Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: How to Share Credit for the Success of the Passing Game

Part 2 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Olive Grove Jon (@Owlizee):

Hi Alain. Keep up the great work. I’ve been lucky enough to have my questions answered by you in the past, so here’s another. What’s the one draft pick you wish you could go back and change? Some will say Herbert over Tua, others Tristan Wirfs over A.J., but what is yours?

Hey OGJ, thanks as always. Mine actually is very easy and it goes further back: I wish the Dolphins had taken Aaron Rodgers second overall in 2005 instead of Ronnie Brown. I wish the Dolphins had taken Drew Brees at 26 in 2001 instead of Jamar Fletcher. I wish the Dolphins had taken Darrelle Revis instead of Ted Ginn Jr. in 2007. If we want to go back to that 2020 draft, there you can go Justin Jefferson over Jackson (Dolphins didn’t have the chance to take Wirfs) or Jonathan Taylor over Noah Igbinoghene.

From Brian Z. (via email):

I am looking at Dalvin Cook's other options if he does not sign here. The Bills, Jets and Patriots are listed as places he might go. I really hope he does not go to a division rival and runs all over us twice a season. Is there any logic in signing him just so he does not end up on another team in the AFC East? Do you know of any previous signings that may have been done partially to avoid that player having to play us?

Hey Brian, it’s an interesting question, but I don’t believe any team would sign a veteran player just to keep him away from a division opponent and I can’t really think of a previous situation where it happened. Now, teams often will avoid trading a player to a division opponent (though the Dolphins did send Parker to NE) and then there’s what the Patriots did in the 2023 draft when they traded down in the first round knowing full well the Pittsburgh Steelers would take a player the New York Jets were targeting (tackle Broderick Jones).

From kmshark (via email):

Hi Alain, here's my comments/questions... Limited to these 3 areas - 1) offensive-gameplan/play-calling, 2) receiver ability/performance, and 3) QB ability/performance - what percentage do you attribute to each for the 2022 Dolphins passing offense success with concussionless-Tua? My perception from hearing/reading most of what you’ve said over the last 2yrs is that you'd probably go with 30%, 50%, and 20%, respectively. I would give it 20%, 20%, 60% since it was a new scheme for everyone (except Sherfield) and the QB had to do a LOT in the scheme outside of delivering the ball. Hill & Waddle both stated how complex it was and hard to grasp, so Tua likely had to do a decent amount of huddle direction and in-play compensation for route-running-mistakes. I also feel that defenses that messed things up had as big of an impact with the gameplan/receivers (maybe more?) as it had with Tua. I thought Tyreek having his best year, in a new system with a high-production partner, would be something most attributed to QB performance. Second question: What would you need to see to feel that this offense's success is more about Tua's ability/performance than all other factors combined. I think for all great pass-first offenses, it’s the QB that’s the biggest factor.

Hey Kevin, kudos for a very well-presented question/point. First off, let’s address the percentages and my reflex is to go 25-40-35 and the 40 might be conservative because I just don’t think enough folks truly appreciate the kind of havoc the speed of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle created throughout the season.

I made it a project of mine to look again at every single one of Tua’s completions of 20 yards or more in 2022 and the number of times the receiver was not only open but wide open was astonishing. And, no, that’s not meant to take away from what Tua did, but rather to give credit where credit is due and if you’re going to say it was mostly Tua, then I say you’re being disrespectful to Hill and Waddle. I also don’t think folks appreciate just how unique this was, having the fastest wide receiver in the game complemented by arguably the second-fastest wide receiver in the game.

So, no, I’m sorry, but in this case I don’t believe that Tua was the biggest factor in the success of the passing game. And I’m going to keep going back — even though some fans like to dump on him — to what Teddy Bridgewater did when he passed for 329 yards in not even three full quarters against Minnesota (despite Terron Armstead not being in the lineup) ... and if you're going to counter that the Dolphins scored only 16 points and lost, then I'll point to costly turnovers as the issue there. And for those who keep pointing out the lack of scoring when Tua wasn’t in the lineup, understand that no other QB played a full game until the regular season finale and Armstead played a total of eight snaps in the four games that Tua missed.

Tua, by contrast, played one game without Armstead — the 33-17 loss at San Francisco — and his passer rating that day was 79.7. Tua also was sacked three times in two series against Houston at the start of the second half after Armstead was injured before the Dolphins made a QB change to protect Tua. So don't tell me that Armstead wasn't a significant factor on offense.

