Dolphins’ Tagovailoa climbing up NFL leaderboards: Where he ranks. And audition for Deiter

Tua Tagovailoa keeps climbing up NFL leader boards.

The Dolphins quarterback ranks in the top half of the league in a bunch of categories.

Among them: He is now second in the NFL in completion percentage at 70.9, 15th in passer rating (96.1 and just ahead of Patrick Mahomes), seventh in percentage of third-down throws that become first downs (45.1), 11th in first downs per pass attempt (36 percent), fourth in first-quarter completion percentage (73.1), second in fourth-quarter completion percentage (75.8), second in completion percentage inside the opponent’s 20-yard line (68.3), fourth in second-half passer rating (103.6) and sixth in fourth-quarter passer rating (108.5).

Tagovailoa does his best work with three-receiver formations; he’s fifth in the league with a 114.2 passer rating with that grouping. He has been sacked only 4.2 percent of his drop backs, which is sixth best in the league and impressive considering the shortcomings of Miami’s offensive line.

Because he doesn’t throw deep a lot, he’s only 20th in yards per pass attempt at 7.07.

If Tagovailoa closes the season at his current completion percentage (70.9), that would be a team record in that category. His 96.1 passer rating would be third best in Dolphins history.

In his past three starts since returning from a finger injury, Tagovailoa leads the NFL in completions percentage (80.0), is third in completions (84), tied for fifth in passing yards (747), tied for sixth in passing touchdowns (five) and ranks seventh in passer rating (108.2).

And there’s this: Tagovailoa has posted a 100-plus passer rating in four consecutive games, the NFL’s longest active ongoing streak. The only player in Dolphins history with a longer such streak within a season is Dan Marino, who did so in six consecutive games during his 1984 MVP season.

And Tagovailoa has done all this despite having a running game that averages 3.3 yards per carry (second worst in the league) and a line that has allowed the most pressures and a receiving group that has the most drops in the league, per Fox.

Tagovailoa, incidentally, is doing much of his damage on short passes (0 to 9 air yards). Per Next Gen Stats, Tagovailoa has completed 55 of his last 61 short passes for 427 yards and four touchdowns.

PARKER, DEITER RETURN

Wide receiver DeVante Parker and Michael Deiter both returned after extended absences Sunday, and Deiter essentially now has a five game audition to convince the Dolphins that he’s their center for 2022.

Deiter said he hasn’t thought about that aspect of it, but added: “I want to make sure I play good enough football to make them comfortable with me.”

Deiter allowed one pressure and no sacks Sunday, per Pro Football Focus. He had missed the previous nine games with a foot injury — which he said was the amount of time he expected to miss.

“I was in the swing of things [but] definitely a little bit of rust,” he said. “I had Wednesday, Thursday to knock off as much rust as we could. It felt like riding a bike. Still things I can do better. Still a lot to improve on.”

Parker, who missed four games in a row with a hamstring injury, caught five passes for 62 yards.

“It feels good being back on the field with my teammates,” he said. “Glad I was able to be part of a win.”

Parker had mostly avoided hamstring injuries the previous two seasons after struggling with that earlier in his career. “I’m doing stuff to get my body right regardless,” he said. “Still things you have to do to take care of.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ The wins against Carolina and the Giants marked the first time since 2011 that the Dolphins held consecutive opponents to 250 yards or less of total offense.

▪ The Dolphins lead the league with 98 quarterback hits and 73 passes defended.

▪ Jaelan Phillips is the first rookie since Julius Peppers in 2002 to produce six sacks in a three-game span.

▪ With 86 receptions, Jaylen Waddle remains on pace to top Anquan Boldin’s NFL rookie record of 101 receptions.

▪ Mike Gesicki set a single-season high in receptions (59) and Christian Wilkins in tackles (57).