Haha, I'm going to link Miami and New England here; however, please note that I'm doing so as a Dolphins fan/thread contributor living in MA.
I grew up as a kid rooting for the Dan Marino-led Miami teams. He retired just as I turned 18 and my childhood ended (how fitting), so most of my adult life has been spent watching Tom Brady dominate the sport. As a result, I can't help but see some similarities in how the media and NFL fans "process" sports and the success of athletes. From a non-Patriots fan at the time, this is how I recall the progression of the narrative around Brady (simplified):
- He's a tough, smart kid. "Intangibles." Not an "elite talent," and will dink and dunk you to death in combination with a balanced offensive attack.
- Okay, he's a little better than we thought! However, it's clear that he's a product of his environment. Great coach, system, and defense.
- Brady becomes elite at the short, intermediate game. Kills teams with timing, accuracy, and knowledge of the offense. But he's still not a great athlete, doesn't have "elite" arm strength, and can't throw the deep ball.
- He's a "winner," but don't dare compare him to guys like Marino and Manning.
- Holy Randy! Man, what a deep ball!
- Alright, he's good. REALLY good. But if I was starting a team today, I'd still want Manning, Marino, Rodgers.
- He's in the discussion now ... but let's be real. He's had Welker, Moss. The greatest coach in NFL history.
- He's the fucking GOAT!
The player considered by many to be the greatest QB of all-time literally started as a game-manager and was questioned throughout his entire career progression until it his talent became undeniable. Why? Because, for the time, Brady didn't look the part. Fans/media underestimated the importance of total team context -- GM, HC/system, QB.
Today, the success of Patrick Mahomes (dominant outside play structure) and other dual-threat QBs (Allen, Jackson, Hurts, etc.) has contributed to a lot of GMs and coaches looking for the same thing. Wilson teased with out-of-structure talent like Mahomes and Fields, Lance, Jones were targeted, in large part, because of their athleticism. Meanwhile, guys like Tua and Purdy represent a bit of the "old way."
Anyway, I'm not saying Tua's another Brady. But I see similarities with the ever-shifting narrative, as the media and fans-of-other-teams try to rationalize his success. There's been a lot of, "Well, he has TWO of the fastest WR in the league!" Then, after scoring 70 without Waddle? "Hill's the greatest offensive threat of all time." And once Tua stays the course with Waddle and a bunch of Berrios types? "McDaniel has the perfect system."
It's not to say that MM and this team's talent doesn't matter. Of course, it's huge. But, again, it's the total team context. McDaniel's built the current offense around what Tua does best -- quick decisions and "elite" accuracy and anticipation. And who knows? Tua might continue to develop other aspects of his game and get better and better over time. We've seen it before, right?