When news broke that Tua Tagovailoa was heading to IR with a concussion as he evaluates his future in the NFL, it felt like the sky was falling for fans of the Miami Dolphins.
After ripping off an impressive win in Week 1, things fell apart when Skylar Thompson took over under center, with some fans clamoring for GM Chris Grier to trade for benched Panthers number one pick Bryce Young while others hope to see recent signee Tyler Huntley get a shot under center, as he might just be the best in-house option to run Mike McDaniel's offense.
But are fans really sure that the Dolphins' season is over, even if Tagovailoa only misses the requisite four weeks on IR? Because if you look at the team's 2024 schedule, it doesn't look particularly imposing, even if there might be some growing pains right out of the gate.
Dolphins lose to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3
Though the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL season, one of the true breakout teams has been the Seattle Seahawks, who have shined under new head coach and defensive genius Mike Macdonald.
The offense hasn't missed a step with Geno Smith under center, with the former Jet remaining one of the top passers in the NFL under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and the defense? Goodness, they are playing at another level, ranking second in passing yards allowed while only allowing a single passing touchdown versus five sacks and two interceptions.
While the Dolphins may ultimately rebound from losing Tagovailoa, especially if they pull the plug on the Thompson experiment and embrace the running ability Huntley can add to the offense, it's hard to imagine either quarterback winning the game for Miami in Week 3, as they'll have an inexperienced quarterback under center either way against a man who literally earned a head coaching gig for his ability to give opposing offenses nightmares with his unique defensive approach.
Fortunately, even if the Dolphins find themselves 1-2 to start the season, they may be in luck moving forward as the schedule gets a whole lot easier heading into October.
Dolphins defeat the Tennessee Titans in Week 4
In Week 4, the Dolphins are set to face off against one of the more confusing teams in the NFL in the Tennessee Titans, who should be at least an average team but have instead been downright bad in 2024.
Starting second-year second-round pick Will Levis under center, the Titans' offense has been brutal in 2024, averaging just 137 passing yards per game while struggling to compete in very winnable games. Things have gotten so bad that after Week 2, where he publically screamed, “What the f**k” are you doing” at his starting QB, head coach Brian Callahan doubled down on it during his media availability, accusing his mayo-loving QB of being immature.
“He's a grown-up, and he knows better,” Callahan declared via Yahoo. “So I was really irritated that he cost us three points in a game that we probably needed it.”
So, assuming the Dolphins are able to figure out a plan under center – for argument's sake, let's say it's Huntley's job moving forward – and McDaniel can tweak his loaded offense to capitalize on his new signal caller's strengths, it feels like Week 4 could be where the Dolphins return to their winning ways, as they still have the best passing offense in the NFL and can lean on their running game when it matters.
The Dolphins defeat the New England Patriots in Week 5
Jumping from one really bad team to another, the Dolphins have somehow lucked out in landing the New England Patriots as their Week 5 foe, a team that was able to secure a win in Week 1 versus the Cincinnati Bengals but fell back to earth in Week 2 via an overtime loss to the Seahawks.
Now granted, are the Patriots better than some fans expected them to be? Yes, but they have allowed almost twice as many passing yards as they've thrown for and currently rank 27th in passing yards allowed at 466. Things have gotten so bad for the Patriots' secondary that teams don't even need to run on them much, as they are averaging twice as many passing attempts per game versus running attempts due to the porousness of Jarod Mayo's defense.
Could the Patriots give the Dolphins a game in Week 5? Sure, but it feels more likely that Huntley could have a statement game against a division rival, with McDaniel scheming up the sort of YAC-heavy passing game that can pick apart New England's defense and lead the team to a winning record for the first time since Week 1.
The Dolphins defeat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7
And last but not least, in Week 7, after taking some time to recharge during the bye week, the 49ers have their final game before Tongaloa is eligible to return against the Indianapolis Colts, another team who has looked downright back through the first two games of the season, especially considering the expectations surrounding the season.
Despite getting dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson back following a rookie season derailed by injury, the Colts are actually at a severe deficit from a rushing standpoint, allowing a league-worst 474 yards on the ground versus just 244 rushing yards of their own split between Jonathan Taylor and Richardson.
To make matters worse, Richardson actually leads the NFL in interceptions with four, which is one more than the number of touchdown passes he's thrown and is no small part of why the team currently sits in the basement of the AFC South with a 0-2 record.
Could the Colts bounce back over the next few weeks? Sure thing, but if they continue to tread water over the next month, it's safe to say the Dolphins could once again record a win for the third-straight game, which, in turn, would lead fans to wonder if a return of Tagovailoa would even be necessary, as much like his mentor, Kyle Shanahan, McDaniel's scheme could prop up any quarterback who plays in it.
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