Career backup/fill-in starter Tyler Huntley filled his usual role to near perfection on Sunday, helping the Miami Dolphins beat the Cleveland Browns 20-3.
The former Utah star made his fourth start of the season for Miami, and in the win, he completed 22 of 26 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a team-high 52 yards and another score.
The victory was the Dolphins’ sixth in their past eight games and keeps Miami (8-8) in contention for the seventh, and final, playoff spot in the AFC.
Will Huntley be called on again in Week 18 to fill in for Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa, who missed Sunday’s game with a hip injury?
Who will be the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback in Week 18?
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told ESPN he has “no idea” if Tagovailoa will be available for Miami next week in its regular-season finale at the New York Jets.
The Dolphins trail the Denver Broncos by one game in the race for the final AFC playoff spot — Miami would need to beat the Jets in Week 18 and have Denver lose to Kansas City, which has clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and may sit starters, in order to make the postseason.
Tagovailoa injured his hip two weeks ago against the Houston Texans and played last week against San Francisco before aggravating the injury against the 49ers, McDaniel said.
“You try to forecast how things will heal based upon the only thing that you have to work with, which is the previous week’s forecast,” McDaniel told ESPN. “So, we were hoping and anticipating for a timeline similar to that, and as the week progressed, we didn’t see the improvement we’d hoped. ... Ultimately, he absolutely wanted to play. It wasn’t a pain tolerance thing; that was not in the equation for him.
“... The main thing was that he not only was super susceptible to a much more significant injury based upon that injury, if he were to fall in harm’s way, but a major factor was the lack of strength due to the injury and his inability as we forecast to protect himself and his teammates within the pocket doing the things that he normally has to do.”
How did Tyler Huntley look in the Dolphins’ win over the Browns?
Huntley started three games for Miami earlier this season after Tagovailoa went in concussion protocol. He originally joined the team after being signed off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad in September.
Huntley went 1-2 as a starter earlier this year, though Sunday was by far his best start of the year.
Things started slow for both teams, as Miami took a 6-3 lead into halftime.
Just before the break, though, the momentum turned — Cleveland failed to pick up a fourth-and-1 attempt at the Miami 38, and with 40 seconds until halftime, Huntley drove the Dolphins into scoring territory before Miami added a 39-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
After Cleveland punted on the first possession of the second half, Huntley led a six-play, 72-yard drive for the first touchdown of the game.
Huntley completed all four of his pass attempts on the drive for 46 yards before scrambling 13 yards for a touchdown to push the Dolphins’ lead to 13-3.
Late in the fourth quarter, with Cleveland desperate to get back into the game, the Browns tried to convert a fourth-and-5 from its own 18 but came up two yards short.
Huntley then led the final scoring drive of the day, moving the Dolphins 21 yards and capping the possession with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith.
Huntley’s first three starts this season came with short preparation time after joining the Dolphins off the Ravens practice squad. He also started the regular season on Cleveland’s roster before being released.
With additional time in Miami’s offense, though, Huntley looked much more poised.
“I feel good,” Huntley said, according to the Miami Herald. “I actually feel more comfortable with these plays. A couple weeks in the office definitely makes a difference.”
Huntley had a QB rating of 115.5, while also averaging 7.4 yards per carry.
If the Dolphins reach the postseason and need Huntley to start, he does have playoff experience. Two years ago, he filled in for an injured Lamar Jackson and threw for 226 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for Baltimore in a 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the wild-card round.
One thing is for sure: Huntley, nicknamed Snoop, made a positive impression Sunday, one that cultivated confidence if he’s needed again.
“I think what was evident was the positives of time for Snoop and how far he’s come since we last played with him,” McDaniel told the Miami Herald. “I thought that was a tremendous outing for him. I thought he made some plays and was very good with the ball, and those are always cool things for a player when they’re playing a team that they were on in that same calendar year.”