Although I will always think "Squish the Fish" when I think of the Dolphins, I have to say that I am intrigued by this team. I've been a fan of Tua's since the 2018 National Championship game and I really like Flores. So in this upside down year of 2020, I guess I will be rooting for the Fins, as long as the Pats are out of the playoff picture. Put it another way, in the absence of the Pats winning the AFC East, I'd much prefer this Miami team to win it over the Bills.
It does seem as though the addition of Flores to the Miami organization has made them more likable nationally, and particularly with Patriots fans. He’s a bit hard not to like/root for. I think Tua’s presence just adds to that, as he’s another humble, hard working type of person who will be the face of the franchise. Plus, everyone enjoys a “comeback” story.
This is it boys. To say it’s been a long wait has been an understatement. Whether your talking about just last year, with the tank for Tua talk, Tua’s hip injury and recovery, or the wait since Marino.
Today is the dawn of the Tua era. Regardless of what that era brings, I feel that Miami has done a fantastic job over the last year plus completely overhauling the roster, salary cap, and coaching staff.
Win, lose, or draw today, Miami is going to be nationally relevant for the first time in decades.
The more that I think about it, the more I’m impressed with the execution of the Grier/Flores plan for setting up Tua for success within the organization. Some of this has been covered by others, but let’s review for fun:
- Bringing in Chan Gailey, Mr. RPO, to design the offense, which will: A) Maximize Tua’s strengths and B) Incorporate much of what Tua did so well in college.
- Convincing Fitzpatrick to come back, knowing that: A) He’s very familiar with Chan and B) He’d be a terrific mentor for Tua.
- Investing in the OL, particularly in the interior. Greg Cosell has mentioned extensively in interviews that the Saints have always invested in BIG interior OL because of Brees’ height. At 6’0”, pressure is far more interfering to Brees’ ability to throw the ball than pressure off of the edge. Enter Karras, Kindley, Flowers, Hunt.
Now, to the decision to start Tua in Week 8? The 3Yard podcast did well to break this down:
LA had the short week after a physical contest vs. the Bears and will now be playing
at 10 AM (PT), on the opposite coast, against the Tua, who has just 2 plays of NFL tape, and is coming off of a BYE week of preparation. Oh, and the kicker? Flores is the DC who lead the Patriots' shutdown of Goff and Co. in the 2018 Super Bowl.
Coincidence? Can’t be. The plan’s been too calculated, from the start.
After facing the Cardinals on the road, Tua will have the following games: Chargers (home), Broncos, Jets (home), Bengals (home) before the schedule gets much more challenging. (Though, the Denver game could be a sneaky tough one.)
Grier and Flores deserve a lot of praise here.
While you can’t base too much on a rookie QB’s first start, I’ll consider today a win if Tua ends the game healthy, and in no way looks overwhelmed by the moment. And if Miami gets the win today? Oh boy.
Enjoy the game, fellas!