It’s super early, but how does Ewers first starts stack up to Tua and Skylar?
Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers’ early film is promising — but it’s far too soon to crown him. Phins fans should be hopeful, but don’t let it fall into opium… yet. A conservative, useful way to read Miami’s quarterback carousel (Ewers, Tua Tagovailoa, and Skylar Thompson) is to gauge all three rookie performances and compare how they performed. It will take far more time to evaluate if Ewers is a long-term answer, but this is as good a place as any to start.
We fans are desperate for something good in a long string of ugly.
At the very least, if Ewers, a 7th Round pick, can develop into a good backup or even a bridge quarterback, this is a huge win for the franchise and fans. So, let’s not get crazy either way on these first two game or this Patriots game, although on the road vs a division opponent will be a great test.
Ewers’ 1st Two Starts Were Better than Most
Here is an overview of the three quarterbacks. If you want a deeper dive, you can check my podcast here on this topic.
Ewers’ debut was uneven — flashes of arm talent mixed with critical mistakes that led to interceptions and a rough second half as Miami’s offense unraveled. Still despite the blow out loss, there was plenty to like especially in that first half. The follow-up was a cleaner performance: two touchdown throws, no interceptions, and a win — the sort of bounce-back coaches crave from young quarterbacks when the tape comes back hot and cold. These two games give a useful early sample: upside exists, but the consistency and decision-making questions remain, which is expected for a rookie.
You can bet with the best pay per head that it was a good sign to see growth against stiffer in his second game. The Bengals have the worst defense in the league, so it was easy to brush away his play, but he improved on every level again the Bucs above average defense. To be fair, Ewers had far more run production to support him that Tua and Skylar, which helped a ton. Still, however you slice it, his performance so far is a good sign, although not definitive.
Tua & Skylar’s 1st Two Starts
Tua made his first start in 2020 against the L.A. Rams #1 defense that stifled the run game with only 55 yards on the day. It opened with an ugly sack fumble, and it was one of the worst games of his career only completing 53% of his passes, 93 yards, and 1 touchdown. The Dolphins talent was poor, and while Ewers had Achane and Waddle, Tua had Parker and Gaskin. So that’s useful context. Tua’s second start was against the Arizona Cardinals on the road against an above average defense. He showed substantial improvement and his numbers jumped to 71% completed passes, 248 yards, and 2 touchdowns.
This was likely a slightly better performance than either of either of Ewers games based on the context of being on the road, little run support, and facing a better defense.
Skylar Thompson sits at the other end of the spectrum. Thompson’s limited starts for Miami were both ugly first in Week 5 vs the Jets top 10 defense and then late in the season vs the Patriots Top 15 defense. The Jets game had Skylar battered with 21 pressures completing 57% of his passes with 166 yards on the day and an interception despite the support of 135 yards on the ground. His second start vs the Patriots and it wasn’t good either with Skylar again completing 57% of his passes for 100 yards and 1 touchdown and an interception.
To Skylar’s defense, McDaniel didn’t have a good gameplan for Skylar trying to make him throw fast like Tua, and they were very tough defenses on the road. Still, it’s clear his baseline is backup at best.
Ewers vs the Patriots will be a Great Test in Tough Conditions
The upcoming Week 18 trip to New England is a meaningful third test for Ewers. The Patriots bring structure, pressure packages, and situational toughness that will reveal how Ewers handles game-planning against a playoff-caliber unit. It’s a great measuring stick — but not a final verdict. One strong or poor outing doesn’t erase the need for a multi-game trend for a rookie who’s still learning NFL tempo.
On the face of it, Ewers has outplayed Skylar and has shown comparable play to Tua’s excellent second start through both games. Ewers faced easier defenses than Tua and had the benefit of a far more potent run game. So, the picture isn’t clear other than he has done all that can be expected.
Let’s see what he does this week, and likely through next season as well. A 7th Round pick showing competence is good news in a very ugly season. Let’s hope somehow Ewers can make it great news vs the Patriots and beyond.
Go Phins!!!