MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mike McDaniel has an idea of who will start at quarterback for the Miami Dolphins against the Tennessee Titans on Monday night. For now, he's keeping it to himself.
Asked about the state of his quarterback carousel, the Dolphins' coach said Thursday that it's “premature for a multitude of reasons” to name a starter, citing competitive advantage as one.
“A lot has gone on the last 48 hours," McDaniel said. “Instead of wishing something into existence, I’ll let it play out. The quarterbacks that will be participating today, we’ll get action and great opportunity, and as the week progresses, I’ll be sure to shout it from the top of a building when we know that.”
With Tua Tagovailoa sidelined for at least several more weeks with a concussion, the Dolphins turned to backup Skylar Thompson last week at Seattle.
Thompson went down, too, and his status against Tennessee is in question because of a rib injury. He was limited at practice on Thursday and appeared in pain as he jogged on the field.
If the quarterback is unable to make his second straight start, that leaves Tim Boyle and newcomer Tyler “Snoop” Huntley as Miami's options.
McDaniel turned to Boyle when Thompson went down last Sunday, partially because he did not want to rush Huntley onto the field after signing with the team last Tuesday. The coach said he is growing “very, very encouraged” with Huntley's grasp of the offense.
Huntley was praised by his Ravens teammates in the past when he took over the offense for an injured Lamar Jackson, and his new Dolphins teammates have expressed the same confidence.
“For me, I've seen it. I've been watching film of him since he got here,” receiver Tyreek Hill said. “And I'm like, this dude can make every throw. This dude is special with his legs. He's a special talent.”
Added Huntley: “I just hope I continue to build toward their confidence, and I plan to."
It'll be the second straight week that the Titans (0-3) go into a game not knowing who the opposing starting quarterback will be. Tennessee didn't know the status of Green Bay starter Jordan Love until game day, with the Packers scratching Love about 90 minutes before kickoff as he continues recovering from a knee injury.
While McDaniel indicated Thursday that he could name a starter before Monday, the Titans have their suspicions about who they might face.
“We’ve got to prepare for Snoop,” said Tennessee defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who was the Ravens' secondary coach when Huntley was in Baltimore. “He brings a different element. You know, he can run the ball. They can run some of the option stuff and things, the zone read. So we got to be prepared both ways."
The Titans are coming into the matchup having lost 21 of 27 games. They have not scored 30 or more points in 38 straight, dating to Jan. 2, 2022 — a 34-3 win over Miami.
Quarterback Will Levis, whose last win as a starter was against the Dolphins last December, said desperation isn't the right mindset for a team looking for its first victory.
“You can’t go in thinking, ‘We have to win. We have to win,'” Levis said. “It’s just, ‘We have to execute. We have to execute the game plan.’ There’s no situation that you’re put in really ... where it is appropriate to stray from that game plan.”
The Titans pride themselves on playing stingy defense and have gotten off to a good start under Wilson. But Wilson said they missed 15 missed tackles in last week's loss to the Packers.
Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said the team spent Wednesday going over the “paper cut” mistakes that cost them. Tennessee allowed 188 yards rushing on 5.1 yards per attempt.
“We didn’t tackle well (is) I think the biggest thing,” Simmons said. “But we know teams (are) not going to come and try to run the ball down the middle of our defense. Same things that we saw last week. It’s going to be the same type of plays we see this week, and that’s the perimeter runs. And we just have to do a better job at the perimeter runs, and that’ll fix our defense.”
Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed knows Hill well from their time making each other better as teammates in Kansas City. They last faced off in the playoffs before the Chiefs traded Sneed to Tennessee this offseason. Hill posted a social media video of the cornerback sending him off to Cancun after the Dolphins lost, which Sneed thought was funny. Sneed also knows the challenge he’ll face Monday night.
“No key to slowing Tyreek,” Sneed said.
Hill, the NFL's leading receiver in 2023, has seen a big drop in his production so far. He has 13 catches on 23 targets for 194 yards and one touchdown. That's down from 25 catches on 35 targets for 412 yards and four touchdowns through three weeks last season.
Hill said there are several reasons he hasn't made as big of an impact yet, including the changes at quarterback. He also expressed optimism in the Dolphins receivers' ability to get separation and make plays.
“We're still fast, (aren't) we?” Hill said. “There's a lot of things that go into that. ... A lot of people see things differently. Tua may see something different than Boyle. Boyle may see something different than Skylar. Snoop may see something different than Tua. It's all about timing and trust, building that relationship with the quarterback.”
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