Breaking Down the QB Matchup From All Angles

Miami Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa will face Chargers rookie Justin Herbert in a battle of top 2020 draft picks

Tua vs. Herbert.

That certainly was a hot topic involving the Miami Dolphins at the time of the 2020 NFL draft, so it's only natural that it would be the focus six months later when the two prized quarterback prospects face each other in the NFL when the Los Angeles Chargers come to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins will go into the game as slight favorites against Herbert and the Chargers, though the game likely will come down to more than just the quarterback battle.

Of course, that's not how it's going to be portrayed, a fact not lost on either of the two head coaches involved in the game.

“It’s Chargers vs. Dolphins, it’s a team sport," Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said this week. "That’s what makes football so great. You have two outstanding rookie quarterbacks. This whole class so far has proven to be a pretty good class of rookie quarterbacks. It’s (understandable) that people will say Tua vs. Herbert or Herbert vs. Tua. But we’re going out to get a team victory and that’s all that matters."

The reality is the presence of Tagovailoa and Herbert in this game has turned what would have been a routine mid-season game into a marquee matchup, no offense involved to opening-day starters Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Dolphins and Tyrod Taylor of the Chargers.

Tagovailoa and Herbert were two of the three prized quarterback prospects in the 2020 draft along with Joe Burrow, with Jordan Love from Utah as a distant fourth.

While Love has been sitting and watching Aaron Rodgers work his MVP-like magic for the Green Bay Packers, Burrow and Herbert have been putting up big numbers while playing for teams with losing records.

Tagovailoa is about to make his third start after having a rough starting debut followed by a brilliant performance in the 34-31 victory against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday.

Tagovailoa passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns while completing 20 of 28 passes and rushing for 35 yards on seven carries.

Herbert, meanwhile, was 28-for-42 for 326 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, but two of the incompletions came on his final two throws into the end zone as the Chargers dropped a heartbreaking 31-26 decision against the Las Vegas Raiders.

It was the fourth 300-yard passing performance for Herbert, who was selected as the NFL Pepsi Rookie of the Week for the fifth time in eight weeks.

Clearly, the Chargers and their fans are excited about what they have in Herbert, just like the Dolphins and their fans are excited about Tua, especially after what he did against Arizona.

The Dolphins had their choice of either back in April after the Bengals selected Burrow first overall and Washington, Detroit and the Giants followed by taking Chase Young, Jeff Okudah and Andrew Thomas, respectively.

There was a lot of speculation before the draft that the Dolphins camp was split between Tagovailoa and Herbert, though the bottom line is that both the Dolphins and Chargers have reason to be happy with their selections.

Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports

"They are both very good quarterbacks," Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said this week. "Both smart, both (have) good leadership qualities, intangibles. They both have good arms, both are accurate. Obviously two good players. That’s why they both went high in the draft. I think Herbert has done a very good job early on. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s athletic, he’s got a big arm. He’s a lot to deal with. He’s a good player and they have a good team, and we have to do a good job preparing this week for a tough, physical ballgame.”

Said Lynn: “We got the quarterback we wanted. Tua is an outstanding young man and quarterback, but we’re very happy with our quarterback.”

Of course, it's not like either coach would say anything differently at this point.

But it certainly does appear that the Bengals, Dolphins and Chargers are in good shape at quarterback for years to come.

But because they were selected on back-to-back picks and the Dolphins choose Tua over Herbert, it's inevitable the comparisons between the two will be going on for some time.

It certainly going to start Sunday, though it likely will be at least a couple of years before we know for certain whether the Dolphins made the right choice — not that it's going to stop anybody from making premature evaluations based on what happens Sunday.

The bottom line is every fan and football enthusiast should just appreciate the opportunity to watching those two quarterback in the same game, the same way we'll be seeing Tua and Burrow at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 6.

It's also why it's hard to understand fans on social media rooting against the Jets landing Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 draft. Seriously, who wouldn't want to watch Tua vs. Trevor twice a year for the next 10 years?

It's matchups like that that make the game fun.

If we're being honest, as thrilling as the Dolphins victory at Arizona was last weekend, wasn't it even better because of the great quarterback duel between Tua and Kyler Murray? Absolutely.

Yes, the game Sunday isn't all Tua vs. Herbert. But it's a big part of it and it's definitely the best part of it.