MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Don’t wait, Mike McDaniel. Be bold and use Tyler “Snoop” Huntley’s most dangerous assets — his legs — this week when the Miami Dolphins visit the Seattle Seahawks.
The Dolphins will need to find ways to generate offense for however long Tua Tagovailoa is out. Their options now include Huntley’s dynamic playmaking ability out of the pocket.
They should use him.
A Week 3 Role for Miami Dolphins QB Snoop Huntley?
We’re not talking about rewriting the Dolphins’ playbook. But a five- or six-play play package for a former Pro Bowl quarterback in key situations is not an unreasonable ask.
Huntley had been in Miami for just 24 hours on Wednesday when he met with reporters, so he can be forgiven for having only a passing awareness of McDaniel’s scheme.
But a read option is a read option, no matter the verbiage. And the big-play potential of putting him on the field Sunday should outweigh any risk.
The Dolphins are five-point road dogs with just one win against teams with a winning record since the start of the 2023 season.
Time to risk it for the biscuit.
Huntley, who has averaged 5.8 carries in his 20 NFL games, is definitely willing.
“If [McDaniel] needs me to come in and step in a little bit, I’m willing to do it,” Huntley said Wednesday. “I’m really just ready to step in and to win the game.”
Huntley was all smiles to be back in his hometown. He played his high school ball in nearby Hallandale Beach and had hoped the Dolphins would draft him when he was coming out of Utah in 2020.
Mike McDaniel makes clear that Tyler Huntley is coming in to back up Skylar Thompson, not compete with him pic.twitter.com/0CXIxixH4Y
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 16, 2024
Instead, they took the quarterback Huntley was brought in to help temporarily replace — Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa, just six days removed from his latest concussion, was an active contributor in the Dolphins’ Seahawks prep Wednesday, even though he’ll be on injured reserve for at least another month.
Huntley said he spent more than an hour with Tagovailoa since signing with the team, and the Dolphins’ injured QB1 was present at Wednesday’s walkthrough.
Assuming he continues to feel up to it, Tua will be a big resource for Huntley in learning McDaniel’s intricate system.
Huntley’s first reaction after receiving McDaniel’s playbook?
“I was like, ‘He’s utilizing his weapons.’ I think it’s great what he’s doing over here, and I can’t wait to get into it and be able to do some things with the things that he’s got going on.”
Huntley added: “We’re going to score a lot of points. I’m ready to contribute. …It’s kind of like playing Madden. You’ve got a lot of weapons out there and you’ve just got to go out there and play ball.”