MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — NFL schedule-makers — either by design or serendipity — created a truly once-in-a-lifetime event in 2023.
All we need for it to happen is good health luck — and a bit of cooperation from Bill Belichick.
When Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa takes the field Sunday against Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers, it will kick off a historic three-game stretch.
From the current NFL standings to team depth charts to coverage of every game in the 18-week NFL schedule, we have all the news from around the league to keep you up to speed!
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins Begin Alabama Stretch of Schedule
The former Alabama quarterback will face three different fellow Crimson Tide starting QBs in as many weeks (again, so long as Belichick doesn’t bench a slumping Mac Jones by then).
- Week 6: Dolphins vs. Panthers (Young)
- Week 7: Dolphins at Eagles (Jalen Hurts)
- Week 8: Dolphins vs. Patriots (Jones)
It’s the first time in history a Crimson Tide QB will have faced three different starters from Bama in three consecutive weeks. And if there’s a previous time in NFL history that such a stretch happened involving quarterbacks from any one school, please send that example our way.
The 2019 Alabama QB room was INSANE:
• Jalen Hurts (Eagles QB)
• Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins QB)
• Mac Jones (Patriots QB)
• Taulia Tagovailoa (Maryland QB)This may have been the BEST college QB room of all time 😳 pic.twitter.com/ZtsCqZTs5q
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) January 28, 2023
Tagovailoa, Hurts, and Jones were all teammates at Alabama from 2017-2018 (and won a national championship together) before Hurts transferred to Oklahoma. Jones and Young played together in 2020, winning another ring in Jones’ final season in Tuscaloosa.
Tagovailoa and Young never played together. But the former’s influence on the latter cannot be overstated.
Young, ahead of this week’s game, said that the way the Bama offense transformed into a wide-open passing attack under Tua changed his perception of the school — and paved the way for his commitment.
“It was a big transition from when he was there, just what the offense looked like and what Alabama moved to offensively,’’ Young said. “So that was a big reason for me being there.’’
Bryce Young on Tua Tagovailoa
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) October 12, 2023
Upon hearing that for the first time Wednesday, Tagovailoa had the following reaction:
“That means a lot. The things that he did over there at Alabama, I mean, I couldn’t even do. So for him to have won the Heisman, for him to have done the things that he’s done, breaking records over there at Alabama, it’s a testament of the family that he comes from. It’s a testament of his hard work.
“As he’s maneuvering his way throughout the league, and he’s finding out the type of person that he is, the type of player that he is, I know that he’ll continue to grow and continue to find ways to do good and things like that. So I got all the respect for Bryce, and I wish him the best.”
Perhaps someday, Young will surpass Tagovailoa in the NFL too. But, as we explore in our Alabama quarterback rankings, he’s got a long way to go.
Ranking the Current Alabama QBs in the NFL
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
This was a close call. Hurts’ 2022 season was spectacular, but Tagovailoa has been even better in 2023.
Tua after five weeks leads the NFL in passing yards (1,614) and yards per attempt (9.7), and ranks in the top three in EPA per play (.28), CPOE (7.3), touchdowns (11), QBR (75.6), and passer rating (111.9).
And this isn’t an overreaction to a small sample size.
Dating back to the start of the 2022 season, Tagovailoa is third in EPA per play (.25), behind only Brock Purdy and Patrick Mahomes.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
While Tagovailoa is easily the better pocket passer — and that’s the trump card in even today’s NFL — Hurts has a more complete game.
The 2022 NFL MVP has accounted for 10 of his team’s 12 touchdowns in 2023 (six passing, four rushing) and 45 of their 69 scores since the start of the 2022 season.
MORE: QB Power Rankings 2023
In his four-year career, Hurts has averaged 7.6 yards per pass and 5.0 yards per carry. But if you’re looking for flaws, you can find them.
Hurts’ career completion percentage (63%) needs work, and he’s thrown four interceptions in five games already this season.
But he also took his team to the Super Bowl, while Tua’s next playoff win will be his first.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
While the call between 1 and 2 was a close one, there’s a big gap between 2 and 3.
And to be quite frank, ranking Young third is a function of grading on a curve. He’s only played four games — and they haven’t been good.
Young ranks 17th in touchdowns (5), 22nd in completion percentage (63.9%), 29th in passer rating (77.0), 32nd in QBR (28.6), and 33rd in yards per attempt (5.2).
But he’s also surrounded by perhaps the worst collection of skill position players in the league. There’s reason to believe he’ll improve.
Mac Jones, New England Patriots
With Jones, that reason doesn’t exist — not without a complete change of scenery.
The Patriots have about seen enough of him and probably will have a new starting quarterback in 2024.
Jones had a QB rating under 51 in each of his three NFL seasons and has a terrible touchdown-interception ratio (41-30). And he seems to be getting worse.
Jones this year is posting career worsts in completion percentage (62.5%), touchdown rate (3%), interception rate (3.6%), success rate (40.1%), yards per attempt (6.0), and passer rating (74.2).
Dating back to his rookie year, Jones ranks 33rd in EPA+CPOE composite (.06).
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he’s benched prior to Week 8.