Tua, like every other rookie, must have time to learn, adapt, and grow
The Dolphins/ Broncos game was clearly a game lost in the trenches. Miami couldn’t stop the run and allowed constant pressure on Tua. How many times did the run get blown up? And Tua was under constant pressure all day. No quarterback cab be successful under that much duress. But, Denver was a great lesson for the young quarterback because the NFL is all about overcoming adversity.
No two rookies grow the same, but, all rookies must grow
First, Tua needs to be a lot more humble–or at least more cagey– in his answers to the media. They are there for stories and headlines.
The headline this week was all about his ‘sorta’ out of context quote about ‘opposing defenses being far easier than he anticipated because he expected to see more complex looks from opposing defenses’. While Tua backtracked it a little, he put it out there. In the game of football, no headlines are the best headlines. It’s better to keep one’s mouth shut… just like Brian Flores does every week. Say a lot but say nothing.
Capeshe?!
When I heard this I immediately thought, ‘oh no’. Without realizing it Tua threw the gauntlet at Denver. They were going to attack him no matter what he said, but now they had the extra drive to make him eat his words…
… And that’s exactly what defensive-minded head coach Vic Fangio did.
Never give your opponent any added ammo. This was a great lesson for Tua to learn early.
Protection is the lifeblood to a quarterback
Tua was sacked a whopping 6 times! That’s never a good sign for an offense.
No, all of those sacks can’t be blamed on the O-line because Tua had a part to play in some of them. Tua must learn to handle the pressure better by going through his reads quicker, throw the ball away, or stand tough under the rush and deliver the pass. Feeling pressure is a fact of life for an NFL quarterback.
Still, a better job at protecting their franchise QB would go a long way towards his development.
Flores said Tua is the starter this week against the Jets and their DC Gregg Wiliams loves pressure, so he’ll dial up a ton of exotic blitzes. Tua has a chance to flip the script on the narrative with a good performance. How Tua responds to the benching and poor performance in the face of heavy pressure will say a ton.
No one is above the team
On a side note, I thought that was a great move by Flores to bench Tua. If anything, it may have been better to do it a little earlier in the game. Flores is coaching to win. He moved on from Fitz because he thought it was best for the team, so why not sit Tua? Clearly, Tua wasn’t making the necessary in-game adjustments to get the win. The move to Fitzpatrick was the right one because it immediately gave the offense some life. Unfortunately, the one issue with Fitz is turnovers.
It takes a whole team to raise a rookie QB right
Chan Gailey needs to open up this offense a bit more because it looked way too vanilla against the Broncos. Tua needs to take a couple of shots downfield each game. Maybe get Gesicki more involved in the passing game by stretching the field?
And, I know just like the Patriots, Flores doesn’t really value running backs. But, not drafting any of the top running backs in either of his two drafts isn’t proving a winner. The Phins need a real bruiser of a running back.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Gaskin and Ahmed. The problem is we only have the smaller, shifty running backs. We need that ‘thunder type’ back that punishes a defense and tires them out by the fourth quarter like Ricky Williams or Derrick Henry.
Learning on the job is the only way
The various pay per head bookie service sites like AcePerHead.com do have the Dolphins as the road favorite at -7. But, it’s always tough to beat a division rival the second time at home, no matter what their record is. But, learning and improving week to week is something Tua has shown an ability to do in both college and his short NFL career. So, I expect him to play a lot better this week against the Jets and prove why he was drafted.
What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans’ thoughts about this latest performance by Tua and the Dolphins?
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