Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Breaking Down the Baltimore Game, and More

Part 2 of the pre-Ravens game SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Chris Roney (@ChrisRoney0):

NE appeared to take away the run game week 1 as it's the catalyst for this offense. Should we expect this from Baltimore and will we see more TEs and maybe Ezukanma used to pass to set up the run, or will it be the T. Hill show in targets/focus?

Hey Chris, until proven otherwise, I think it would be safe to assume that Tyreek Hill is going to be the biggest focus on offense and maybe the biggest reason is he’s so frequently open because of his speed. In an ideal world, Mike McDaniel would love to pound an opponent into submission with the running game, but that’s a lot easier said than done, particularly against a team that can stop the run like Baltimore. And not that the circumstances are exactly the same, but remember that the Dolphins averaged 2.7 yards per rushing attempt when they faced the Ravens last season.

From Sean Williams (@SeanWil19859888):

When the schedule came out I said if we made it out of the first 4 games 2-2 or better, that would be a win. Do you agree? Also considering Denver and Raiders struggles, do you see a path to possible 5th seed? I know it’s a way-too-early question.

Hey Sean, second part first … yes it’s way too early and I wouldn’t put too much stock into Week 1 because things will change so much between then and the end of the regular season. On the first part, I agree, 2-2 would be a win through those first four games, but what about we get greedy and look for 3-1 instead?

From Cliffy Mac (@mclifford36):

Do you see the tight ends getting more targets in this game?

Hey Cliffy, that’s a pretty low bar to top considering the tight ends combined for three targets against New England (two for Durham Smythe, one for Mike Gesicki), so absolutely they should be more involved in the passing game. How much more will depend on how much attention the Ravens are giving to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

From Mr Negative (@Macdaddy35Mac):

How concerned as fans should we be about the comments made by Tua about seeing over the lines?

From sweetpou812 (pfsOu812):

Should we be concerned with Tua’s comments about his throwing lanes and his height?

Howdy, grouping those two questions together, let’s be honest, did Tua say anything that we didn’t already know? Do you think Kyler Murray can see over the line if he’s the pocket? What was unique was Tua actually saying it because it’s not something QBs say. But, for example, it’s not like he grew to 6-6 when he threw that 42-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle last week. It’s an absolute non-story as far as I’m concerned.

From FinzZombie (@FinzZombie):

Does Teddy play in the 2nd half?

I’ll answer this way, the only way Teddy plays in the second half is if Tua gets injured and I’m certainly not about to predict injuries, though I understand the concern with the injury issues on the offensive line.

From Baldylocks (@Baldylocks13):

O-line patched together good enough or nah?

Hey there, I think the O-line absolutely can get the job done if the only change in the lineup is Greg Little going in for Austin Jackson. If Terron Armstead ends up not being able to play or is limited in what he can do or has to be pulled after starting, then that’s a whole other issue and then we’re talking about legitimate concerns.

From The Notorious Dan (@dmul19):

Good morning, Sir! Based on Stephen Ross' history, what are the odds he'll send Chris Grier to the Ravens dressing room at halftime to begin contract negotiations with Lamar Jackson?

I had to include your question because it’s actually very funny. But I do seriously think you might hear a lot of Lamar-Dolphins chatter in the latter parts of the season if Tua doesn’t progress as hoped.

From Kevin Diaz (@pantherlawyer):

Sunday score predictions/MVP of the game.

Hey Kevin, I included my final prediction in my comprehensive (and I do mean comprehensive) game preview and I had the Dolphins losing 20-17. I will say it’s an absolutely winnable game for the Dolphins and if they indeed do win, it stamps them as being completely legit as a playoff team. As for an MVP, since I don’t expect it to be a high-scoring game, I’d look for somebody on defense and there I’d go with Calais Campbell for Baltimore or Jevon Holland for the Dolphins.

NEW: Setting the stage for the #MiamiDolphins Week 2 matchup against Baltimore with a complete preview that includes all the game info, series history, weather forecast, why the Dolphins will win, why they'll lose and what actually is going to happen.https://t.co/vm7biJG34v
— Alain Poupart (@PoupartNFL) September 17, 2022

From Gilbert Martinez (@Gilbert00669204):

Alain, do you think Tua can take the Dolphins to the Super Bowl?

Hey Gilbert, no matter how I answer this, it’s going to get a lot of folks up in arms, but here it is anyway: The way your question is phrased, no, I don’t think at this moment that Tua can “take” the Dolphins to the Super Bowl. Again, let’s go by the phrasing. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers are guys who can “take” their team to the Super Bowl — and, yes, I know everyone needs help around them, but those guys clearly are difference-makers. If the question is phrased like, can the Dolphins win a Super Bowl with Tua at quarterback, then the answer is yes and for that you can look at recent history where teams have won without an elite quarterback, such as the Eagles with Nick Foles in the 2017 season, the Broncos and a greatly diminished Peyton Manning in 2015 and the Ravens and Joe Flacco in 2012. It’s just that the margin for error decreases greatly without that elite QB. Tua undoubtedly will be better in 2022 because his supporting cast is much improved, but the question that still needs to be answered concerns his ceiling and whether he can become that difference-making QB.