The Miami Dolphins boast perhaps one of the most potent if not creative offenses in the NFL. Yet, the results do not show that and to be fair that is in no small part due to the fact that the team’s starting quarterback has had a terrible time when it comes to fitness. Having recently suffered the third concussion of his short career, signal-calling has been left to his backup who was not up to par in the team’s most recent outing.
Dolphins going with Tyler Huntley in Week 5 against Patriots
While there has been much debate following the team’s awful performance on Monday night, reports now confirm that the Miami Dolphins will once again start Tyler Huntley at quarterback, meaning when the team faces the New England Patriots in a Week 5 clash, it will be Huntley who is under center.
If you’ve been following, then you know that Huntley is currently covering for starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is reportedly symptom-free from the concussion he suffered in Week 2 but is not eligible to return from injured reserve until Week 8. To be clear, the Dolphins have not won a game since Tagovailoa took that hit during the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
So, what can we expect? While Huntley can be considered a veteran – he has five years in the league under his belt – it’s clear that when it comes to being in sync with his teammates, there is work to be done. During the 31-12 loss to the visiting Titans, the 2022 Pro Bowler threw for just 96 yards on 14 of 22 passing. That performance included a number of misconnections with Dolphins star wideout Tyreek Hill who went on to be quite vocal with his frustration during the game on the sideline. Indeed, the critique was something Huntley himself answered to. “I just got to hone into being on time with them and get more reps on it,” Huntley said in reference to his lack of precision. “That’s the only way we’re going to build is if we get more reps.”
Results aside, it appears that Huntley still has the confidence of his coach, with Mike McDaniel explaining that as much as he understands Hill’s problem, the team as a whole – Hill included – has been visibly poor on the season so far. “I would expect (Hill) to be visibly upset at somebody,” McDaniel said Monday night. “He’s a leader, and he wanted to do everything that he could to make sure the result wasn’t that.” If there is a silver lining here, it’s that Huntley, Hill, and Co. will be facing the New England Patriots this Sunday, a team that like the Dolphins currently sits on 1-3 and has lost the last three games. The Pats for their part are fresh off of a 30-12 loss to the 49ers and have scored a grand total of 15 points across the last two games. If ever there was an opportunity for Miami to build confidence, it would be here and now. Can they do that is the question.