When I watched Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson play Sunday against the New York Jets, he played like a quarterback playing, not to lose. What I mean by that is he seemed indecisive about whether to throw the ball or take off and run. That was fine last week, but with a win-or-go-home game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, his mentality must be different. Thompson must leave it all on the field. He must trust his receivers when he throws the ball. Now, I know this part of the learning curve of a rookie, but Thompson isn’t your typical rookie. He’s 25 years old and older than our starter Tua Tagovailoa, so he has more experience than the usual rookie playing in college. I saw that in the preseason, but that’s the preseason, and he will have to make some plays to have any chance. 

One thing that would help is if coach Mike McDaniel had a game plan that takes advantage of his skill set, which is his mobility. Thompson can move around better than any of the other quarterbacks on the roster, which McDaniel should use to his advantage because the Bills haven’t seen that on film. If McDaniel is the offensive guru everyone says he is, he will tailor the offense to his quarterbacks’ strengths, just like he did with Tagovailoa this year. He should use more rollouts or read option plays for him. It just might catch the Bills off guard. Yes, the Dolphins must stick to their game plan and commit to the running game, but Thompson must make some plays with his arm and feet. Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater aren’t nimble enough to do that, but Thompson is. 

Thompson also must trust his receivers. He didn’t throw the ball down the field last week, and the Bills have given up some big plays in the passing game in our two games against them. The Dolphins aren’t expected to win this game, let alone compete in this game, depending on who you listen to. I don’t listen to anyone, frankly. Yes, it’s an uphill climb, and it’s our 3rd string quarterback against the all-mighty Bills, who everyone is rooting for. People think the Dolphins shouldn’t be in the playoffs because of this, and the Pittsburgh Steelers would have given the Bills a better game. Well, my reaction is that the Dolphins beat the Steelers this year and got the tiebreaker, so get over it. 

In the playoffs, anything can happen, even if your team has the long odds the Dolphins face on Sunday. The Dolphins must let it loose and not play to lose and leave it all on the line. That means Thompson can’t play scared, and McDaniel has to game plan to take advantage of his strengths. 

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