Coach Mike McDaniel announced his decision to start rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson for this week’s game against the Vikings. Ironically, the Dolphins were the team that changed the rules on concussion protocols and became the first team to be directly affected by them. With Teddy Bridgewater and Tua Tagovailoa still sidelined under the new concussion protocols, McDaniel felt most comfortable going with the guy who could fully practice all week with the starters.
Who is Skylar Thompson?
Skylar Thompson is a 7th-round pick from the 2022 draft out of Kansas State. The 6-foot-2-inch 223 pound quarterback was born in Missouri and played five seasons for the Wildcats. In those five years, he started 40 games and became the only player in school history with over 6,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. Additionally, he finished 2nd in school history behind Josh Freeman in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Thompson made some noise in the preseason by being the best QB in the league statistically. In three games, he completed 36 of his 48 passes for 450 total passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. His passer rating of 138.4 was also first in the NFL by a wide margin.
Last week, Skylar got his first taste of regular-season play when Teddy Bridgewater was knocked out of the game in the first quarter. He performed like you’d expect for a third-string rookie QB’s first game, completing 19 of 33 passes with 166 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also had a fumble at a critical point in the game. With a game under his belt and a full week of preparation with the first-team offense, Thompson has a chance for a bounce-back performance.
Vikings Defense
Facing Skylar Thompson and the Dolphins will be a Vikings defense that ranks in the bottom 10 against the pass. Last week they let a struggling Justin Fields make all kinds of plays against them, so they will be vulnerable coming into Miami. Not to mention, the Vikings have historically struggled against backup QBs, but that was under head coach Mike Zimmer.
What Can We Expect?
Skylar’s performance Sunday could hinge a lot on whether starting tackles Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson play. Armstead was pulled from last week’s game with a toe injury that he’s dealt with since the season began. It’s also kept him out of practice for a month, so we’ll see if he tries to play through it again. Jackson just returned from IR and logged practices early in the week, but there is no guarantee he plays either.
Fortunately, Skylar will get the benefit of having Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at his disposal. Both receivers had been dealing with nagging injuries but logged full practices yesterday. With those two speedsters healthy, they can make any QB look competent. We should expect an offense quite similar to the one Tua ran which relied on RPOs and stretching the field from sideline to sideline while the defense looks to contain any explosive plays deep. But Skylar’s arm strength is probably the best on the team, and we will see that put on display as he is not afraid to take shots downfield and give his receivers a chance to make plays. Last week, we saw him throw multiple 1-on-1 balls that resulted in pass interference calls.
“If the read is telling him to take the hard play in a crucial moment — he’ll make that play. He won’t take the path of least resistance,” McDaniel said of Thompson.
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