Last season, the Miami Dolphins faced off against the New York Jets on Black Friday in front of a national audience, but the team had a major problem. They didn’t have a quarterback.
Tim Boyle wasn’t doing very well that day, and he attempted a Hail Mary just before the end of the second half when the Dolphins were on their way, earning him the No. 6 pick. The Jets gained 159 yards but failed to score an offensive touchdown until garbage time. We all knew the Dolphins would win and the Jets would be better than that. They were completely incompetent as quarterbacks.
On Monday night, the Dolphins may feel the pain of the 2023 Jets.
The Dolphins’ third starting quarterback just four weeks into the season has been terrible. The Tennessee Titans weren’t doing well either, but they won 31-12 against the Dolphins, who were unable to play without Tua Tagovailoa, who was sidelined with a concussion. Tyler Huntley caught 96 passing yards and the Dolphins gained 184 yards and 13 first downs as a team.
The Dolphins signed Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad on September 17, and he started 13 days later. He wasn’t any better than Week 3 starter Skylar Thompson or Boyle, who now plays for the Dolphins and played in last week’s game when Thompson was injured. The attack went nowhere. It was ugly.
The calendar has turned to October, and it feels like dolphin season is already over.
monday night ugly game
When ESPN signed up for the Titans vs. Dolphins game as part of the Week 4 Monday night doubleheader, they were expecting Will Levis vs. Tagovailoa. After all, Mason Rudolph was the best quarterback on the field.
Levis threw a horrific interception on Tennessee’s first series, then landed hard on a shoulder dive for a first down on the Titans’ second possession. Rudolph joined the team, and although he didn’t have a spectacular performance, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback showed solid play. The Titans were probably satisfied with consistent play from that position for a change. The Dolphins would have won.
There were no touchdowns for either team in the first half. It was sloppy football, but at least the Titans made three field goals. That was enough to lead 9-3 at halftime.
Just before the end of the first half, a shotgun shot whizzed right past Huntley, who had to cover it before the Titans could. However, the big loss was negated because the Dolphins made an illegal shift before the snap. ESPN’s cameras focused on Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel shaking his head sadly.
That summed it up for the Dolphins. This is not the offense McDaniel or anyone else expected this season.
Dolphin in the wrong place
It’s a tough situation for the Dolphins, and it will continue to be so without Tagovailoa. McDaniel isn’t working miracles with the quarterback he has on hand, which has led to overreactions about his abilities as a coach. Not many coaches can do better than this without a functional quarterback.
The Dolphins had hopes of improving from last season, when they led the AFC East for much of the season and made the playoffs. There’s a lot of talent on the roster. But it’s hard to play without a quarterback who can execute. The Dolphins faked a run play in the fourth quarter, but Jaylen Waddle found himself wide open near the sideline and made a great play design. Huntley’s incompletion missed him by a mile. There’s not much coaches or Dolphins teammates can do to help that.
The Titans finally scored a touchdown in the third quarter. The ensuing field goal gave them a 19-6 lead. That seemed insurmountable against the Dolphins’ current offense. Miami looked desperate with just over 14 minutes left in the game, going 4-and-1 from their own 39 points. The handoff went to Devon Ashen and he was stopped for the loss.
Everything will be difficult for the Dolphins without Tagovailoa. Miami has lost three games in a row with one win and three losses. It’s hard to believe much will change no matter who gets on the merry-go-round next as quarterback for the Dolphins.
