Tua vs. Herbert: The First of Many?
Is this the week the Miami Dolphins finally close the gap in the AFC East?
The Buffalo Bills still sit a game and a half ahead going into week 10, but a tough matchup on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals brings no guarantees.
Sunday’s 4:05 pm ET matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers should be an exciting game for several reasons, with none bigger than the fact that rookie QBs Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert will be squaring off for the first time as professionals.
Before we get into Sunday’s looming game, however, let’s take a quick look back at last week’s contest against the Cardinals.
I mean, how about Tua?
How about them Dolphins?
?NEW?@DolphinsTalk.com Podcast: Mike and @Ian693 talk Tua vs Herbert & What Will Miami Do now at Wide Receiver #NowPlaying #FinsUP https://t.co/If4YGLeanj
— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) November 12, 2020
Once again Brian Flores’ squad went into the week as heavy underdogs, only to leave the Cardinals eating dust (sand?) in the Arizona desert. The Dolphins put together a fantastic team effort, winning in all three phases of the game and finally triumphing on the back of a game-winning drive from Tua Tagovailoa.
It was a statement win, and many people around the country have begun to take notice. This week alone, the Dolphins were featured on more “Good Morning Football” segments than I’ve seen all season. We’ve seen this type of hype with the Dolphins before, but never with this quarterback.
Never with Tua at the helm.
The defense had a tough time containing Kyler Murray in the Cardinals game, but they made a couple of key 3rd and 4th down stops late in the contest to put the game in Tua’s hands. Additionally, it’s likely that Miami doesn’t escape with a win without the defensive TD from the first quarter. This Dolphins defense is proving to be opportunistic and is capable of playing complementary football with the offense — when’s the last time we could say that?
The star of the game, though, was Tua.
Showing all the poise, accuracy, and mobility that had Dolphins fans salivating leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, the rookie QB put his starting debut against the Rams behind him and shouldered the load.
And as for Colin Cowherd’s willy-nilly concern that Tua doesn’t possess the “wiggle” needed to succeed in the NFL? Hold this L, Colin
Tua was wigglin’ all over the Cardinals defense on Sunday, and the ice running through his veins kept him cool and collected in the desert heat as he took over the game late on the way to securing the win. He was a perfect 5-for-5 on that final touchdown drive, his two runs the gravy on top.
.@Tua showed love to his coach after his 1st career comeback win ?@miamidolphins pic.twitter.com/K5zuqRJVvn
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) November 10, 2020
He was cool as a Tuacumber out there (was that a reach? That was probably a reach).
Now moving on from my food puns, let’s take a look at the Chargers in preparation for the game on Sunday. Fun fact, last week they squandered a 21-point lead at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. One could even say they walked away with egg on their face (okay, okay, I’m done, I promise).
The Chargers may only be 2-6 overall, but their average margin of defeat this season has only been four points. They’ve kept games close all season, and shouldn’t be a pushover this Sunday in Miami.
Justin Herbert leads an offense that is 2nd in the NFL in yards per game but only 17th in points per game. Outside of racking up yards, the Chargers are also an adept 3rd down offense, checking in at 7th in 3rd down conversion percentage and picking up a first down on almost half of their opportunities. Interestingly they are also a relatively run-heavy offense with the 2nd most rushing attempts per game.
The main attraction of the offense, however, is Justin Herbert. The rookie first-rounder has been a yardage maven all season and has the offense checking in at 5th in passing yards per game with 284.4. He has a passer rating of 104.7.
Especially for a rookie, that’s impressive stuff.
— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) November 10, 2020
As for the Chargers defense, they’ve so far been nothing to write home about.
Allowing 27 points per game has them at 21st in the league, and so far the talented duo of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa has only produced 4.5 sacks on the season. Given their talent, however, the Dolphins O-line will have to stay disciplined to keep Tua upright.
The big news coming out of Miami for Sunday is that Kyle Van Noy and Christian Wilkins will likely miss the game after being placed on the Reserve/Covid-19 List. Far from being ideal for the Dolphins, other contributors on defense will be asked to step up in their absence. Expect possible reinforcements from the practice squad along the D-line, more snaps for rookie Jason Strowbridge, and a shuffled rotation all along the front. At linebacker, I’d look for KVN’s snaps to be split up between Kamu Grugier-Hill, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Elandon Roberts.
On defense, Justin Herbert presents a unique challenge. He’s still a rookie and may be susceptible to Brian Flores’ very multiple schemes, but has played well and brings plus athleticism to the position (though nothing like Kyler Murray, luckily).
As for the Dolphins on offense, this week could be a perfect time for Matt Breida to crash onto the scene against a middling Chargers defense. He’s trending the right direction in terms of practice participation with his hamstring and could lead a backfield that featured rookie Salvon Ahmed and Jordan Howard (yikes) last week. Recent acquisition Deandre Washington may also suit up this week.
Let’s be honest, though — we’re all in on this game to see Tua versus Herbert, round one.
Herbert has played well and has better weapons at his disposal, but Tua has already managed more wins in two starts than Herbert has in seven. Time will tell who comes out on top Sunday, but pundits all over the country will no doubt heap praise on whichever QB wins this game and fade the one that loses.
The best part, though? The loser will hopefully get plenty of chances at a rematch as these young QBs continue to develop in the AFC.
The Dolphins will clearly the better team record-wise on Sunday, but must be careful against a talented offense led by Justin Herbert.
In short, it’s time for Tua to show why he was drafted first.
