Tim Boyle wasn’t expecting to play for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
He likely didn’t take any reps with the starters during practice this week, so, understandably, the journeyman quarterback would come in cold. What’s not understandable is his throwing the ball away with the game on the line.
It’d be fair to say that Boyle is a less-than-impressive NFL quarterback. He started a few games for the New York Jets in 2023 because he was familiar with the offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, and the de facto general manager, Aaron Rodgers. It proved to be disastrous.
What’s also disastrous is the Dolphins’ quarterback situation beyond Tua Tagovailoa, which forced Skylar Thompson, Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley, and now Boyle into action. After Huntley, who made the Pro Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury, the Dolphins turned to Boyle yet again.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is a wizard when it comes to scheming up the run. But he doesn’t have that same touch with quarterbacks, let alone ones who are not named Tagovailoa. Now, he’s not the one making the decisions out there; that onus falls on guys like Thompson, Huntely, and now Boyle, but no matter what, the buck stops at the head coach.
It should also fall on the quarterback when he makes a head-scratching decision.
“I know Tim Boyle probably didn’t expect to play as much as he did today. But you gotta be ready to go…You have to understand that situation in the game.”
– Daryl Johnston after Boyle’s pass sails out of bounds, sealing the Dolphins loss to the Colts.pic.twitter.com/yFgjUZFVMB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 20, 2024
And for NFL on Fox broadcaster Daryl Johnston, that responsibility fell on Boyle, who finished 8-for-13 with 74 yards passing Sunday. As the Dolphins were driving the ball down the field, down 16-10 to the Indianapolis Colts, Boyle seemingly threw the football away. Live to see another down, right? Well, no, it was fourth down.
Surely, Boyle didn’t intend to throw the football away with seven seconds remaining, but he decided to sail a ball out of bounds on a fourth-and-2 on a sideline pass to Malik Washington, who stands just 5-foot-8 tall.
It was hard to understand what Boyle was trying to accomplish there. Throwing to the sideline with seven seconds and no timeouts left seems reasonable, but not giving your receiver a chance to make a play with the game on the line does not.
And not for nothing, he is also on a team with guys like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
“Yeah, you got Malik Washington out here on the outside,” Johnston says. “You know, Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill; if I’m going to throw it up, and then you don’t even give your receiver an opportunity to make the catch. I know Tim Boyle probably didn’t expect to play as much as he did today, but you gotta be ready to go. Like we always hear every week from the guys in those positions how important that backup quarterback is to be able to be ready and prepared to play without taking a lot of snaps during the course of the week.
“You have to understand that situation in the game. ‘Where are my guys? Where’s No. 10? Where’s No. 17?’ Jonnu Smith has had a phenomenal day here this afternoon — seven catches for almost 100 yards — and we go to Malik Washington with the game on the line and don’t even give him an opportunity to make the catch.”
The Dolphins likely don’t end up winning Sunday’s game, but it’s not like Boyle gave them a chance.
