The Miami Dolphins‘ backup quarterback situation wouldn’t be such a big deal if it wasn’t for the ongoing health concerns regarding starter Tua Tagovailoa. Former No. 2-overall draft pick Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers continue to be cause for concern although they both played better in the second preseason game against the Detroit Lions.
Regardless of how good or bad Ewers has looked, it’s safe to say he’s not ready to be Tua’s backup. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like Wilson is either. However, on Saturday, Wilson was much better than he was in the first exhibition game. In the first half, he was 15-23 passing for 151 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions and a 98.3 passer rating.
But, like Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post says…
“Numbers don’t tell the whole story, though,” Habib writes. “Wilson underthrew Dee Eskridge on what could have been a touchdown. There were times he continued to hold the ball too long. And he got away with a couple of throws that could have been intercepted. Wilson made his share of throws, but he has to reduce negative plays that can cost games if called upon this season.”
Those negative plays include taking sacks and holding the ball too long. He was even told by Dolphins’ coaches back in OTAs that he was “late” with his throws and that should be concerning for Dolphins fans. Disaster can strike when a quarterback is late with reads and throws.
Mike McDaniel thinks both quarterbacks did well on Saturday
Both Wilson and Ewers showed improvement in the second preseason game, but that doesn’t make head coach Mike McDaniel’s job any easier. Neither signal caller has proven to be a solid backup this offseason. If Tua were to miss any significant time (you can say that about most NFL teams, but it seems to resonate more in Miami), McDaniel and co. would be in serious trouble.
“The journey of a quarterback is being able to take whatever reps you get and play your game,” McDaniel said. “This was a good day for both of those guys. Quinn made the most of his opportunities and Zach did some nice things in the first half.”
Yet, McDaniel wasn’t going to declare a winner for the day, nor is he going to announce the official backup at this point, even though we know it’s going to be Wilson.
“I’m not going to overreact to one day of results,” he said. “We’re going to focus on the process.”
Zach Wilson simply can’t solidify the No. 2 QB job at this point
If Wilson was flashing the skills that made him the second-overall draft pick in 2021, we aren’t having this conversation. It’s not that he lacks the physical ability, but the concerns about his lateness are very real. Those are normal rookie issues where a player is adapting to the speed of the NFL. Well, it’s Wilson’s fifth year and he’s still slow to process.
“Wilson and Ewers seemed much more comfortable in their second week of action,” writes Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. “Wilson made some plays on the run. Wilson held the ball a bit too long at times but was made pretty good decisions.”
Sports Illustrated’s Jake Mendel came to similar conclusions and admits that Wilson still hasn’t been good enough despite playing pretty well against the Lions.
“Wilson led the team with 151 passing yards while completing 65 percent of his passes, but also admitted after the game that there were a handful of throws he wanted back,” Mendel writes. “It’s still early, and the former second-overall pick looked better in his second preseason game with the Dolphins, but he’s yet to do enough to end the backup quarterback conversation.”
None of this will even matter if Tua is healthy for the entire season. But, recent data suggests that he probably won’t.
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