After the storm, this week seems like a real week of rest for the Dolphins (2-3) after their dramatic victory against the Patriots, especially since with the return of Tua Tagovailoa in sight, everything indicates that the Fins have found their backup quarterback.
Tyler Huntley appears to have won the job and Skylar Thompson, even if he returns healthy this week, is not expected to start another game.
Huntley, despite having poor numbers against New England, completing only 18 of his 31 passes for 194 yards, with one interception and no touchdowns, got the win and showed that when it comes down to it, he knows how to manage the offense.
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The ground game was also spared by the return of RB Raheem Mostert and FB Alec Ingold’s TD expression, following the concussion suffered by RB De’Von Achane, which keeps him in the league protocol.
Coach Mike McDaniel’s change of game plan, forcing him to play on the ground, served him well by not exposing him in the air, and there was some improvement in the execution of the offense.
Will this Miami strategy work against the Colts in the next game on October 20? Surely the Indianapolis team will close ranks and will not be surprised like the Patriots, so they will have to rely more on their aerial game, where by the way they have three elite wide receivers that the Dolphins are not using intelligently.
There’s no more talk of the yards reached by star Tyreek Hill, his running mate Jaylem Waddle, or even Odell Beckham, who debuted without taking a single pass. And that’s a crime.
Perhaps Huntley can mix things up more against the Colts after having 15 extra days to prepare plays and hone them through repetition, thus preventing the entire weight of the game from falling on his powerful defensive line.
The more than possible return of Tua does invite hope. With him, the offensive problems, the special teams problems, and even the multiple injuries would end, although he would not be able to avoid the multiple fouls.
It remains to be seen what happens for the clash with the Cardinals on October 27 at Hard Rock Stadium, whether Huntley plays again or Tua returns, but now it’s up to the Dolphins to beat the Colts on the road and get a 3-3 record, hoping that the Bill (3-2) vs Jets (2-3) duel this Monday Night Football will benefit them.
There is also time to reduce penalties and make adjustments to their offensive line, undoubtedly the weakest, hoping that in Indianapolis the correct plays are made for each situation, whether it is running or throwing the ball, and not attempt plays that have not been well synchronized during the week.
The Dolphins are a better team than they have shown, at least seeing their players one by one, and the responsibility of the coaches to get the most out of them and make the machine work by adjusting its pieces better without being so creative.
Although football is a very complex sport, now, without Tua, it has to be kept simple. Give the ball to Hill once and then he will take care of it. If the Dolphins have won it has been because of Hill and then alternated with Mostert on the ground and Waddle in the air to surprise and not complicate the personnel so much.
That way, Huntley, while waiting for Tua to return, could look like a better quarterback and get the job done. That way, Miami could really impose itself and not win in fear like they did against the Patriots, which at the end of the day is what their fans want.
