Phin Phanatic
FanSided

Miami Dolphins Newton’s quarterback cradle continues to swing

By Brian Miller

Rob Blevins, executive director at the Discovery Center, uses a Newton's cradle to take his shot at the new 9-hole indoor miniature golf course at the science museum. The new exhibit opens to the public on Sunday, March 21, 2019.Minigolf16
Rob Blevins, executive director at the Discovery Center, uses a Newton's cradle to take his shot at the new 9-hole indoor miniature golf course at the science museum. The new exhibit opens to the public on Sunday, March 21, 2019.Minigolf16 /
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The Miami Dolphins have not been able to find a solution at quarterback since Dan Marino was drafted in 1983. It’s a perpetual Newton’s Cradle in Miami.

We have all seen Newton’s Cradle, the five silver balls suspended by a thin wire. Swing one and they hit the others causing the one one on the far end to fly up and back, you know like the picture in the main image.

That is the Dolphins quarterback problem. It’s a constant never ending back and forth with no end in site.

Miami has gone through so many quarterbacks that I frankly don’t care to list them anymore than you like care to read them. We know who they are and cringe at most of the names. That brings us to Tua Tagovailoa or Jacoby Brissett or Deshaun Watson or another draft pick next year. Or someone else entirely.

Tagovailoa is supposed to be “the” guy but instead he is another, “might be the guy, might not”. Injuries aside there is nothing in his small body of NFL work to tell  us that he is going to be that player Miami needs him to be.

Much like Drew Brees when he entered the NFL, Tagovailoa is small and lacks arm strength. His best attribute is his accuracy. Just like Brees. Brees struggled early and often in the NFL. So much so that after three years the Chargers drafted Philip Rivers essentially with the number one overall pick in the 2004 draft (they drafted Eli Manning and traded him to the Giants who took Rivers at 4).

Tua Tagovailoa
Sep 19, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) takes on the field to warmup prior the game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /

This seems similar. Similar sized QBs with great accuracy, iffy decision making, lack of a deep ball, early struggles with leadership. This isn’t to say that Tua is going to be Brees. For all that we have seen, that is absolutely absurd.

What it does say is that some fans, some in the media, and maybe even someone quietly inside the Dolphins complex, view Tua as not the answer and thus, he should be replaced. In other words, someone wants to hit that little silver ball again and watch the whole thing start moving.

Tua will miss this week and maybe a couple more with his broken ribs and if Jacoby Brissett finds success in his starts, fans will want to roll with him all season.

Miami was supposed to be over this QB controversy but in reality, we all knew we would only see it light up again the day Miami chose him over Justin Herbert. It just didn’t matter, whatever decision Miami would make, would be criticized. So far, Tua hasn’t done much to show the criticism isn’t warranted.

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