a full-time job but having to look my kids in the eyes and sit there and say, ‘I don’t know if we're going to have a home today.'”

At some airports in the Northeast, workers make more because of local wage ordinances, said Chris Baumann, a regional director for the union. But that's not the case in some Southern cities like Charlotte, he said, so workers are “asking the contractors to step up and do the right thing.”

ABM said in a statement Monday that it would take steps to minimize the strike's impact on travelers. There are avenues for employees to communicate issues, the company said, including a national hotline and a “general open door policy for managers at our worksite.”

“We keep employee safety and job satisfaction at the forefront of everything we do, and we are committed to addressing concerns swiftly,” ABM said.

Prospect Airport Services said last week that the company recognized the seriousness of the potential for a strike during the busy holiday travel season. It did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

About 800 workers were affected by the union’s push for higher wages, but an exact number who participated in the work stoppage was unclear, said union spokesperson Ana Tinsly.

Timothy Lowe II, a Prospect wheelchair attendant, said at the rally that he has heard of co-workers having to sleep in their cars or in U-Hauls because they can't afford rent. At the end of his shifts, Lowe said, he has to figure out where to spend the night because he doesn't make enough for a deposit on a home.

“We just want to be able to have everything that’s a necessity paid for by the job that hired us to do a great job so they can make billions,” he said.

Charlotte airport officials have said this holiday travel season is expected to be the busiest on record, with an estimated 1.02 million passengers departing the airport between last Thursday and the Monday after Thanksgiving. Airport officials said in a statement Monday morning that they were “monitoring and actively engaged with all partners to ensure terminal operations are not impacted,” noting that the striking workers aren’t employed by the city’s aviation department.

The union's North Carolina director, Niecy Brown, said at the rally that many people will travel through the Charlotte airport for Thanksgiving to spend time with family, but that the striking workers won't have that same holiday experience because of low wages. Instead, striking employees attended a “Strikesgiving” lunch Monday.

“They don't have a table to go to; they don't have a home to go to,” Brown said.

Airport workers wave signs as they march in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Airport workers wave signs as they march in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Airport workers wave signs as they march in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Airport workers wave signs as they march in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Airport workers wave signs as they march in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Airport workers wave signs as they march in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Airport workers wave signs as they march in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Airport workers wave signs as they strike in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Airport workers wave signs as they march in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

An airplane arrives at Charlotte Douglas International Airport as airport workers strike in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

FILE - A view of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco, File)

An union ballot drop box is seen at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)

Passengers walks past a union ballot drop box at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)

An union ballot drop box is seen at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)

LaQuanda Harvey, a Prospect airport service worker, votes in favor of a strike at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)