Falcons name Tua Tagovailoa starting QB: What to expect from former Dolphins Pro Bowler

The Falcons named Tua Tagovailoa their starting quarterback Monday. He beat out Michael Penix Jr. in a stop-and-start, injury-impacted quarterback battle and will make his official Atlanta debut Sunday against the Steelers.

Tagovailoa will be Atlanta's sixth consecutive different Week 1 starting quarterback.

The Dolphins released Tagovailoa, 28, last year, and he subsequently signed a one-year deal with the Falcons. Expected to go head-to-head with Penix for the starting nod, he essentially won the job de facto. Penix, recovering from yet another knee injury, wasn't able to participate in full-team drills until after the team's second preseason game, and he did not play in the third preseason game either.

Tagovailoa, on the other hand, had almost a full training camp and played in two preseason games, though the results were mixed at best. He struggled mightily in Week 1 of the preseason, did not play in Week 2 and then looked better in Week 3 — though that game was against the Dolphins' backups. He had trouble handling snaps in both appearances, an issue that sometimes plagued him in Miami as well. Overall, he went 10-for-13 for 117 yards across the two cameos.

Tagovailoa reached some impressive highs — a…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/