Wednesday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, More Tua, Tyreek, and Team Issues

Part 2 of the post-Bills game All Dolphins mailbag:

From RICHARD J. LEONARD (SLICK6971):

Why did we ditch the running game so early? It seemed like we were losing when the score was 14-7.

From Pete Dudenhoefer (@Dude_in_PA):

Why doesn't McDaniel COMMIT to running the ball? Does he need someone to "check him" and try to keep him focused on balance....especially in the 2nd half?

Hey Richard and Pete, I get it and there’s some element of truth there, but let me point out that the Dolphins ran on first and second down on the series after the punt return made it 14-14 and those two runs gained 1 yard. So while it’s undeniable the Dolphins should have had more than three rushing attempts in the second half, to suggest doing otherwise automatically would have meant a win is too much for me.

From Bag of Donuts (@BagofDonuts):

Can you guys comment on the amount of Dolphins injuries. Is this normal?

Hey BOD, no, it’s not normal to get nailed with key injuries like this at the end of a season, but we also have to point out that the Dolphins are the only team that ever has had to go through something like this. But, yeah, it does stink.

From d. Edward (@Syr2Pitt2SD):

Why hasn't Robbie Chosen been replacing Waddle given that the Dolphins' offense is predicated on two speedy receivers? He seemed to do as well as any other Dolphins receiver not named Waddle or Tyreek in pre-season.

I see your point, but there’s clearly something going on to have kept that from happening because it’s not like the Dolphins are going to relegate Chosen to a very minor role just for the fun of it. Maybe it's a practice performance issue. Maybe it’s a route-running issue. Maybe it’s a blocking issue. No quite sure. And, trust me, if the media were to ask Mike McDaniel or Frank Smith, we would get a generic answer related to wanting to get everybody involved, different packages, and so forth.

From Alejandro (@Nooksp45):

How can the Phins replicate the Travis Kelce 3rec 14yds stat line? In that game, who covered him?

Hey Alejandro, as I recall (before I rewatch that game), there was a lot of bracketing and double-teaming, there were instances where Kelce was kept in to block. I do think the Dolphins again will devote a lot of attention to him given the Chiefs’ problems at wide receiver, but holding him to a 3-14-0 stat line again won’t be easy.

From Earl Gottfried (via email):

Hello Alain, it looks like the Dolphins have locked into their history of mediocrity when it comes to moving beyond getting to the playoffs. Sure, a lot of injury problems continued to pile up but it is still coming down to the "horse" that he team has hitched its wagon to — Tua Tagovailoa! What are the chances that the team looks objectively at its current QB1 and sees a guy that is good but not good enough? Adam Beasley in one of his pieces seems to have hit the nail on the head with his evaluation of the current situation. Maybe Grier should have listened to Ross and drafted Jackson in Flores' first year or listened to Flores and drafted Herbert. I guess this is more of a rant than a question. GO STEELERS!

Hey Earl, yes, Beas made some very good points in his column. But I would be shocked if the Dolphins moved on from Tua at this time, no matter what happens in the Kansas City game. I actually would be mildly surprised if they didn’t go as far as giving him a long-term extension in the offseason, though I’d still say that if it doesn’t go well Saturday night, the prudent move would be to have Tua play on his fifth-year option in 2024 and then re-evaluate after that season. And, for the record, Flores was not lobbying for Herbert in the 2020 draft. He preferred Jordan Love, although with one of the other three first-round picks, not the No. 5 selection. And Lamar Jackson was drafted in 2018, Adam Gase's final year.

From Tim Ski (@TimSkii22):

Explain why the organization can’t figure anything out. From health, to depth, to building a consistent winner without mortgaging the future?

