The Miami Dolphins are set to face the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, with quarterback Kyle McCord preparing to make his NFL regular-season debut. He has served as Miami’s backup to Malik Willis during the first eight games of the season.
McCord has not yet thrown a pass for the Dolphins. Miami acquired him from the Green Bay Packers after the preseason, where he had also been a backup quarterback. Although he missed the Dolphins’ training camp, McCord said he feels prepared for his first start.
“Obviously excited, but at the same time I know that the production on the field matters most, so I’m doing everything I can to get myself ready to go play,” McCord said ahead of the game.
## McCord’s Approach to Playing Quarterback
McCord described himself as a competitor who aims to process information quickly and deliver accurate, timely passes. He said those qualities helped him during college and in his NFL preseason appearances, and he hopes to carry that success into Sunday’s game.
He also expressed confidence in his familiarity with Miami’s offense, noting that its system is similar to Green Bay’s. Though the teams use some different terminology and have variations in their schemes, McCord said he had continued getting practice reps in the system after joining the Dolphins.
“I feel like even though I wasn’t here for OTAs and camp, I still was getting reps in the system and still feel comfortable with it,” he said. “At this point, the way I’m viewing it is I’ve had however many, like eight months, I want to say, in the system and under my belt. So I feel confident.”
## What to Expect From McCord’s First Start
McCord’s NFL experience is limited. He spent his rookie season on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad and has yet to take a regular-season snap. The Dolphins traded a future sixth-round pick to Green Bay for him and made him Willis’ backup.
A modest statistical outing could be a reasonable expectation for his first start, given the uncertainty around his NFL performance and Miami’s offensive production this season. One projected benchmark is about 215 passing yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
In three preseason games with the Packers, McCord completed 46 of 70 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns.
