🏈 Tua’s Play, Leadership Silences Doubters

Tua Tagovailoa’s bounceback has quieted skeptics and raised Miami’s aspirations. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Tua Tagovailoa has come a long way, earning his place as a starting quarterback on a playoff team … The Eagles lead the latest NFL power rankings, but which others teams are among the league’s elite? … and more! Look at the Miami Dolphins' schedule and it would be easy to say the toughest stretch remains ahead of Tua Tagovailoa. He might respectfully disagree. Sure, on paper, the Dolphins have a punishing midwinter immediately before them, with five teams on the docket all above .500 who have a combined record of 34-21, plus the who-knows-what-now Green Bay Packers. Yet Tagovailoa, as things continue to go well in South Beach and "MVP" chants reverberate at Hard Rock Stadium with increasing frequency, could be forgiven for pointing out that at least in his view — he hopes — the toughest part is firmly behind him. For two solid years, the Dolphins quarterback found himself in a brutally trying situation that he hasn't received enough credit for enduring. He was a rookie, coming off hip surgery in 2020, and suffered the ignominy of often being benched mid-game, not always with good reason. Last year, he operated behind an offensive line about as useful as a cardboard stop sign, got hurt and had to endure trade chatter persistently linking Miami with alternatives like DeShaun Watson and Tom Brady. Even when things began to flow this season and Miami sprinted to a hot start, he suffered injuries in consecutive weeks — first a back issue that was initially described as a head injury and saw him return to the field in questionable circumstances. Then, against the Cincinnati Bengals, he was hurled to the ground, carried off the field and missed the next two games. Yet here he is, surging, clocking off the weeks and the wins — having taken his team to the top of a division, the AFC East, that is collectively flying. Five straight victories have the Dolphins right where they want to be, before a calendar that includes the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills, back-to-back-to-back. Get through that unscathed, and the Super Bowl talk will be unavoidable. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - The Eagles are back in the top spot ahead of the Chiefs, while the Cowboys, Bengals and 49ers are also trending upward. Bucky Brooks [ranks the NFL after Week 12](. - The United States and Iran have [roots that run deep]( on the field. They'll play in a win-or-go home game for the USA on Tuesday, Doug McIntyre writes. - Bucky Brooks breaks down another wild week in the NFL that saw Mike White and Trevor Lawrence [star for their teams]( while the Bucs and Ravens struggled. - The Dodgers enter the offseason with financial flexibility. They also have several holes to fill. That will lead to [some tough decisions]( Rowan Kavner writes. - Michigan has dominated Ohio State despite lagging behind in the recruiting rankings. For Jim Harbaugh, it's [all part of the plan]( writes Michael Cohen. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] United States vs Iran (Tuesday, FOX, 2 p.m. ET) The United States is looking to advance out of Group B with a win while Iran needs just a draw to advance at the World Cup Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks (TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET) Stephen Curry and the Warriors head to Dallas to battle Luka Dončić and the Mavericks in a Western Conference showdown. No. 6 Baylor at Marquette (FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET) The Bayor Bears are looking to earn a quality non-conference road win against the Marquette Golden Eagles. Tunisia vs France (Tuesday, FOX, 10 a.m. ET) France looks to finish the group stage unbeaten while Tunisia hopes to capture its first win of the World Cup. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( United States vs Iran: United States (+100) to win outright From FOX Sports Betting Analyst: Jason McIntyre The United States is slightly favored here in a match it must win to advance. The team would be eliminated in a draw, so it’s win or go home. Iran is an underdog despite scoring twice against both England and Wales. But context matters — both goals vs. Wales came after a red card was issued, which meant it was playing 11 on 10. Iran’s defense was shredded against England (6-2), and the team scored down 4-0 and 6-1. The goals are an outlier for a team that scored three goals combined in six games over the last two World Cups. Overall, Iran has struggled to simply possess the ball, as they were chasing England throughout the opener, and Wales held the ball for 62 percent of the time. The United States will need to take advantage of these types of opportunities. The USMNT has just one goal in more than 180 minutes so far at this World Cup. You can blame it on offensive woes, but the three teams from North America — Mexico, USA and Canada — have scored just two goals in a total of six games. The United States will need a hero to step up. Who will that be? The Americans are better in the midfield, and its defense only gave up one goal on a free kick against Wales. Feels like 2-0 USA or USA 2-1. Take the USMNT to win this one. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. 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