Dolphins Post-Jets Game Mailbag: Willis, Wright, Ollie, and More

What's on the mind of Dolphins fans in ther aftermath of the Week 7 victory against the New York Jets:

From Mmmm:

The second half slowdown Alain, was that more of a conservative game plan or Miami trying to force the run? Wanting to be a physical/run first team is great, but 2nd, and 3rd and longs are not always the place for it.

It’s probably a combination of both, and playing with a lead certainly affords you the opportunity to be more conservative with the play calling. The Dolphins didn’t have great success with the run game in the second half, but it did come through at the right time with the game-clinching drive.

From UncleBobT1:

Gordon is proving to be similar in style to Csonka. Achane seems to have been cast in the Mercury Morris mold, only better. Who could fill the role of Jim Kiick? It would be sweet to have 3x 1,000-yard rushers next year, just like the old days. But, hey, I’d settle for 2x. Do you think the 18 points scored by NJ Jests in the 2nd half could’ve been partially due to the Dolphins’ defense making some halftime adjustments after gaining a 21-7 lead? I’m wondering if Hafley took more of a “bend don’t break” defensive approach in the 2nd half. Thanks!

Hey Uncle Bob, I like Gordon as much as the next guy, but the Csonka comparison is a bit much for me. Anyway, I’ll play along and tell you the guy to play the Jim Kiick role (blocking and catching out of the backfield) isn’t on the roster yet. As for the defense, Hafley’s style usually is bend but don’t break from the start, so I don’t think this is what happened in that case. The Dolphins just started having some problems stopping the run (though the run defense came up big on the goal-line stand) and there was another long completion given up.

From Randy Millard:

If Gordon runs for 1K this year, do you think Achane gets traded next year? If not, how do you see their roles moving forward?

Hey Randy, no, I don’t see Achane getting traded next year because his market value won’t be nearly as high coming off a torn ACL and he’s got a $10.5 million base salary that’s fully guaranteed, which might turn potential suitors. So I fully expect him to be on the roster in 2027, and if Gordon continues to shine the way he has, then maybe the Dolphins go to a 1 and 1a setup in the backfield. Regardless, having two stud running backs instead of one never should be considered a problem.

From JROD’S THE TRUTH:

Jordyn Brooks and JROD both look like great players. The Dolphins have a ton of money in the offseason. I just learned that 90% of has to be spent or it would have to be divided amongst the players on the roster. Andrew Van Ginkel is the prize of free agency this offseason. The Dolphins struggle severely with pass rush. The people who showed him no love are all gone. With Brooks, JROD and the core of young linebackers, could there be place for him here to provide that pass rushing help they desperately need? Would he be too old? Would he be a progress stopper? Would it be impossible to get him, JROD and Brooks on the field together? Or would a talent like his be worth bending some philosophies?

Hey Dana, my question with AVG coming back to Miami has to do with his skill set and exactly how/where he would fit within Jeff Hafley’s scheme. Van Ginkel — who never wanted to leave Miami in the first place — is best suited as a 3-4 OLB and the Dolphins’ base defense is a 4-3. Josh Uche and Chop Robinson both are around 265 pounds as the edge defenders, while Van Ginkel is listed at 242. And AVG is not really an off-the-ball linebacker, even though he did drop into coverage at times under Vic Fangio. So the biggest issue regarding an AVG return is scheme fit.

From Thomas Hudson:

Never mind what I said last week, Miami has fixed their QB problem! Obviously I am joking, but it was a very good game for Willis. And there are 11 more to go. So what boxes do you want to see Willis check in the next couple months to feel confident saying Miami may have their QB?

Hey Thomas, I need to see what we saw from Willis against the Jets on a consistent basis, to where it’s more the norm and the struggles we saw against, say, the 49ers and Bengals becomes the exception. I think we’ve already seen Willis’ ability to make things happen various ways, whether it be scrambling or zipping a pass.

From Toby Marmorino:

Hey Alain, I was wondering if anyone has made it onto the elevator doors yet. You know the picture of the Dolphins player of the week that they usually put on the closing elevator doors. Keep up the good work.

Hey Toby, we got our first elevator door picture this week and it was Jeff Hafley in the locker room celebration and it had to wait until the Dolphins were able to get a win. For the record, I do think that was a very appropriate selection given the circumstances.

From Jason Kirkland:

Hi Alain, I thought the offense looked really good on Sunday. It was apparent to me that the play calling was different. What I can't figure out is why it took until the 6th game of the season to make the adjustment. What is your take?

Hey Jason, always keep in mind that the opponent factors into the game plan to a certain degree because there are different ways to attack different defenses. That said, it was good to see the Dolphins finally realize that maybe shorter was better when it comes to the distances of the passes. Rest assured, that the Dolphins obviously thought their previous plans would work and there sometimes can be stubbornness in really trying to make your vision work. That’s the best explanation I can give you.

From Jorge Francisco Boyd:

Hi Alain, do you think Malik Willis is finally progressing or we still have to wait and see in the next couple of games how he plays? How do you think the running defense is performing this year and can it get better throughout the season?

Hey Jorge, I don’t know about “finally” progressing for Willis as much as he had a game where his decision-making was really good and he wasn’t going for the big play in the passing game so often, maybe by design or maybe because that’s what his eyes were telling him. We do have to wait more games with Willis because the big test for him will be delivering on a consistent basis. As for the run defense, it’s been OK, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. It wasn’t very good against the Jets in the second half, but it did come up big — huge, actually — on that goal-line stand with the big stops by Zach Sieler and Josh Uche. And, yes, it can get better, particularly if the pass rush can improve.

From Mike Marchese:

Hey Alain, why do they insist on force-feeding Wright when he’s a drive killer???!!!

Hey Mike, this actually is a very simple question to answer beyond the fact that Ollie Gordon II can’t take every single carry: The Dolphins just don’t want to give up on Wright as a running back because he does have great physical traits with his size and straight-away speed. There’s obviously something off right now because the results just aren’t there, but maybe it’s as simple as some hesitation and trying too hard to create the big play. There will come a time when the Dolphins will stop using Wright if the results don’t improve, but I don’t think we’re there yet.

The Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag runs on Tuesdays and over the weekend. You can submit questions via email at miamidolphinsonsi@yahoo.com. You also can look for the call for questions on my X account, @PoupartNFL.

Add us as a preferred source on Google