What we saw from Miami's Jay Cutler on Thursday night was something fans have come to expect from the veteran passer: aggressive throws downfield.
The quarterback-turned-broadcaster-turned-quarterback made it a habit to test the ball downfield, airmailing a 72-yard rocket to Dolphins wideout DeVante Parker and shipping a deep strike to Kenny Stills that drew a 42-yard pass interference flag.
"It seems like his pocket presence is coming back pretty quick," Dolphins coach Adam Gase said after the game. "He made some nice step ups and sliding in the pocket to find some lanes; there were some broken plays where he hooked up with some guys. I thought that was a step in the right direction. Last week, he was kind of still feeling his way out and tonight he looked more comfortable."
The good news for Miami is that Cutler has already clicked with his wideouts. Especially in the case of Parker, who feels primed for a massive season with the strong-armed veteran at the controls.
"I mean, they're really good players," Cutler said of his pass-catchers. "They're going to get open, they're going to create opportunities for themselves. It's just kind of my job to get them the ball. The two days we've practiced in Philly, and then today, they did exactly what we thought they were going to do. Our guys got open and we felt good about the drives that we had."
It wasn't a pristine start, with Cutler losing a fumble and lobbing a few off-target strikes. Still, Thursday's handiwork was another reminder that the drop off from a sidelined Ryan Tannehill to his replacement might not be a drop off at all.
If anything, this Dolphins' air game is poised to take a step forward with Cutler at the helm, especially if he continues to mesh with a star-in-the-making like Parker.
