Tuesday Dolphins Mailbag: Sanders, Williams, Belichick Blueprint, and More

Part 1 of a massive post-Patriots game Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Trevor Lampman (via email):

Waddle is my favorite Dolphin and I hope he is healthy after the cheapshot at Foxborough. However, he drops way too many balls to be elite. The playoff game in Buffalo, the crossing route against the Pats (which would have been a HUGE pick-up with plenty of room to run), and many other cases of dropped balls over the last couple of seasons have revealed to me that Waddle is a "body catcher.” He rarely meets the ball with his hands, so I am led to ask this question: As you watch practice and training camp, do the wideouts and their coaches emphasize catching with their body or their hands? It would seem Wes Welker and Mike McDaniel would emphasize the importance of this fundamental technique. Am I the only one who stresses that my favorite Miami Dolphin will never be what he can be because of his propensity to cradle balls with his body instead of his hands? Frankly, it cost us a couple of games last year (Waddle dropped passes) and I don't want that to happen again. It seems he is such a hard worker and dedicated to his craft, that he'd have stopped catching with his body by now. At the very least, we would have seen a dramatic improvement in his reliance on catching with his hands instead of the other way around.

Hey Trevor, can’t argue with anything you wrote there, but yes receivers absolutely practice catching everything with their hands during training camp and in drills before regular season practices. Having said all that, old habits tend to kick back in once live action arrives. Finally, Waddle’s speed makes him a tremendous asset for the offense, even if his hands aren’t necessarily all that great.

From Bill (via email):

Omar talked about the Giants Friday press talks, but does McDaniel or Grier basically have the local press sign non-disclosure agreements (not literally), but do they throw nuggets and then swear you to secrecy? I think the Friday presser that the Giants did was a great idea, because I am sure it cut down on the unintelligent questions? Thanks for the shows. I have followed Omar almost from the beginning of your tenure (but unfortunately just now following Alain).

Hey Bill, what took you so long to get on board with following me? JK. McDaniel and Grier do not make it a habit of telling us things that are not to be used, although it’s been done around Dolphins camp before with Adam Gase when we’d have off-the-record sessions where he would share things for our educational purposes — and that was very enlightening.

THE BLOCKED FIELD GOAL AND JASON SANDERS

From Gino G (via email):

What do u think of Belichick’s new gadget special team play with a player rushing the kicker? Will other teams follow this trend? Also, how will Mike McDaniel handle Miami's kicker Sanders after another disappointing miss?

Hey Gino, I think it’s pretty damn impressive, though it does require discipline from that edge rusher in not jumping offside and timing it just right. You would think other teams would follow, but again it’s not as easy as it might have seemed. As for Sanders, nothing is going to happen as the result of the miss.

From Leon Fresco (@FrescoLeon):

Do you think the Dolphins should use Tyreek Hill or Devon Achane to block field goals like the Patriots guy did?

Hey Leon, absolutely not. What worked for the Patriots on that play was the element of surprise; you think an opponent wouldn’t smell a rat if Hill suddenly showed up on the field goal block unit.

From Randy Millard (@dolphin013):

Alain, do you think Belichick saved that block FG play for the Phins out of spite? The Eagles kicked four field goals on them the week before and didn't try it on them.

Hey Randy, it doesn’t work like that. The better idea here is that Belichick saved it for the team that employed his former punter (Jake Bailey) as the holder where he obviously knew the giveaway, per Pat McAfee, for when Bailey would call for the snap.

From Jeff Horst (@JeffHorst4):

How did the Dolphins Special Teams Staff and Christian Wilkins not prepare for the same Patriots block attempt on the last missed FG, especially after the attempt before the block occurred from the same play? If you watch the tape, Christian wasn't ready for it, whiffing.

Hey Jeff, watch the replay of that last field goal attempt and you’ll see the New England player not even close to Sanders. He wasn’t even a factor there.

From Dave (@angryvet59):

After the missed 55yrd FG, Sanders looked completely rattled/deflated. Kicker with a confidence problem could be a game loser. I know he has guaranteed money but is it time to swallow it & find another? Gould? Someone?

From Olive Grove Jon (@Owlizee):

Hi Alain. Can you explain to me why Jason Sanders is still on the team? He’s been very unreliable and it’s not like it’s just happened all of a sudden. Surely the Dolphins must be thinking of a change?

Hey Dave and OGJ, your points have validity, but I think the Dolphins want to give Sanders every chance to rediscover his 2020 form before they cut the cord and swallow some his guaranteed salary.

CONNOR WILLIAMS AND HIS SNAPS

From Jim Ryan (@jdryan5000):

If the bad snaps/missed kicks continue, how long will it be until the team makes an adjustment?

Hey Jim, because Williams is a very good run blocker and a solid overall center and because Sanders has about $2.5 million guaranteed with his salary, I’d say nothing is going to happen in either area anytime soon.

From Brian Z (via email):

I am getting concerned about the center position. I started the season most concerned about left guard and right tackle, but the center position might be the most concerning for me now. Many depth charts I have read list Connor Williams as the only player at center. Also, his bad snaps have become a common occurrence this year. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't recall him having bad snaps last year. I am wondering how/why that even happens? He was a guard, who switched to center and did well one year, then has bad snaps the next. Could it be he is like a baseball pitcher that is in a little funk, and has to work his way through it? The available free agents are not signed for a reason, but perhaps our own lack of depth is what scares me the most. What are your thoughts on this?

