Mike Florio ,
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When the Dolphins visit the Browns on Sunday, something rare will occur. Beyond the fact that one of the two 1-5 teams will actually win a football game (unless they tie).
For the first time in 19 years, a pair of left-handed quarterbacks will square off in an NFL game when Tua Tagovailoa and Dillon Gabriel meet for the first time.
It last happened on September 17, 2006. Buccaneers at Falcons. Chris Simms vs. Mike Vick. After failing (once again) to properly answer a trivia question in which a quarterback named Simms was the right answer, Chris rattled off his memories of the 14-3 Atlanta win, in which he threw for a career-high 313 yards. The Falcons unveiled the read option for the first time ever, befuddling the Bucs’ defense with both Vick and Warrick Dunn rushing for more than 100 yards.
But, yes, that’s the last time two left-handed quarterbacks started an NFL game. A reader planted the seed, and we did the research to confirm that there has been no other lefty vs. lefty contest since then.
There haven’t been many left-handed quarterbacks in the past 19 years. Others during that window include Jared Lorenzen, Tyler Palko, Matt Leinart, Pat White, Tim Tebow, and Kellen Moore.
Currently, there are three: Tagovailoa, Gabriel, and Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
It most likely won’t be 19 years until the next all-lefty game. In Week 8, the Falcons host the Dolphins — and Tagovailoa will face Penix.
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