Mike McDaniel defends embarrassing quarterback decision vs. Patriots

The Miami Dolphins had a great game against the New England Patriots in Week 12. It was nearly perfect until one series in the second half forced the Dolphins to do something they didn't want to.

With a big lead and the clock ticking away, Mike McDaniel decided to pull many of his starters. It was the right decision, the smart decision, especially with another game coming up on Thursday night. There is no reason to keep players on the field in a game out of reach. Miami did that last year and lost Bradley Chubb.

In Week 12, McDaniel pulled the trigger, benched Tua Tagovailoa, and put Skylar Thompson on the field. His job was simple. Don't turn the ball over, don't make mistakes, and get more experience. Instead, he proved why he has no business being the backup quarterback.

Thompson was in for two plays, fumbled the ball on a bad exchange, and the Dolphins' big lead was cut to two scores when the Patriots ran the fumble back for a touchdown.

When the Patriots kicked off and the Dolphins' offense returned to the field, Tagovailoa was back in at quarterback.

Mike McDaniel makes excuses for Skylar Thompson after only lasting two plays

The fumble was on Thompson, but McDaniel refused to put the blame on his backup quarterback.

"Yeah, I trust Skylar," said McDaniel. "I won't get into the nitty gritty of – I'm not going to point fingers at a microphone, but ultimately, that falls on everybody involved including the coaches that we can't have that collective effort. That wasn't him just responsible for, but my reaction towards it wasn't strictly based on him; it was more of a tonality with the whole group."

That simple exchange has become the defining point when discussing Miami's quarterback depth. The Dolphins couldn't win with Thompson earlier in the year, and they can't even complete more than two plays with him behind center. The Dolphins have tried to turn Thompson into an NFL quarterback for three seasons, but it hasn't worked. Thompson isn't an NFL-caliber QB.

Miami has to find a solution this offseason. Whether through the draft or by signing a free-agent quarterback with experience, they can no longer believe they can win without Tagovailoa. Miami has gone through Thompson, Mike White, Tyler Huntley, and Tim Boyle. They should just let Tyreek Hill be the backup QB at this point.

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