Dolphins Monday Mailbag: How Can Tua Get Back to His Previous Level?

Second and final part of the pre-Jets game Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Jeff Golden:

Salut salut! Could the team have persuaded Tua to put the weight back on? Can we make an association between Tua’s success and his body weight? Merci Alain

Salut Jeff, I get what you’re saying, but it’s always a delicate balance with Tua because the Dolphins want to preserve his health first and foremost but also not necessarily limit what he can do as a quarterback. Besides, the biggest reason for me he stayed healthy in 2023 wasn’t the added weight and it wasn’t jiu-jitsu, it was that he never put himself in harm’s way unnecessarily. So bigger or not, that remains the key with Tua, though is it possible he might not be as skittish if he had the extra weight? Hmm, maybe. Only he could answer that and I’m not sure he’d want to go there.

From Ed Hafner:

Why doesn't McDaniel simplify the offense? Putting both Achane and Ollie on the field together - like Csonka and Morris and run the heck out of the ball, taking pressure off Tua and give more teeth to the play-action passes while keeping the ball away from the opposing team.

Hey Ed, the Dolphins do have packages with both running backs on the field, but I think you’ll ever see a heavy dose of it as long as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are the two most expensive players on offense besides Tua. That’s just a fact of life, right or wrong.

From Prince-Bishop Militantly Aardvark:

Hey, Alain. Hope all's well with you. The defense has been pretty disappointing so far. Sometimes it seems as if we have bits of 3 different teams trying to work together and ending up in a confused heap. Do you see any solution to this that doesn't involve time machines and different picks?

Hey PBMA, no, this will get solved with a time machine, as in moving forward and having everybody play together more often and developing better cohesiveness and communication. And you’re absolutely right in that it appears too often so far this season that the defensive players aren’t on the same page.

From Teej:

During your Behind Enemy Lines with Antwan, it appeared the key match-up is Jets O-strength running AND Phins D weakness stopping the run. Are we likely looking at a "stack the box" D game plan? Ya know make Fields beat us with their arm? Or is our secondary too weak to handle it?

Hey Teej, interesting question and great reference to the All Dolphins Podcast, and I definitely would expect the Dolphins to focus more on run defense in this game, maybe with more three-linemen looks and less nickel, but selling out to stopping the run has its risks as well. Remember that Fields did have success throwing against the Dolphins in that 2022 game, not just running.

From David Campbell:

Greetings Alain! After reading your excellent article & reading other sports folks plus listening to you & Perk on The All Dolphins Podcast plus Dolphins Collective while not entirely on him biggest problem on offense is QB Tua Tagovailoa. His physical limitations are becoming more prominent, waiting for him to say he's seeing ghosts (I'm even seeing Olivadotti ghost on defense) & accuracy is just kaput. I thought the drought of franchise QB over. Too many times I've seen a young QB rise but then just fall flat & I believe this has happened with Tua. I've been neither a Tuanon or a Tua hater but I can't help but see what I see. Can he get right by fundamentals reinforcement (obviously physical is physical) or is the drought continuing? The contract is prohibitive for trading or release but does McDaniel (if he survives) push for either? Good feelings won't save a job. Sorry to be Dave Downer but I can't even foresee a Monday night win !

Hey Dave, yeah, that is a bit of a downer post, but thanks for the shout-outs for the website and podcasts. Yes, Tua can get right through better fundamental, and that starts and ends with his footwork, which simply looks off. But it looks like it’s tied to his discomfort in the pocket, and that might be a tougher fix. As for the hypothetical of the McDaniel-Tua connection, because of his contract and the effect on the cap, at this time it's easier to see Tua being the one who remains if there are major changes coming during or after the 2025 season.

From Chris Bustin:

Hey Alain, can we still call Tua polarizing? Feels like the opinions are aligned now: Fans want to move on, DDW has seen enough, Perk doesn’t see a future for him in Miami, Hyde has talked about eating his contract, and even Omar — the last holdout — sounds lukewarm.

Hey Chris, you’re listing media members or podcasters here, and those opinions (mine as well) don’t matter. And even Omar still is on board with Tua. But, sure, most of the media is aligned in that Tua’s performance has been a big problem this season. It’s not going to move the needle with the organization, though. I also should point out there are still plenty of Tua supporters out there.

From Jason Kirkland:

Hey, Alain. How are ya, bud? I hear all the time how the offensive problems are mainly Tua, with O-line an issue as well. Those things are true, but why isn't McDaniel getting much criticism for not being able to adjust? The offense has been figured out since the end of 2023.

Hey Jason, McDaniel has avoided criticism to the same level for the offensive issues but it’s not like he hasn’t been criticized at all. It may just be that folks see personnel deficiencies as the bigger issues and it also may be that McDaniel deserves kudos for what he got out of the offense in 2022 and 2023 more so than he deserves criticism now for not getting as much out of it.

From IFF13:

Why is our ST coach insisting on playing starters on ST? No way Sieler & Minkah should be out there.

It’s not unheard of for starters to play on special teams — for example, Cooper DeJean and Jordan Davis both were special teams regulars for the Super Bowl champion Eagles last season. Sieler has played 38 percent of the special teams snaps this season, which is about what he’s done since he joined the Dolphins, so nothing new here. The idea here is having a big guy on defense to push back the line, guard against fakes and maybe block a punt here or there. I have more of an issue with Fitzpatrick playing special teams, to be honest, because he’s too valuable on defense and doesn’t have as big a role on special teams. But special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said using the safety in the kicking game came from Fitzpatrick. Lastly, would you even be bothered by Sieler and Fitzpatrick being on special teams if Sieler's penalty hadn't happened.

From Ricardo Cardona 2:

Do you think it’s possible that Mike McDaniel gets another shot at Fins head coach and Grier gets chopped?

Hey Ricardo, yes, I could see a scenario where Grier is removed as GM (maybe reassigned to a different role) and McDaniel gets another shot. At this point, I think all scenarios seem plausible.

From Olive Grove Jon:

Hey Alain, if you were to grade the tear down (tank for Tua) rebuild. What would you grade it?

Hey OGJ, this is a good question and it absolutely can’t get a good grade because there have been no playoff wins, but it also can’t be an F because the team did make the playoffs in back-to-back years and they hadn’t done that in 20 years. My inclination is to go for a D+, with the best I could do a C-.

From Joe Menendez:

Post Marino, Miami has gone from being a playoff team almost every season, to one that has won just a handful of playoff games. Two different owners. Multiple coaches. Multiple QBs. Multiple disappointing seasons. How’d Miami end up like this? There’s no one single reason I see.

Hey Joe, let’s first point out for the record that the Dolphins didn’t make the playoffs “almost every season” in Marino’s 17 seasons because they did reach the postseason 10 times with him (missing out from 1986-89, and 1991, 1993 and 1996). The Dolphins have won exactly one playoff game since Marino retired, that coming in the 2000 season. And the worst part is every playoff loss but one since then hasn’t even been competitive, with scores like 27-0, 20-3, 27-9, 30-12 and 26-7. The only exception was the 34-31 loss at Buffalo after the 2022 season — and that was with third-stringer Skylar Thompson at quarterback. But, yeah, there have been multiple reasons for the drought, with the quarterback position right at the top.

From Ed Helinski:

In your opinion, will Monday’s game against the Jets going to put the Dolphins season in the right direction?

Hey Ed, I believe it will get the season in the right direction in terms of won-loss record because I predicted in my game preview a 23-20 victory and that’s the most important thing. As far as being a turning point with solutions founds to the problems of the first three weeks, I’m not sure that’s quite in store yet, though obviously that’s the best-case scenario.

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