It's definitely a challenging start to the schedule. On the road against New England, and then at home against the Bills, followed by a trip to the opposite coast to face the Raiders. From there, the Dolphins will play the Colts and Bucs in Weeks 4 and 5. I could envision a 2-3 and 5-5 start before making a likely playoff push. Miami will have to win a really tough game or two during this stretch -- maybe one of the Buffalo games and the Ravens contest, for instance -- for a less challenging outlook. Of course, so much can happen before the season even starts, never mind the week-to-week variables, such as injuries,. But, hey, this is what a message board is for, right?
The way the league, media, and fans talk about NFL quarterbacks is fascinating to me, because I think there are so many contingencies at play contributing to the sky-high expectations for the position. The "umbrella issue" is money. There's so much cash at stake for owners/shareholders, which has a trickle-down effect on so many of the league's organizations. Coaches get less time to establish a winning program, and as a result, quarterbacks must prove that "they got it" immediately. Meanwhile, the media talks out both sides of their traps. "Hot take" loud mouths, like Cowherd, argue for Miami to draft another QB with the #3 pick, while during other segments, lambastes the NFL for not developing/ruining quarterbacks. Darnold is a recent example.
Only in the NFL, could we see a "Tank for Tua" movement turn into "he's a bust" narrative following a 6-3 record and a quarterback rating that ranks 16th all-time among rookie quarterbacks. So what that he started his first game less than a year after enduring a catastrophic hip injury? Or that he wasn't able to participate in a training camp or preseason game? Or that for the majority of the season, he threw to DeVante Parker and a cast of fringe receivers? Nope, Tua didn't pass the "eye test" of non-scouts/coaches. He didn't have that Mahomes electricity!
Meanwhile, so many of the people who talk/write about the sport have zero experience teaching ... anything. All they know is, when a young quarterback is struggling, he has to "work through it." Trial and error. And if he's benched? He just doesn't have "it." They say this because that's been how the QB spot has been handled over the past couple of decades, not because it's a proven strategy for developing players at this most important position.
In the MLB, where a top prospect/starting pitcher routinely gets pulled in the 3rd inning after walking his 4th batter or giving up his 5th ER? No one bats and eye. On to the next start! ... or learning opportunity, right? While it's true that most of learning occurs when doing, best establishing conditions for success and limiting unnecessary failures is a scientifically proven approach to optimizing performance. In the behavior analytic field, it's referred to as errorless teaching. In other words, there's value in handling your rookie QB with kid gloves, putting him in situations to succeed, and terminating contexts where frequent mistakes are occurring and unfavorable results are likely.
Often, a coach may not believe he has that luxury to operate in this fashion (for some of the reasons cited above), but Flores? He had job security. Balls. And Ryan Fitzpatrick.
I'm really, really looking forward to Tua's second season. I expect a significant step forward.