The win inched the home team to 4-6 on the season, keeping Miami's postseason hopes in the figurative ICU as opposed to the morgue, where they seemed bound just a few weeks ago when Tua Tagovailoa was shelved yet again as he recovered from another concussion. But the win carried an extra layer of satisfaction owing to the presence of opposing head coach Antonio Pierce, who raised eyebrows at the time with unsolicited comments in which he recommended that Tagovailoa retire.
Ironically, the loss to the Dolphins sent the Raiders to 2-8 on the 2024-24 campaign, pushing Pierce to the brink of what might be a forced retirement from head coaching.
Many around the league were asked about Tua's situation, but Pierce's comments stuck out. He suggested that Tagovailoa consider retiring after his third "official" concussion in the NFL, saying, "I'll be honest, I'd just let him retire. It's not worth it."🎥 Las Vegas Raiders HC Antonio Pierce urged Tua Tagovailoa to retire back in September:
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) November 16, 2024
“I’ll be honest, I’d just tell him to retire, it’s not worth it… he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.” (@Raiders) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/8KwxV8nR8x
While it may be commonplace for talking heads on ESPN to spout this sort of take, an opponent's coach butting in tends to hit the wrong way. Sort of like giving your buddy's wife relationship advice. Even if you feel a certain way, it's usually best to keep your opinion to yourself and let them sort it out in couples therapy.
Which brings us to Sunday afternoon's game, in which Tua threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns against the Raiders, a performance that showed him to be very much not retired, Antonio Pierce's sympathetic counsel be damned.
Up by just five points with 3:28 remaining, Tagovailoa capitalized on a huge gaffe by the Raiders defense to connect with tight end Jonnu Smith for a 57-yard touchdown that effectively sealed the contest. And with the game in hand, it was time to provide some receipts to the Raiders head coach, courtesy of the Dolphins' troll captain, Tyreek Hill.Jonnu really said see ya 👋
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 17, 2024
📺 #LVvsMIA on @NFLonCBS & @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/YbSuyFfsuz
Never one to miss an opportunity to entertain (or to troll), Hill rubbed it in on the Raiders' sideline.
Now Tua and all those "In the Hunt" postseason graphics are back to including the Miami Dolphins logo. The win pushed the team to the ninth seed in the AFC playoff chase, one game behind the Indianapolis Colts at No. 8. Miami hosts New England next week — a winnable game that would boost the team's postseason chances leading up to a crucial Thanksgiving Day matchup in Green Bay against the Packers.NO WAY: Tyreek Hill TROLLED Antonio Pierce and the #Raiders after the #Dolphins scored a TD.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 17, 2024
💀💀💀
Pierce said earlier in the year Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa should retire.@cheetah
pic.twitter.com/22VzCVrzoi
All in all, Sunday was a stunning turn of events from the team's position a mere two weeks ago, when the Dolphins languished at 2-6 with Tim Boyle under center.
None of it would have been possible had Tua Tagovailoa taken Antonio Pierce's advice. Perhaps needless to say, but you read it here anyway.