Hey Brian, Williams actually massive snapping issues last training camp but they did strengthen out in the regular season. It’s been problematic lately, but some of the bad exchanges haven’t all been on him. Bottom line, it’s too early to do anything drastic, especially the way the offensive line has performed so far.

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

I’m sorry. I’ve been watching football for 40 years I’ve never seen anyone as bad as Conner snapping the ball. This is not hyperbole. It’s only a matter of time before we lose a game because of it. What more has to happen before you would consider moving him out to guard?

Hey Dana, why would want to mess with what’s working so far on the offensive line?

From Rick Lupisella (via email):

Alain, when the Dolphins drafted AVG, I watched his college tape at Wisconsin and got excited. He's always AROUND the ball, but like JT, he's always going FOR the ball. I was intrigued. He then showed this in his rookie year in the NFL; exact same as his college tape. It's who he is. Here's my question: What exactly are his weaknesses that caused Flores and Boyer to restrict his use as a depth player or a part-time player? What did Fangio see differently because it was apparent early in camp that he really liked AVG.

Hey Rick, good points, especially talking to somebody who’s always been an AVG fan. I think part of the issue is the Dolphins preferred the guys they had ahead of him on the depth chart and there’s also the special teams factor that comes into play where maybe the coaches didn’t want to overburden him.

From Jeff Golden (@Goldenjeff72):

Define impact play? Is a sack an impact play? But then if it happens on first down and the offense gets a first down 2 plays later? How about a TD? But then team loses 21-17?

Hey Jeff, I’m assuming you’re referring to my comment on a recent All Dolphins Podcast where I said a key to stopping a two-minute drive is producing one major negative play for the offense (impact play, if you will). Well, obviously, if you get a sack on first down and the offense scores a touchdown on second down, it doesn’t make a difference. My point was that statistically (and maybe I’m wrong), you’d find a team getting a sack or an offense getting a penalty more often than not would result in the defense getting the stand it needs.

THE BELICHICK BLUEPRINT

From Jonathan Cohn (@CitizenCohn):

Patriots did a nice job of preventing explosive plays. It wasn’t enough to win, obviously, but I think Belichick’s approach worked well enough to make the game competitive. Do you think other defenses can pull it off? How, if at all, would you expect McDaniel to adapt?

From Max Lopez No DM please. (@themaxlopez):

Will this be the "blueprint" (Belicheck defensive game plan) for other teams as certain Patriot fans have suggested?

Hey Jonathan and Max, it all comes down to execution, right? It’s one thing to have the right blueprint and quite another to pull it off. But, yes, I do think opponents will be willing to give up big rushing performances if it helps prevent Hill and Waddle from destroying them over the top. Because there always will be different looks thrown in, it’s up to the offense (Tua, really) to recognize when he does have a chance to take a shot and jump on it and then the key is to not get impatient offensively or force things, and keep running or throwing short.

From Dave (@CapsternDave):

Do u really feel three safeties in the parking lot is a blueprint? Doesn’t feel like it as we beat it not deep but beat it and Pats have an inordinate number of good DBs.

Hey Dave, the Dolphins did have some success offensively but it’s also not like they lit up the Patriots. After all, Miami finished with 24 points (good but not great) and was only 4-for-10 on third downs. But, yes, there was some sloppiness at times, and that’s what opponents have to count on because if the offense is operating with precision and without mistakes, then good luck trying to stop it.

From Pat McCollum (@PatMcCollum):

Liking the play of River Cracraft. Limited snaps and opportunities, but when he gets them, the kid just makes plays. He’s WR4 in my opinion. How do the Dolphins get him more involved? And should they?

Hey Pat, good points all. He’s absolutely WR4 and they’re getting him involved right now about as much as they can given that they have to feed Hill and Waddle, and Berrios is a very good No. 3 and Smythe is emerging as a dependable ball catcher and there are only so many targets to go around.

From steve , (@jujusimba7777):

Can Fangio find a role for Ogbah more than he is being used at the moment? How long does Eli Apple last as starting corner? Hopefully not until Ramsey comes back!

Hey Steve, wouldn’t hold my breath on Ogbah getting a different or bigger role. He’s just not a great fit anywhere, it seems, for Fangio’s defense. As for Apple, I think many are overreacting to his penalties against the Pats. He’s still a solid cornerback and he’ll be in the lineup until Fangio develops full trust in Cam Smith.

From Jack Dixon (@jccdixon33):

Is Fangio’s Defense coming into focus for you or is it “by team”?

Hey Jack, based on what we know of Vic Fangio, this is pretty much what the defense is going to look like — a lot of bend but don’t break, some different looks, keep everything in front of you and the occasional blitz.

From Shaun Braley (@shaunbraley):

What do you make of the increase in blitzes this past game compared to the first? (Especially with Fangio’s previous comment about blitzing).

Hey Shaun, maybe that was just a smokescreen by Fangio, no? Yeah, he threw a nice curveball there at the start by coming after Mac Jones a little bit. Don’t expect that to be the M.O. necessarily, though.

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