Hey Tim, figuring out health? Really? Exactly how do you prevent Achilles tears? And the Dolphins did have some depth this year, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to survive all the injuries they had on the offensive line? Or maybe that was a result of the scheme helping out the O-line, but in that case that means good coaching, so the Dolphins would have done something right. Look, I get the frustration, but the Dolphins are on a run of four straight winning seasons and back-to-back playoff appearances, which is a lot better than the rest of the 2000s. So there’s that.

From Brian Knipp (@knipp_brian):

Why don’t the Dolphins build their roster like an AFC North team since their rivals are two New York teams and a Massachusetts team?

Hey Brian, in a big-picture way, you’re absolutely right, but Tampa Bay and the Rams recently won Super Bowls not exactly built like an AFC North team. Bottom line: There’s more than one way to go about it.

From Jason Kirkland (@1bigdad424):

What's up, Alain? Love the podcasts and articles. My question isn't meant as sarcasm, I just want your thoughts. Mahomes hasn't been able to raise his play due to the talent around him. Why should Tua be expected to do so with all the injuries there have been on offense?

Hey Jason, track record comes into play here. And the problem with your argument is that Tua didn’t raise his game earlier in the season against the quality opponents when injuries weren’t as much of an issue.

From Russell Thomas (@Russell43056899):

Are there examples QBs who have struggled in the clutch like Tua and eventually had it click?

Hey Russell, that would require an extensive amount of research and I don’t have the time for that right now. Drew Brees is an example of a player who became markedly better after a few seasons, but I don’t about the crunch-time aspect of it. I can tell you that Tom Brady was clutch pretty much from the start (then again, that’s Brady).

From TV Guy (@CurtisM59427242):

Has this regime given you any indication they are willing to get QB competition for Tua — or are we doing the 7-year tannehill dance again with a guy who’s just good enough to get coaches fired?

Nope, there has been ZERO indication that the Dolphins will do anything but roll with Tua. They have been 100 percent about Tua since McDaniel took over as head coach.

From 305 TILL I DIE (@305UntilIDie):

Dealing with “what if,” but how different does this team look if Tyreek Hill never became available 2 years ago?

Yeah, without trying to nail specifics, the team clearly would be different because they would have had many draft picks the last two years that they didn’t have, but they also wouldn’t have had the biggest difference-maker (non-QB) in the NFL.

From Brian Z (via email):

Are kick returners this teams Achilles’ heel? I always cringe when see one of our kickoffs/punts land in bounds because I know how often they seem to be returned for a long TD. It's especially frustrating due to the injuries to both offense and defense, and how our defense was keeping us in this game. Why, if this armchair QB can predict this, does our special teams coordinator not see it as well? Is there any chance our special teams coordinator keeps his job at the end of the season? What do you think about drafting the best return man out of college? This team is built on speed, so how about turning the tables and making specials teams a positive.

Hey Brian, by kick returners, you mean opponents’ kick returners, right? Yes, the special teams have been getting carved up late in the season after being pretty good all season. It’s certainly an issue now, that’s for sure. I think a lot of media folks thought ST coordinator Danny Crossman might get fired after last season, and we’ll probably be having the same thoughts this year. And I love the idea of adding a speedy return specialist, as much as I respect the job that Braxton Berrios has done.

From Jim (@viaemail):

Hi Alain, after our latest loss against the Bills I feel like I've been sold a Corvette with a Hugo engine. Tua just can't seem to step on up on that next ladder rung when we need it. Shouldn't the Dolphins at least kick the tires on some free agents QBs this season?

Hey Jim, let’s not forget that the Dolphins already have committed $23 million to Tua for 2024 with the fifth-year option, so the idea of exploring potential free agents doesn’t really work without adding the element of trading Tua. And then we can get into the argument of how much sense that would make considering Tua led the NFL in passing yards and was among the top five in passer rating for a second consecutive year. And this, of course, is based on the assumption that things don’t go well in Kansas City because if Tua delivers Saturday night, then it’ll be pretty much a slam dunk that Tua will get a long-term extension.

Tuesday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, McDaniel, and More