South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Hyde: Game big for Tua’s development
Erik Spoelstra, who knows all about winning championships, said something apropos to the Miami Dolphins’ big picture this week.
The Miami Heat coach wasn’t talking about the Dolphins at all. He was talking about his own team, its development and direction this upcoming season. He talked about adding size to a Heat roster that needed more against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals when he struck on a larger theme for all sports.
“When you want to win at the highest level and get that final win, you have to have pretty much everything,’’ he said. “You have to check a lot of different boxes. You have to be tested, but you have to have an incredible versatility.
“You have to be able to have a lot of different kinds of things for different circumstances. And opponents at that level, the elite of the elite, pose answers for every kind of question. So you have to be able to bring a lot of different things.”
The Dolphins have made significant strides, especially defensively, toward checking boxes this year. But don’t go crazy about a playoff stretch that would be a good accomplishment. They’re still not there. They still have significant boxes to check.
That’s neither breaking news nor a criticism at this point in their development. It does
explain the importance of playing Tua Tagovailoa, though, and that gets into the importance of him playing Sunday against the sad-sack Cincinnati Bengals.
Look at this Bengals defense: 30th in sacks, 26th in in yards against, 21st in passing yards. Those numbers only start to say why it matters who plays at quarterback for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa or Ryan Fitzpatrick. Someone is going to have a good day — or should anyway.
Look at the last four average-togood quarterbacks to play against Cincinnati. Throw out the last two weeks of the struggling offenses behind the New York Giants’ Daniel Jones and Washington’s Alex Smith.
Go with the stretch of the four before that: Indianapolis’ Phillip Rivers, Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield, Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger.
Average-to-good quarterbacks, right? Not elite, not top five. There’s not a top-10-rated quarterback in the bunch other than Tannehill.
These quarterbacks burned Cincinnati for a combined 14 touchdowns against three interceptions and a 110.3 rating. They were sacked a total of two times in four games. Their offenses all scored more than 31 points against the Bengals.
Do you see how that translates to Sunday — and to the Dolphins’ situation?
The Dolphins don’t have a quarterback controversy by exact definition. It’s Tagovailoa’s job — if he’s healthy. It’s Fitzpatrick’s role to play mentor — just as it should be.
Everyone agrees on that, but everyone also should understand whoever comes out of this game should show enough sparkle for people to say, “That’s the guy for the rest of the year.” And not just people. The players, especially.
It’s one thing for coach Brian Flores to say, “This is Tua’s team.” It’s another for him to perform that way. He did so against Arizona. He needs to get back to that. This is a day that presents that kind of opportunity.
If you look at the big picture, the one Spoelstra was talking about in developing his team, that’s why you need Tagovailoa to develop, to get these reps and get in line to check that most important box in football.
Flores played it cute Friday in letting everyone know he’d decide on the starter just after talking to the media. That’s his call. It’s also a little odd. What’s the point of not announcing it? A competitive advantage? Do you ever hear good teams do that — or need to?
The Dolphins’ record is ahead of its development. That’s a good testament to the coaching and players maximizing their chances. Making the playoffs would be an accomplishment.
But making it with Tagovailoa would be the accomplishment this franchise needs moving forward. The Dolphins made the playoffs in 2008 and 2016 in nice seasons that went nowhere.
Tua hasn’t played since being benched in Denver. If that defense presented problems, this bad Cincinnati defense provides opportunities. It gives up points, doesn’t rush the quarterback and, thanks to an offense without rookie Joe Burrow, should be kept on the field too long.
It’s a perfect opportunity for Tagovailoa to get his sea legs under him again and the Dolphins’ development to continue in good form. Making the playoffs? Nice. But making them in the way where Spoelstra’s boxes are getting checked is what matters most.