Add the quarterbacks coach to chorus of Dolphins assistants wanting more from passers
The chorus of voices from the Dolphins’ coaching staff that is seemingly needing better performance from quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Rosen now includes quarterbacks coach Robby Brown.
Brown on Thursday assessed the first few days of quarterback play during padded practices much like coach Brian Flores and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey: Some good, but also some bad.
Asked about Tagovailoa specifically, Brown said his first opportunity to see the first-round pick throw in a practice was filled with uneven moments.
“...I think that after seeing him go through practices — and I know I keep saying this, but it’s true for the other two guys as well — you see some good, you see some throws that they wished they could do better,” Brown said. “And that’s the way practice is, and that’s the way games are.
“Every NFL quarterback is extremely competitive; so if they’re 59-of-60, they’re worried about that one. It doesn’t matter if it’s Josh [Rosen] or Fitz or Tua or whoever it is.”
Brown said he used a Tagovailoa scramble out of the pocket and attempted slide (so as to not be contacted) as a teaching tool. It needed to be that because Tagovailoa seemed indecisive about whether to slide or kneel. Or, more importantly, whether to throw the football away.
So he did a little of everything and it looked awkward and uncomfortable for the player. And coaches didn’t like it, mostly because Tagovailoa didn’t simply throw the football away. So they told the player as much.
“It’s not just Tua,” Brown said. “That’s a learning situation for everybody. I obviously remember the play. If you were out there, you saw it. That’s a learning situation for everybody. It’s not just him. Obviously he’s the one that did it. Had it been ‘Fitz’ or Josh, we would have done the same thing; but you’re always talking about pocket presence, knowing when to throw it away, when to give up, when to get down, and it’s a feel thing.
“You’ve got a guy that’s a however-many-year vet ‘Fitz’ is. He talks through that. Josh talks through it. Tua talks through what he sees. Chan talks through what he sees in the meeting. But that’s always a process and it’s more about when to give up, when to throw it away. It’s not just Tua.
“Every quarterback lives through that. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are in the process. That’s always a decision and you’re a competitor, so it’s always a decision of what to do and when to do it.”
It’s fair to say that Ryan Fitzpatrick is almost assured of starting the season as Miami’s starting quarterback, barring an unexpected circumstance. And the Dolphins intend for Tagovailoa to be their quarterback of the future.
So where does that leave Rosen?
He needs to carve a niche for himself. He needs to practice well enough that he earns the coaching staff’s trust.
He’s trying, according to Brown.
“I would say, for me, that he has come in mentally, really trying to learn the offense, understand the offense and just like the other two guys, he’s made some good throws the past few days. He’s made some not-so-great throws the past few days,” Brown said.
“But his effort to improve every day has been really good – improve mentally, improve his throws, improve his footwork. He’s always thinking through those kind of things and I think really, the mantra that [Head Coach Brian Flores] has put out – ‘Hey, let’s go out there and get better today.’ I think he is really trying to do that and living by that rule.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 8:51 AM.
