First, it's time.
Second, it's grand.
Third, it's well-scheduled.
The gut reactions are coming so fast and furious after Tua Tagovailoa was named the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback Tuesday, they'll need an assistant of internal medicine on the offense's staff.
The fourth one's more complicated:
It's ... a surprise, isn't it?
Two weeks ago, Brian Flores played the protective dad card by barking at questions of playing Tua by saying: "If he was my kid and he had a serious injury like that, I wouldn't want his coach to be in a rush to throw him in there because of media pressure of anything like that."
Ten days ago, Flores didn't play Tua in a 43-17 blowout win in San Francisco. That would've been a place to get a rookie who hasn't taken a competitive snap in a year a couple series to knock off some layers of developed rust, right?
On Sunday, in another easy, 24-0 win against the New York Jets, Tua was put in for the final five plays of the game. That's it. Five mop-up plays. He didn't even expect to get those, since his family didn't bother coming to the game.
And now he's starting?
Hey, he must've graded out very well on those three handoffs he made.
If this was the plan all along, where was the planning?
Look, I'm all for starting Tua. I've said for weeks. If he's healthy, get him out there. There's no value in sitting tomorrow on the bench.
The issue was never if Tua was completely up to NFL speed just yet _ it's more to what end they're playing Ryan Fitzpatrick if Tua is ready enough. Fitzpatrick was commendable and popular. He's the 17th-rated quarterback in the league. He was Mr. Up and Down, as he was all his career, in a fun and entertaining way.
But make no mistake: There's been a difference in practice between Tua's throws compared to the 37-year-old Fitzpatrick's throws. "It's obvious," one team official said. It should be, too. That's why Tua was the hot draft pick at No. 5. So the issue always was the best way to get to Tua's talents quickest.
Flores either hid this plan well from everyone or had an overnight epiphany that it was time. There's a third option I'm told isn't true, too. It's team owner Steve Ross pushed to play Tua. Ross is involved in some decisions _ he's the guy who drafted Jakeem Grant in the sixth round, for instance. But he's never forced decisions of this magnitude that anyone knows (he suggested trading down in the 2018 draft but deferred when General Manager Chris Grier balked).
The news of Tua starting broke Tuesday morning from ESPN's Adam Schefter just after Dolphins assistant coaches ended talking to the media. The whole organization then went into stealth mode. Silent. Nothing. That's when you know it had the full, choreographed ring of truth to it.
If it wasn't true, the last thing they'd want is fans excited about Tua starting. No, that's not true. The last thing they'd want is an angry Schefter feeling double-crossed.
This rearranged bye week always is a good landing spot for change. Tua and the coaches have plenty of time to prepare. The game is at home. They could have picked a better opponent than a Los Angeles Rams defense that's fifth in fewest points allowed (19) and fifth in most sacks (20). But who cares?
The Dolphins haven't had an anticipated day like this since Dan Marino started Game 6 of his rookie year in 1983 against Buffalo. The difference is coach Don Shula played Dan Marino in four preseason games and the second halves of two regular season games. Marino completed 23 of 39 passes for 240 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
The better comparison is the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert having no preseason and no advance warning when thrown into an emergency start at Kansas City. Herbert, passed on by the Dolphins for Tua, has nine touchdowns, three interceptions and a 107.1 rating after four starts.
So now it's 12 days until Tua Time. It'll feel like the Twelve Days of Christmas for Dolphins fans. And on the first day of Christmas, the Dolphins announced tomorrow is today. Tua is starting. It's time. It's grand. It's popular _ even if it feels a bit strange the way it played out.
