As the clouds lifted over the Baptist Health Training Complex and rain began to fall Thursday afternoon, the Miami Dolphins quarterback situation — albeit somewhat ironic — became a little clearer .
Skylar Thompson, body armor and all, made a few throws but none more than 10 yards. Tim Boyle tried to show off some mobility during his warm-up. And Tyler “Snoop” Huntley got extended reps with notable players.
The writing on the wall: A quarterback decision has been made — barring a terrible week of practice — although coach Mike McDaniel won’t give any details.
“I have in mind what I think, how this might play out, but it’s a little premature for a multitude of reasons and the very last one being competitive advantage,” McDaniel said Thursday afternoon.
With a rib injury likely to keep Thompson out of Monday night’s game against the Tennessee Titans, the quarterback competition ultimately comes down to Boyle and Huntley, who have both been with the Dolphins for less than a month. And while it’s fair to question whether either has mastered a complex attack, both claim to have learned more every day.
“The first time you’re a little unsure,” Huntley said Thursday afternoon. “You’re not set up yet, but then you start putting everything together. Pedals. After a while, you’ll start to get up.
Boyle added: “As with anything, repetition slows everything down. »
Surprisingly, McDaniel found himself in a similar situation.
“Jimmy’s [Garoppolo] The first game was against Chicago on the road…so we went with a wristband system that we all stick with, to this day,” McDaniel said, referring to his time as a run game specialist for the 49ers from San Francisco in 2017. The Niners traded for Garoppolo on October 31, and by December 3 he was their starter. “There are always challenges in the league, and sometimes they have to do with the player who touches the ball on each play.”
What made Garoppolo’s run so special that first year, according to McDaniel, was that he possessed a unique quality that galvanized the team to go 5-0 to end the regular season.
“There’s a trust and an unspoken belief, I don’t know, that a person has to have where guys believe that no matter how long they’ve been playing with him, that they have the elements to do this that every single one of them I need him to do,” McDaniel added.
The two quarterbacks share some of that quality, McDaniel continued, saying he “saw a lot of teammates really gravitate” toward Huntley and Boyle, whom the The Dolphins signed on September 17 and August 29, respectively.
“I just have a lot of respect for guys who step into a situation that’s not for the faint of heart, and you’re speaking a new language,” McDaniel said. “It takes a certain amount of self-belief to be able to do that, and I feel fortunate that the guys we added are attacking boldly and not making excuses.”
Neither Huntley nor Boyle gave any indication who would be the starter Monday.
“We have to win no matter who is out there,” Boyle said Thursday afternoon, later adding “that we all prepare like we’re going to start even if I’m going to be the backup or the third player.”
“I’m just here to help the team win,” Huntley said.
On the topic of possibly leaving for his hometown team, the Hallandale Beach native smiled from ear to ear.
“That would be amazing,” Huntley said. “It’s just a childhood dream, being able to play for your local team. This is something that not everyone can encounter. It would mean everything in the world.
No matter who lines up as the starter, the Dolphins offense still has bigger problems. Racing Game Fundamentals didn’t work. Big plays constantly gashed this defense. And All-Pro tackle Terron Armstead’s concussion could keep him from playing Monday, a blow to an offensive line unit that has clearly taken a step back.
However, the quarterback remains the most important position in football.
“There’s really no player on the team that this player doesn’t touch,” McDaniel said. “I mean indirectly or directly; your special teams and defense play for this guy. Everybody, whether you’re a runner or an offensive lineman, trying to get the right count, or whether you’re at a skill position trying to get a pass target, all of those things, everyone’s job, they depend on that person doing their job.
That’s why, like everything McDaniel does, QB1 will be decided not only by him and Chris Grier, but also by the players.
“It’s not overly weighted — you’re just interested to see if your predictions are similar, just first impressions,” McDaniel said. “I’m listening to the strongest statement my teammates can make, in my opinion. It’s nice to ask them, but I’m also the head coach and usually the players don’t try to be too stagnant one way or another with their teammates because they’re good guys and that they love them all.
“What I like to draw on is what I see through all kinds of nuances when 11 people play football,” McDaniel added. “You can just say it, that’s the best way I can explain it, when guys believe in the signal that gives them the signal to actually go and do what we need to do. So these practices are extremely important to me for that reason.
