Who is Starting at QB For the Miami Dolphins vs the Buffalo Bills?
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As the 7 seed Miami Dolphins prepare to take on the 2 seeded Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs, it has been confirmed that 3 year Miami starter Tua Tagovailoa will not play. To make matters worse for Dolphins fans, the organization has also confirmed that journeyman backup Teddy Bridgewater will also be sidelined with a dislocated pinky finger in his throwing hand.
That makes the 25 year old rookie out of Kansas St, Skylar Thompson, the Dolphins starter come Sunday. The Bills enter the game as a 13.5 point favorite, jumping up from the initial 10 point number in light of the news.
Who is Starting at QB for the Dolphins this Week?
Rookie Skylar Thompson — who has attempted more than 10 passes in a game on 4 separate occasions this season — will be the Miami Dolphins starting quarterback against the Buffalo Bills.
The two games this season where Thompson saw the most action were both against the Jets, where he averaged 61 percent completion percentage and 159 yards. Fortunately for Dolphins fans, the Jets passing defense is one of the few in the NFL that grades consistently better than the Bills.
Unfortunately for Dolphins fans, however, this Bills defense is light years ahead of where the Jets have been, and Thompson will be called upon to move the ball in order for this Jets team to stay in it.
Skylar Thompson was picked in the 7th round with the 247th overall pick in the 2022 draft.
QB1 — Here's Skylar Thompson at the Dolphins last practice before heading up to Buffalo for Sunday's Wild Card game… https://t.co/axqoQxHP3r pic.twitter.com/ucDDxH0483
— WPLG Local 10 Sports (@Local10Sports) January 13, 2023
Skylar Thompson vs the Buffalo Bills: Betting Implications
When news came out that neither Tua or Bridgewater would be starting, the spread in this game immediately ballooned from 10 to 13.5 and has stuck at 13.5 ever since.
It is worth noting that Miami is one of just 3 teams to beat the Bills this season, beating them in a 19-21 affair at home in Week 4. When these two teams matched up again on December 17th, the Bills won by just a field goal.
Though that may suggest there is some value on this line, there are some injury concerns for this Miami roster beyond just the quarterback position. Namely, Miami’s starting left tackle Terron Armstead is questionable with scattered lower body injuries and their premiere edge rusher Bradley Chubb has been limited at practice with an ankle injury.
Though this Miami team can match up well with the Bills when healthy, they are looking increasingly unhealthy down the stretch.
Nowhere is health more of a concern than at the quarterback position.
Even Skylar Thompson himself has been battling some injuries down the stretch. Though he has been full go at practice, he’s still listed on the Dolphins Injury Report with an ankle injury.
