Osweiler relishing starting opportunity
DAVIE Miami Dolphins backup quarterback Brock Osweiler loves the term “Brocktober.”
Osweiler says he does not partake much into social media, but teammates and family members have filled him in on the festive, Brocktober train that trended mightily after he led the Dolphins to an overtime win over the Chicago Bears last Sunday.
“It’s pretty cool to see,” Osweiler said Wednesday shortly after the Dolphins ruled Ryan Tannehill out of Sunday’s upcoming home game against the Detroit Lions.
“Go ahead and keep writing it. It’s fun.”
Osweiler will start in his second consecutive game for the Dolphins with Tannehill sidelined for an indefinite amount of time with a right shoulder injury.
Whether it’s two games, three games, or more, Osweiler has an opportunity he plans to take full advantage of alongside Adam Gase, the Dolphins coach who had a hand in drafting and molding him earlier in his career with the Denver Broncos.
For Osweiler and Gase, the Bears game was their first start together after it was determined that Tannehill was unable to play hours before the game. The Lions game gives them both a chance to game plan while settling some unfinished business together as coach and player.
“It’s something that I’ve been wanting for a lot of years,” Osweiler said. “I believe in coach Gase, his system, and who he is as a person and a coach. And I saw that firsthand for a lot of years in Denver, and I saw what it’s like to be able to play for a coach like that.
“I heard a lot of play calls come in through that ear piece that weren’t coming in for me so to go out there and finally be the guy to pull the trigger, it was a very special day.”
Added Gase: “It was fun calling the game for him. It’s something that we never really got to experience.
Osweiler spent four seasons in Denver — with three seasons of nearly 60 regular-season and playoff games — longing to play while wearing a headset to hear Gase call plays for Peyton Manning instead of him.
This offseason, Osweiler signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins to reunite with Gase.
Their continuity was an instrumental factor in Miami’s overtime win over the Bears.
During the game, Osweiler said he at times was able to anticipate a play call from Gase before he received it.
“I know what coach wants when he calls certain plays because I’ve been in that meeting room with him so many years and know where he wants that ball to go,” Osweiler said of Gase.
“He’s sitting there and looking at his sheet, and in my head, I’m thinking he’s going to call this play. Three seconds later that play comes in.
“We were definitely on the same page, and that’s been a lot of fun.”
The Dolphins hope to capitalize on that continuity for as long as they need to.
Miami is preparing for two football games in eight days, playing three games in 11 days overall.
With rest serving as the best medicine for Tannehill’s injury, Osweiler could even find himself starting against his former team, the Texans, next Thursday in Houston.
Osweiler surely is not getting ahead of himself.
After leaving Denver, signing a four-year, $72 million contract in Houston, being traded to and released by Cleveland, and returning for a second stint with the Broncos, Osweiler has been through a gamut of emotions as an NFL quarterback.
Outside of jokingly learning how to “pack up a house and travel,” Osweiler says believing in himself and quieting the outside noise have been the most significant factors in maintaining his confidence.
“I’ve been through some ups and downs, and I’ve learned so much along the way,” Osweiler said. “Now, it’s all about just making the most of these special opportunities because you don’t know when you’re going to get another one.”
For now, Osweiler plans to take full advantage of his time with Gase in Miami — which could deliver some more first-name puns.
Brocktastic, Brock and roll, Brock the house and Hard Brock Stadium are a few that could catch on.
Osweiler says he hasn’t heard many except for the one he likes most so far.
“Right now, it’s Brocktober,” Osweiler said. “I’m not looking much past that.”