Skylar Thompson looked to be the Miami Dolphins back up coming into the regular season. However, a poor preseason led the Dolphins to name Mike White as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup.
Poor Preseason for Skylar Thompson
Skylar Thompson had a very inconsistent preseason. With high expectations he could be the Dolphins second-string quarterback, Thompson seemed to fold under the pressure. This led to a poor preseason performance, overall.
Thompson vs. The Falcons
In that game, Thompson was 10/16 for 104 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. One of those interceptions was returned for a touchdown. Conversely, Mike White was 9/14, for 85 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception. One potentially key statistic is White was sacked one time, while Thompson was sacked four times. One could argue that maybe the offensive line held up better for White than Thompson. However, watching Thompson in the pocket, one could see that it was not the play of the offensive line that was the issue.
Thompson vs. The Texans
Thompson had a much better showing in his second preseason game. He was 15/22, for 157 yards, three touchdowns, and most importantly zero interceptions. Unlike his previous game, he was only sacked once. Mike White did play in this game but did not have any pass attempts. He was also sacked once. This performance demonstrated that Thompson looked likely to be on his way to being the backup to Tua Tagovailoa; or at least people including, Dolphins personnel, thought.
Thompson vs. The Jaguars
After an impressive showing against the Texans, Thompson was poised to demonstrate his performance was not a fluke and to solidify himself as the Dolphins second-string quarterback. Mike White did not play in this game. Undrafted rookie free agent James Blackman, did, however. It would have seemed as though Thompson, without a doubt was going to be Tagovailoa’s backup. Unfortunately, Thompson took a step back from his performance against the Texans. He was 15/24 for 135 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was not sacked.
Thompson Relegated to Third String
It may have come as a surprise to Dolphins fans earlier this week when the team announced Thompson would be the third-string quarterback behind Mike White. However, if anybody watched film of Thompson during the preseason he never looked comfortable in the pocket. He would look off his reads at an astonishingly quick rate, looking frantic and panicked Another noticeable aspect fans may have picked up on was he was holding on to the ball too long. Some of the most successful quarterbacks in the NFL have a quick release. Thompson seems to hang on to the ball too long. Additionally, for a quarterback who is supposed to be mobile, he did not look to be the same mobile quarterback he had shown he was while at Kansas State.
What’s next for Thompson
If Thompson wants to propel himself back to being number two on the depth chart, he should watch film of himself and note what he needs to fix (getting the ball out quicker, staying with his reads longer, and using his feet to make plays when his receivers are not open). Meanwhile, it would not be surprising to see the Dolphins use Thompson in a variation of a wildcat. With one of the speediest offenses in the NFL, if Thompson can find the mobility he had at Kansas State, he could be a weapon for the Dolphins even if it is not as the backup quarterback.
Takeaway
Skylar Thompson looked well on his way to being the backup quarterback for the Miami Dolphins this season. However, inconsistent play in the preseason has descended Thompson to third-string quarterback on the Dolphins depth chart. Thompson never looks fully comfortable at any point during the preseason and needs to go back to working on his fundamentals. It would not be surprising to see Thompson used in a variation of the Wildcat formation if he can regain the mobility he had at Kansas State. That mobility coupled with the speed of the Dolphins offense overall could be a key asset for Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins, this season.
Main Photo Credit: Syndication: Palm Beach Post USA Today
