How Huntley Is Trying to Maximize His Time As Dolphins Starter

A closer look at how Huntley used the bye week to sharpen his skills and chemistry with his teammates.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley (18) celebrates after a touchdown during the second half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins are preparing for their upcoming game against the Indianapolis Colts, and quarterback Tyler Huntley is one player they hope will benefit significantly from the recent bye week.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains on injured reserve following a concussion he sustained against the Buffalo Bills on September 12th. Still, he will be eligible to start practicing on October 23rd and play in the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium four days later.

In the meantime, Miami hopes Huntley has used this opportunity and the team's bye week to deepen his understanding of the Dolphins' offense, a crucial step for a player who joined the team weeks ago.

When speaking to reporters Monday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel expressed confidence in Huntley's progress.

"For a guy like Tyler, the copy-paste norm of what a bye week would look like was a little different for him," he said. "It was imperative that he could have more time on task to study and to review the footwork of some of our core concepts and fundamentals, which he did a great job working through."

How Huntley is Learning On the Fly

Huntley's journey has been challenging.

In his second start, he completed 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards, more than doubling the 96 passing yards he recorded in Week 4, though he did throw one interception without a touchdown in Miami's 15-10 win against the New England Patriots.

In his past two games, Huntley has thrown for 290 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. Miami is ranked 21st in yards through five games this season, averaging a league-worst 12.3 points per game.

According to NextGen Stats, Dolphins receivers have managed to get open — creating three or more yards of separation — on 54.5% of their routes this season. However, the team has produced 151 fewer receiving yards than expected, ranking fourth-worst in the NFL.

This points to a lack of chemistry with the quarterback, which is understandable given Huntley's limited time in the offense.

McDaniel noted that the bye week was a chance for Huntley to "really jump into" the finer points of the offense, stating, "I promise you that you have to be a very, very well-oiled professional to command the offense the way he has.

"Five days for him was like an eternity based on the way he's had to play catch-up," McDaniel added. "There's so much that gets lost in an NFL game for a player to have confidence and conviction in what's going on."

Dolphins Show Support for Huntley

Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle also praised Huntley's adaptability, noting his rapid improvement.

"For being here for only a short time, he really came in and learned the offense and learned new receivers and different players," Waddle said. "So it's tough coming in and then we've played some really good teams while he's been here. He's doing good, man, doing great."

Huntley reached out to Waddle during the bye week, asking him to return early for extra throwing sessions.

"He told me to come back a little early so we could throw before," Waddle said. "So 'Snoop' be trying to get that work in."

As the Dolphins gear up to face the Colts, McDaniel's confidence in Huntley is evident, as it was last week when McDaniel revealed he would remain his quarterback for now even if Skylar Thompson fully recovered from his rib injury.

"He's improved every work week we've had," he said. "I'm excited for him because there's so much that gets lost in an NFL game for a player to have confidence and conviction in what's going on."

The Colts defense has struggled this season, ranking 30th in total yards allowed, which could give Huntley a favorable opportunity to showcase his growth.

McDaniel acknowledged the unique challenges of preparing for an opponent with their own quarterback uncertainties, especially given the resurgence of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who led the Colts to a 20-17 victory against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5.

"It does make it challenging to have decisions that you feel absolutely, positively this is the best thing for this player or these players on this play," McDaniel said. "But we're quick studies here, and I've been through the process to expedite that."

Huntley's progress during the bye week could make the difference for the Dolphins against the Colts in what could be his last start while the Dolphins seek to maintain their momentum in the AFC playoff race.