If Tyler Thigpen is the future of the Dolphins, then the future started today.
Thigpen, the Dolphins’ third-string quarterback, was pressed into action against the Titans today when starter Chad Pennington and second-stringer Chad Henne both went down with injuries. Thigpen played well, going 4-for-6 for 64 yards and a touchdown and leading an 85-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter, and the Dolphins won 29-17.
The Titans had to do the old switcheroo at quarterback as well: Kerry Collins started in place of the injured Vince Young, then Collins got hurt and Young had to take his place. Overall there were six different players in the game who threw a pass (Thigpen, Henne, Pennington, Young, Collins and Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall) and Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown also took snaps in the wildcat formation.
Henne, who was benched as the Dolphins’ starter last week, was actually the most effective of all the quarterbacks in the game, completing 19 of 28 passes for 240 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He played the bulk of the game, between Pennington’s injury on the first possession and Henne’s own injury at the end of the third quarter.
But whether Henne becomes the Dolphins’ starter again is anyone’s guess. It’s not yet known whether Henne’s knee injury is serious, whether Pennington’s arm injury is serious, or which quarterback Dolphins coach Tony Sparano would pick if all three are healthy next week.
All that is clear is that the Dolphins played one of their best games of the season to improve to 5-4 and stay in the AFC playoff hunt.
For the Titans, new acquisition Randy Moss wasn’t much of a factor, catching just one of the four passes thrown to him, for 26 yards. Tennessee falls to 5-4 and a game behind the Colts in the AFC South.
