IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS

While it is never wise to overreact to a preseason game, especially the first preseason game of the season, there are some images you cannot get out of your mind. What we saw on the field from Mike White and Skylar Thompson Friday really was just a cold hard dose of reality that when Tua isn’t on the field, this team has nothing.

I know, I know…Miami sat over 30 guys, and most of them were starters. Well, Atlanta sat a bunch of guys as well.

This matchup was pure BACKUPS vs BACKUPS.

And I’m not saying I needed to see White or Skylar look like Marino and Griese out there. But I also didn’t need them to look like Cleo Lemon and Ray Lucas.

You can scream, “IT’S ONLY THE PRESEASON,” and that is true; but those two stunk up Hard Rock stadium for four quarters and gave no sign of hope; if any had to play in a real game, they would be competent.

Neither White nor Skylar looked competent all week in the joint practices vs. Atlanta, and that continued on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium as they looked lost in the preseason game.

I know they didn’t have Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle to throw to, but they also weren’t facing many starters from Atlanta’s defense either.

And don’t give me there was no “scheming” or “game plan” by Miami’s offense as an excuse because Atlanta didn’t “scheme” either to stop them. This was backyard plain vanilla football. And those two pooped the bed.

Mike White 9/14 for 85 yards, 1 INT zero TDs

Skylar Thompson 10/16 for 104 yards, 2 INTs, zero TDs….and a lost fumble to boot.

Four total turnovers combined from Miami’s quarterbacks. Forget the lack of a touchdown drive, four total turnovers.

I said on the DolphinsTalk.com Post Game Wrap Up Show that I doubt Miami would go out and add a quarterback, but after sleeping on it, they need to at least have a short-list ready of guys to call in case we see more of the same from White and Skylar next week in Houston.

I’m guessing someone like Mike McDaniel, who was anointed an “Offensive Genius” by the media, didn’t sleep much on Friday evening after the game. His quarterbacks put out an embarrassing performance.

So, should White and Skylar stink up NRG Stadium next weekend and have another brutal performance, what should Miami do?

Well, there aren’t many what you would call “quality” quarterbacks on the market still to even consider as a backup to Tua, but two names do jump off the page.

Let’s start with Carson Wentz.

The 30-year-old who in 2016 was the 2nd overall pick of the NFL Draft. Prior to a late-season injury in 2017, he was on his way to winning the MVP that year. Since that injury, he has bounced around from Philly to Indy to Washington and hasn’t been the same. In 2021 in Indy, Wentz started all 17 games and had 27 TDs and 7 INTs. Last season he only started 7 games for Washington due to injury and threw 11 TDs and 9 INTs.

I will not sit here and tell you that Carson Wentz is a great quarterback by any means in 2023, but in 2023 may he be better than Mike White and Skylar Thompson? YES

Now let’s look at AJ McCarron. The 2023 XFL MVP. He also led the XFL in passing touchdowns, completion percentage, and passer rating this past season. At 32 years old, the XFL revitalized AJ’s career and put him back on the map for a possible NFL roster spot.

AJ was never really given much of a shot to play in the NFL, bouncing around from Cincinnati, Oakland, to Houston. Playing in 17 total games and only starting 4. Having 6 career TD passes and only 3 INTs. Hey, Kurt Warner had to go to the arena league before making his return to the NFL. Sometimes guys find “their game” later in life, like a Warner or a Rich Gannon. Again, in 2023 is McCarron better than White or Thompson? Do Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel need to have this conversation?

And that really is the heart of the matter. Does Grier and McDaniel have reason to be concerned?

If White and Thompson continue to poop the bed in training camp and in preseason games, I don’t know how you go into the regular season with that much instability at the backup quarterback position.

This season has far too much on the line as an organization overall and for the general manager and head coach.

And don’t tell me about salary cap or future salary cap space, it’s about winning games. Not an accounting department worrying about the future right now.

Yes, in a perfect world, Tua never gets hurt and plays every down in 2023. How often has that happened for Tua in his career? Ok, so the backup quarterback matters MORE in Miami than it may for other teams.

One way to look at it is; if Tua goes down, it doesn’t matter if it’s White, Skylar, Wentz, or McCarron, Miami is doomed, and the season is over.

While there is a lot of truth to that, and it is the counterargument to my stance here, I wouldn’t knock Miami for taking that approach. But just knows, if that happens, Grier and McDaniel have to go in the offseason for failure to do their job and preparing for a Plan B.

But for the love of god, for an organization that hasn’t won a playoff game in 23 years and has won a Super Bowl in 50 years, shouldn’t we at least try? Try to have at least a Plan B that may be feasible. Try to have someone who is competent as the backup quarterback.

Maybe Mike White is that guy, and we can chalk up Friday’s performance to opening night jitters. It happens. Maybe vs. Houston this week; he is great in the joint practices and plays well in the preseason game. And he puts all of our fears to rest. But I want to remind people in NY it wasn’t like he was some outstanding quarterback. He only got praise because “He wasn’t Zach Wilson,” and the Jets fan base and locker room disliked Zach so much that a potted plant would have won a popularity contest over him.

Remember, Mike White has more career interceptions than touchdowns. In fact, 12 interceptions in only 8 NFL games.

And to be clear, for those who are unable to keep up with some level of nuance, I am presenting here. I don’t think Chris Grier needs to dial his phone to the representation of Wentz or McCarron today. But he should maybe store the phone numbers of each player’s agent in his contact list on his cell phone. So, IF he does have to make that call in a week or so, he can just say, “SIRI, CALL CARSON WENTZ AGENT” and save himself a little time.