The NFL is a total team game and Mike McDaniel himself said last year a quarterback can't win a game by himself, though he can lose it by himself. The success of the Dolphins passing game was a team effort requiring a lot of parts, with Tua absolutely being one of them. But I'll maintain the single biggest factor was the Hill-Waddle speed factor.

From Addicus Spartacus (@AddicusSpartac1):

You and Omar are bringing it. Thank you! My question is about how an Offense and Defense (on the same team) work to make one another better. Is it safe to assume that Fangio has/will shepherd McDaniel about how he would exploit Miami's offense? This does happen, right?

Howdy, first off thanks on the compliment on the podcast. Yes, defensive coordinators absolutely will help offensive coaches with thoughts on how they would stop their unit. That’s pretty much a given. And it goes the other way too. And another way the offense can help the defense is avoiding three-and-outs or turning the ball over, ideally forcing opponents to start their drives deep in their own territory. That’s the definition of complementary football.

From Michael Fink (via email):

Hi Alain, that Christmas Day game hooked me as well. It's a shame the younger generations do not have great playoff memories that we share. I hope McDaniel can turn their January misfortunes around. My question to you is a simple one. It was obvious. McDaniel had a few issues that were what most would consider problem areas. What would you think will be done to eliminate these problem areas?

Game management.

a} Getting plays called in quickly.

b) Adjusting as teams defended the middle areas of the field.

c} Replay decisions were difficult for the staff as well.

d} Abandoning the run.

e} Pre-snap penalties

Hey Michael, a lot to unpack here, and I don’t think there are magic fixes to every issues beyond just bearing down. I’m not sure the issue with delay penalties was getting in plays quickly enough as much as a ton of pre-snap motion that maybe McDaniel will reduce. Adjustments to teams defending the middle of the field would include maybe screen passes and quick outs; not abandoning the run is a mind-set that McDaniel will have to get into, regardless of the temptation to defer to the passing game.

From SaidWhatISaid (@addifinndaddy):

Are we really comfortable where we are at the TE position?

Hey there, am I? Mmm, not really … until I step back and realize that few offenses (if any) rely less on the tight end contributing in the passing game as that of the Dolphins. I also would tell all fans to become comfortable with the tight ends because there just aren’t a lot of great options available on the free agent market at this time.

From Papi (@dolphincock2001):

Welcome back to America. Any part of your Europe cruise that was just meh and you wouldn’t do again? Dolphins question is how has training camp itself changed over your years of covering? Less physically demanding and less contact?

Hey Papi, off the top of my head I can’t think of a single thing I wouldn’t do again on the cruise other than booking an offshore excursion through the ship (though we were out of options for that day when we did book it). I love cruises personally and this one on Norwegian Epic was awesome (even if the pool situation left a lot to be desired). As for training camp changes, absolutely less contact and less physically demanding, even though I think it's hotter than it used to be. And the other big change is how less open teams are with the media and what we’re allowed to report.

From HelicopterDad (@LiranF):

Do you know which camp days are full pads & contact vs shorts/non-contact?

Hey there, I don’t know specific days beyond the fact that full pads aren’t allowed until a few days of practice have taken place (I think it’s like the fifth practice). The joint practices with the Falcons and the Texans certainly should be in full pads.

From Tommy in Hialeah (@Dolphinsfan201):

How will the revelation of Dalvin’s domestic issue impact his free agency search. With the fact the victim turned down 800 thou to a million!

Hey Tommy, as I discussed in the Friday Dolphins notebook, it’s difficult to predict the impact of the revelation, though remember this is a situation where Cook isn’t merely the subject of a lawsuit but he’s got a suit himself against his ex-girlfriend alleging extortion. The NFL also doesn’t usually do anything in terms of discipline until the legal process has played out, so it’s going to be a while before we should expect anything there, if anything will happen. This would come into play only in the event of Cook being able to get more than a one-year deal.

From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):

Hey, Alain. It sounds like the AFC East trio of Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots includes the final suitors for Dalvin Cook. Do you have a sense of which team is most likely to land him when all is said and done? Thanks!

Hey Chris, the fact the Patriots worked out Leonard Fournette this week seems to indicate to me they’re headed in a different direction. I see the Jets as the favorites because I think they’ll be willing to pay more if they have any concerns about Breece Hall’s recovery (and remember he started camp on PUP). If everything is equal, though, Cook will sign with Miami.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Dolphins news and analysis year-round. Also, you can follow me on Twitter at @PoupartNFL, and that's where you can ask questions for the regular All Dolphins mailbags. You also can ask questions via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.