With Tua Tagovailoa under center, the Miami Dolphins looked like playoff contenders in the AFC through the first three weeks of the season. He looked sharp throwing to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. First-year head coach Mike McDaniel had been making his case for Coach of the Year thanks to an impressive 3-0 start with wins over the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and New England Patriots.
But all of the positive momentum the Dolphins had built to start the season was gone in an instant. Tagovailoa suffered a horrific head injury after being sacked. His fingers went into a fencing position, which is the body’s natural response to a concussion or other neurological damage. Tagovailoa was placed on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital. Teddy Bridgewater, who’s had more than his fair share of injuries in his career, filled in for the remainder of the game. One week later, Bridgewater got hurt and missed most of the Jets game.
This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings are facing a unique challenge heading into this week’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The team plans to start rookie QB Skylar Thompson over Bridgewater and Tagovailoa, who are working their way back from injuries.
Tagovailoa would’ve required the least amount of scheming from Mike McDaniel had he been cleared. He’s a reliable starter who is accurate passing the ball, so much so that Hill said he was a more accurate passer than Patrick Mahomes. That’s high praise, and it shows that Tua brings a calming presence to his teammates when he is on the field. He is very much a low-risk, high-reward player compared to the other quarterbacks on the Dolphins’ roster.
Bridgewater shares some similarities with Tagovailoa. Both are well-established quarterbacks known for being accurate passers who make smart decisions with the ball. The difference lies in their aggressiveness.Tagovailoa is a better deep passer than Teddy, so an offense led by Bridgewater may lean a bit more conservative. He’s a low-risk, low-reward quarterback option at quarterback. Still, Bridgewater is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL and is more than capable of being a game manager.
The Dolphins’ offense will look significantly different with Thompson under center. As a rookie quarterback, Thompson’s command of the offense won’t be at the level of Tagovailoa or Bridgewater. Starting him is a huge gamble, but there may be more upside than you expect at first glance.
As someone who was not expected to play this season, this matchup is the most important game of Thompson’s career. He wants to prove to the world that he deserves to be in the league. Many quarterbacks never get the chance to prove their worth in a regular season game, and he is fortunate enough to have that opportunity.
Thompson is an unknown commodity who could either put up Nathan Peterman-like stats or suddenly pop out of nowhere with a surprisingly good game. McDaniel will tailor the offense to his strengths. I would expect a heavy dose of the running game and play action to start. If he gets in a rhythm early, the Dolphins may begin to open up the playbook more as the game progresses.
While it’s true that Thompson struggled against the Jets, turning the ball over twice and passing for a meager 166 yards, I wouldn’t expect the same thing to happen against the Vikings. Unlike the Jets, Minnesota’s defense won’t have the luxury of playing an ill-prepared rookie QB.
Thompson has been getting first-team reps with the offense. Additionally, McDaniel will have had the whole week to cater his offense to Thompson. Considering how crafty a play-caller McDaniel is, the Vikings could be the primary victims of playing a surprisingly efficient quarterback that nobody has film on.
With Skylar Thompson starting at quarterback, McDaniel will surely have a few tricks up his sleeve. Will Minnesota’s defense be ready to handle whatever comes their way?
