The Dolphins started Ryan Fitzpatrick on Thursday night and played the veteran into the third quarter, which did little to suggest that the perception he’s the favorite to start Week One was out of line.
Head coach Brian Flores has been adamant that no decision has been made yet, however, and that didn’t change after the 22-7 win over the Jaguars. Josh Rosen’s play had a lot to do with that.
Fitzpatrick piloted the Dolphins to 10 yards on their first four possessions before parleying two short fields into field goals in the first half. He opened the second half with an 86-yard touchdown drive and then Rosen led a 99-yard touchdown drive in his first series of work. Rosen finished 5-of-7 for 59 yards and ran four times for 23 yards overall.
"[Rosen] played well,” Flores said, via the Palm Beach Post. “And that makes the decision harder. I think that’s pretty clear and evident. But again there are other things at play here.”
Rosen said he is getting more comfortable “as my grasp of the offense increases,” but one of the other things at play for Flores is likely Fitzpatrick’s edge in experience with the Dolphins opening the season against four 2018 playoff teams. That may be too much for Rosen to overcome in August, but a few starts like the one the Miami offense had on Thursday could lead to a change of heart early in the regular season.