As the Miami Dolphins head into their Week 18 matchup against the New York Jets, one storyline looms large: adapting their offensive system to suit backup quarterback Tyler Huntley.
With starter Tua Tagovailoa working through an uncertain recovery timeline, Head Coach Mike McDaniel has explained how the team is preparing to succeed no matter who is under center.
“It does depend on your quarterbacks, their skill sets and their conviction in certain things,” McDaniel said during Monday’s press conference. “That was a much different formula at the beginning of the year. I would say then I think the things that Tua (Tagovailoa) is good at and some of the concepts that he really likes, those are the concepts and things that Snoop (Tyler Huntley) has been working on the most.”
McDaniel’s comments show an evolution in the team’s approach to game-planning with Huntley. In the three games he played in earlier this season with Tua sidelined due to him being in concussion protocol, Huntley threw 92 passes, completing 61 of them for 602 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. In two of those games — both of which the Dolphins lost — Huntley didn’t pass the 100-yard passing mark.
Since then, the coaching staff has worked to build some kind of continuity between the two quarterbacks, creating an offense that can execute regardless of who starts. McDaniel acknowledged that at this point in the season, much of the playbook overlaps for both players.
“So overall, there’s certain things that each individual really likes,” McDaniel continued. “Typically, besides zone-read running, now at this point in the season, there’s a lot of overlap with what they like, what they’re good at, and what they can execute.”
The continuity McDaniel described is critical for a team still fighting for playoff positioning. While Tua’s talents as a quick decision-maker and precise passer have defined the Dolphins’ offense for much of the season, Huntley brings his own strengths to the table. The subtle nuances of each quarterback’s game mean McDaniel and his staff must walk a fine line—keeping the system familiar while tailoring it to the starter’s abilities.
“Fortunately, at this stage of the season, it will look a lot more similar with the different nuances to each guy’s game that’s subtle,” McDaniel explained. “But it won’t be a completely different ‘throw the playbook out’ type scenario just because of the growth and what Snoop’s been able to put together this season.”
Huntley’s Development Key to Dolphins’ Success
Huntley’s ability to step into the offense and execute plays designed with Tagovailoa in mind is a testament to his ability to adapt and the coaching staff to get him ready. McDaniel highlighted how Huntley has embraced the challenge, working on the concepts that Tua excels at to create a seamless transition when the backup takes the field.
While zone-read running may be a point of differentiation between the two quarterbacks, Huntley has proven himself capable of executing a broad spectrum of plays.
At this juncture, McDaniel is preparing for both quarterbacks to be available for Sunday’s game, even saying as much during his press conference on Wednesday. However, Huntley’s readiness to step in and deliver gives the Dolphins flexibility as they weigh their options.
Tua Tagovailoa will be limited today in practice. Mike McDaniel said they’ll approach today as Snoop Huntley starting at NYJ, but they have time to pivot back to Tua as the week goes on:
“It’s an easy adjustment that we’re definitely open minded to.”
(🎥 @MiamiDolphins) pic.twitter.com/aUv4TGmA26
— Will Manso (@WillManso) January 1, 2025
“This week, I know one thing, Snoop (Tyler Huntley) will get more reps than Tua this week as we go through the week and have to be prepared for both guys to play because I don’t really know exactly what it’s going to look like this next Sunday,” McDaniel admitted.
The overlap in the offensive scheme benefits the quarterbacks and the rest of the team. This consistency will be particularly important as the Dolphins face a Jets defense that has experienced quite a few ups and downs this season.
Pro Football Network’s Defense+ Metric ranks the Jets as the 16th-best offense in the NFL, a sharp drop from when former head coach Robert Saleh was overseeing the unit. At the time of his firing, this was a top-three unit, with two top-five weeks and two others that had ranked seventh through five weeks.
The Jets have now regressed towards the league average, with the Week 17 no-show vs. the Bills representing the team’s third-worst grade of the season (67.8, D+). New York’s last four games have resulted in four of their five worst grades of the season, with the unit playing out the string on a lost season.
This is quite a downturn for a unit that Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich had built into a juggernaut together. They inherited a mess from the Adam Gase regime, and while the first year (2021) was equally bad, the Jets had been a top-five unit in each of the last two seasons. They won’t approach that in 2024 as one of the league’s most disappointing teams overall.
So, while the Dolphins certainly have the advantage — they are ranked 12th in PFN’s Week 17 Offense+ Rankings — they may need Huntley if they are able to get into the playoffs with a victory on Sunday and a Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs.
As McDaniel put it, “the growth and what Snoop’s been able to put together this season” allows the Dolphins to remain competitive, even in the face of uncertainty.