The Phins showed a ton in the 2020 Season, but it ended so UGLY
The Miami Dolphins had its biggest Regular Season game in 20 years… and they didn’t rise to the occasion. It was clear after the early interception by Byron Jones that things weren’t firing on all cylinders. Then the wheels came off on the Phins and the game became a total wreck. After another big let down by this franchise in a big moment, what’s a fan to think? I had to sit for a few days to absorb it all without emotion and watch the All-22 film, again and again, to process this final game… and where the Phins are.
It was plain to see that the Phins lost as a team and the Bills were the better team. The beat down by the Bills and missing out on the playoffs again hurt…
…. But, we overachieved the expectations of even the best pay per head sites. Going 10-6 is far from the end of the world Phindom. Still, Miami better be careful that they don’t swap the Pats with the Bills as division the powerhouse. Buffalo has a freak at quarterback, a good coach, a talented roster, and a ferocious home-field advantage late in the season. The 2021 Season is a critical crossroads for this regime or they fall down the rung of the AFCE. The Phins must have a brilliant offseason and continue to develop because the Jets and Patriots have a ton of picks to reload as well.
The talk is now is all about who’s to blame:
- Some lay this loss at the feet of Tua.
- Others are blaming everyone but Tua.
- Chan Gaily is getting plenty of call-outs to be fired.
- The high-priced secondary is drawing ire, despite two interceptions.
- The Phins receivers are said to stink.
- Despite spending 3 picks on O-linemen, the blocking is getting called out.
Since Tua is the key to the future of this franchise, clarity on what type of NFL player he is will be paramount. Tua will be far more responsible for how 2021 turns out than 2020.
Can we determine if Tua is a bust by what we’ve seen? No. the problem is that we can’t determine if he is a star either. But, there is plenty of film on Tun in the NFL, so we CAN create a profile of what he is now and where he needs to go to be a success.
Here are some of the takes from the media covering the full spectrum of ‘Tua takes”:
That basically covers everything from bust to victim.
Did Chan Gailey’s play calls cripple Tua?
Was Tua strapped with poor talent?
Did Tua just play poorly?
Some obvious facts:
- Tua is a rookie coming off a brutal injury, with little preseason under his belt, and playing with decent surrounding talent. This has to always be the context of the evaluation.
- Not decent O-talent, you say? Fitzpatrick made it hum pretty good with the 8th longest YPC average. No, it wasn’t about Fitz’s talent advantage over Tua. It was about his leadership, aggressiveness, experience, smarts, and moxy.
- Miami MUST add pieces to the offense. Tua and Fitzpatrick both suffered from less than optimal conditions.
- Gailey had some amazing games and play calls with Tua and Fitzpatrick. The heavy RPO for Tua wasn’t a winner though because he doesn’t threaten a defense with his running. Unfortunately, this is a scheme where he thrived in college and creates easier reads. You can’t believe Gailey tried to sabotage Tua with a ‘lesser’ playbook? Wouldn’t Flores notice? Would Gailey sabatouge his last stop? The more likely case Tua was given what he can handle.
- Tua could have done more with the talent, but didn’t. He looks slower than in college and has less drive on the ball. We could see a big improvement in these areas in Year 2… if his hip heals. As it is now, he has average foot speed, and the average velocity on the ball limited his tight-window throws. Many times recievers were waiting on the ball to arrive. This is a huge deal that could make a huge leap if he hasn’t fully healed and can improve these areas in the offseason. This is an unkown though.
- The much spoke topic of protecting the football v.s. being aggressive will be replayed in 2021. The reality is there were many balls that could have been picked and weren’t. But, Tua was very aggressive at times, although he cooled off as the season wore on. Who is the real Tua? It will take Year 2 to find out.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely move on to get a starting spot somewhere else. That means, barring the signing of a veteran, Tua is all there is at QB in 2021. Is it enough to bank the whole regime on?
Tua needs to improve and take the job in 2021
We all wanted Tua to have played elite as Burrow and Herbert did, but he didn’t. This doesn’t mean he won’t get there next year… and it doesn’t mean he will. There were certainly points where he flashed. The problem is that the situation isn’t clear. This loss wasn’t all about Tua, but next season the team will sink or swim on his play. If he is the answer then all will be beautiful. If not and they don’t find a plan B this offseason, then Miami will have to go fish in 2022 and groom a QB to be ready in 2023. That’s a long time away.
The Phins won’t bank it all on Tua. It would be foolish if they did. I don’t know exactly what the backup plan will be. I’d expect them to draft a quarterback in next year’s draft… at some point. This wouldn’t be an indictment on Tua if they did. Remember Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers on the Chargers or Joe Montana and Steve Young on the 49ers? That worked out just fine. But, if this regime goes into 2021 all in on Tua and he doesn’t rise to the occasion, it will be an indictment on Chris Grier… and could cripple this regime.
Remember this sage advice: Having too many good quarterbacks never hurts a team… but, having too few will kill a regime. The Phins will be fine if they are wise. Go Phins!!!