Dolphins Sunday Post-Bills Game Mailbag: More Questions About 0-3 Loss

Who are the must-keep players? Why isn't Willie Gay Jr. getting more snaps? Tackling those and other Miami Dolphins issues

Miami Dolphins GM Chris Grier (left) and Coach Mike McDaniel conduct their annual season-ending press conference. | Alain Poupart - Miami Dolphins On SI

Third and final part of the post-Bills game Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From suicidolphin:

Honest question, if we possess the ball in a one-score game, last 6-7 minutes, do we take it out of Tua’s hands? Meaning HEAVY run, the safest of safe passes?? I think that’s a legitimate question.

If any team can run the ball in late-game situations, that’s always preferable, no matter the quarterback. But if you get to the point where you want to take the ball out of your QB’s hands because you don’t trust him, then it’s time for a new QB. And the Dolphins aren’t close to that point.

From Dan Ford:

Why put Tua back on field down 10 with 22 seconds left?

Hey Dan, fair question. Guess the answer is in case something wildly improbable happens.

From Richard B:

Greetings from Costa Rica. If McDaniel is removed, who would take his place as HC? Don't believe the blame lies squarely on him but more on Grier.

Hey Richard, sorry to avoid the question, but the time to look at head coaching candidates will come when there’s a coaching move. I don’t begin diving into that before that happens because it’s a bit disrespectful from where I sit.

TAKES ON THE TUA INTERCEPTION

From Mikey:

Curious about your thoughts on Kurt Warner’s explanation/debate with Acho on the Tua pick. Also, noticed Bills rusher slightly altered the ball after Brunskill let him walk right by him… I weigh 160 pounds and could have made a better block effort…

Hey Mikey, first off, yeah, that was not great pass protection work there by Daniel Brunskill, who mind you was in the game because McDaniel felt Kion Smith wasn’t playing well enough to stay in. As for the debate, other former players have chimed in as well, including Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chase Daniel, Dan Orlovsky and Richard Sherman and all that of them side with Acho here in putting blame on Tua, whereas Warner says Tua did everything he was supposed to do on the play.

Sep 18, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (8) runs against the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

From FinsUpMass:

How long do we have to watch this mistake-laden football? From pre-snap penalties to late turnovers. Is there a way out of Tua's contract?

Yes, there have been too many mistakes made so far by the Dolphins, which is why they’re 0-3. As for Tua and his contract, that question was covered Saturday, and the quick answer is either a trade or a Dolphins willingness to take a massive dead cap hit — if they eventually share your opinion to move on from him.

From Divingpelican31:

Hey Poup, where has Zach Sieler been this season? This is not about the penalty last night, he just hasn't been the disruptive presence he has in the past. He's usually good for a flash play or two a game, but we haven't seen it yet. I, and the team, miss him and need him.

Yes, Sieler has been very quiet so far in the 2025 season, and there could be a number of reasons for that, including the presence of the young guys on the D-line and maybe Sieler trying to do too much, extra attention being paid to him by opponents, not having Calais Campbell next to him, pressing to justify his new contract. Also could be a combination of factors, but the bottom line is that he definitely hasn’t been very impactful so far.

From Ohio Jon:

Heard so much about Willie Gay preseason but rarely see him on the field. Have you heard anything, or seen anything on film that tells you why his reps are so low?

Hey Jon, we’ve asked Anthony Weaver about Gay’s usage the past two weeks and his explanation is simple, and it’s he’s happy with Tyrel Dodson at that weakside spot, so Gay will get in when the Dolphins use three off-the-field linebackers at the same time. And that’s just not very often.

From Thee Dolphins Dum Dum:

A report came out from a former player who requested anonymity and in that report he stated players have been tardy throughout McDaniel’s tenure. Combine that with Tua’s comments after Week 1 and “we’ll see who shows up to film study.” This confirms what I’ve long suspected that this team is unprepared at times and doesn’t not understand the value of hard work. That’s why they can’t get the right personnel on the field. That’s why they can’t line up correctly. That’s why they play their worst in the biggest games, and moments. They are a reflection of their head coach. He understands football, does not value its principles. Is there any chance McDaniel can change? Can a guy like that have ultimate success or is he always going to limited because of it? If his long-term success is limited, why not just pull off the Band-Aid now?

Hey Dana, I get the frustration and everything you, but then will counter with asking you to explain to me how this team was 8-3 in 2022 and 11-4 in 2023 before things went south in those two seasons. And I will counter by saying they didn’t start losing then strictly because of a lack of preparation. But, sure, it’s fair to question McDaniel’s ceiling as a head coach and things better turn around for him in 2025.

GOING AFTER GRIER

From It’s The End Of The World As We Know It:

To me, the Buffalo game showed that McDaniel can coach, he just doesn't have the players and that is on Grier. Grier's main sin is the same as Nick Saban's sin, he picked the wrong QB. Grier picked Tua over Herbert, Saban picked Culpepper over Brees.

This is more a comment than a question, but I’ll just say it’s not quite as simple as that.

From ScD:

If Mikey isn’t canned …. Possibility of him letting go of play-call duties, and will that matter?

Based on everything he’s said about the subject and knowing McDaniel’s make-up (to a certain degree), I’m thinking McDaniel will give up play-calling duties when he gets fired, not before.

From Jason Kirkland:

Hi Alain, I see players being judged play by play, game by game. However, the one I hold most responsible is Grier, and to me, he gets off the hook on a game-by-game basis, it's the players that are held accountable so frequently. I know fans, and some media want him gone (me included), but it's a general statement. After these losses, I've seen various players held accountable, and when anyone suggests that the roster just isn't good enough, it's something similar to "you play with who’s out there." That's really not true. They play with who Grier puts out there. The team will not have meaningful change until there's someone different calling the shots, we have 10 years of evidence. Players don't get that long being average. Reading today things like "Miami played better" or "Miami showed fight." Is that really the goal? No, they're verbal participation trophies. Your thoughts?

Hey Jason, I understand your point and I understand your frustration, but look at it this way, players start anew every single game; Chris Grier doesn’t get to start anew every single game unless he makes a roster move every single week. And the truth is he’s been criticized plenty of times by the South Florida media for roster shortcomings — I mean, plenty of times. It’s not a question of being soft on Grier, but what’s the point of bashing his roster decisions every single week? And this is from somebody who most definitely hasn’t liked a lot of his moves.

From Toby Marmorino:

Who would have thought that after 3 weeks we'd be begging for Danny Crossman back? It's crazy how there's been one blunder in each game so far.

Hey Toby, let’s be fair here, did you want Danny Crossman back after Malik Washington’s punt return against New England? How about after Dee Eskridge’s opening kickoff return at Buffalo? Yes, there’s been one really negative play each game (Judon penalty, kickoff return, Sieler penalty), but overall I’d say the special teams have been better so far in 2025 than they ever were under Crossman.

From Mike McDonald:

Hi Alain, hypothetical question:  The Dolphins are starting over and you're the new GM. Which 3 players do you keep no matter what?

Hey Mike, that is a really interesting question. Because of their contract status and potential, I think I’d start with Kenneth Grant at defensive tackle and Patrick Paul at left tackle, which leaves me room for one more player. For the third player, for me it would be between De’Von Achane and Chop Robinson with the edge with Achane. Last thing here, I would remove “no matter what,” because nobody is untouchable if a trade offer is good enough. The Dolphins simply don’t have that kind of player in my eyes.