Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua Topics, Penalty Problems, Left Guard Outlook, and More

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How effective will Tua be in his return? Should the ball should be spread around more on offense? Who’s next in line at left guard? Those are other questions from Miami Dolphins fans

Part 2 of the pre-Steelers game SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag, which now includes questions submitted via email (fnalldolphins@yahoo.com):

From Reza Hariri (@Therealrezpect1):

Do you think Miami needs to spread the ball more using Gesicki, Wilson & Sherfield in order to make offense more effective? On D we are doing less Amoeba look; have you noticed that?

Hey Reza, I hear what you’re saying about spreading the ball more on offense, but the reality is that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are the clear game-breakers on offense and it makes sense to heavily feature them. The biggest issues on offense to me are penalties, pass protection (especially when Terron Armstead is out) and avoiding the key turnovers. It would be great to get everybody involved, but in the Dolphins’ most explosive game of the year it was mostly Hill and Waddle doing the damage. As for the defense, I absolutely have noticed the same thing in terms of the amoeba looks where the defense throws a whole bunch of players at the line of scrimmage before the snap and then changes the player assignments down by down. That’s pretty clearly a function of not having the same kind of cornerback play as the past two years, first because Byron Jones has been out all season and there now have been other injuries at the position.

From Jorge boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain, will Tua play well or do you feel the concussion will make him hurry up his throws and be a little off? I worry about the defense with so many injuries, don’t you?

Hey Jorge, I actually don’t see Tua wanting to or needing to hurry his throws because of the recent concussion; what he needs to do is recognize when a play has no chance for success, accept it, and then throw the ball away. The injury he suffered at Cincinnati was a perfect example. He had tons of time but kept looking to make a play instead of just eventually throwing the ball out of bounds after getting out of the tackle box. If Armstead can play, I’m not worried about how well Tua will play because his accuracy won’t go away, the play designs are the same, and Hill and Waddle are still as fast as ever. As for the defense, yes, I absolutely am worried about the avalanche of injuries, particularly at cornerback.

From Aidan White (@amw22c):

What players on the Steelers defense should the Dolphins focus on attacking, and also avoiding?

Hey Aidan, well, the Steelers are ranked 29th in the NFL in total defense and 30th in pass defense, so that’s probably where we should look first. Cameron Sutton is a quality cornerback, but fellow starter Ahkello Witherspoon and nickel corner Arthur Maulet don’t have very good advanced stats so far this season. Those would seem players to attack. The ones to watch for are Cameron Heyward along the defensive line and former Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the back end. He’s back after missing the Steelers’ 20-18 win against Tampa Bay because of a knee injury.

From Chris Brooks (@seabrooxx):

You think Tua will launch an “errant” pass at Flores’ face?

Hey Chris, if this were a Hollywood movie, you know it would happen because it’s such a cliché. LOL. My bigger question is whether the two will cross paths at any point on Sunday night, at which time I would expect both of them to be courteous.

From yolli71 (@yolli71):

Who would play LG for Miami if Eichenberg is eventually benched? Why does Danny Crossman still have a job with Miami? Our STs has to be one of the worst in the NFL, both in coverage and returns. Why does the offense seem to have at least one ineligible receiver downfield penalty in every game? Why does Miami’s D seem to always fall for the play action fake and short throw to a TE or WR for a TD at the 1-yard line? Then you see the DBs or LBs looking at each other.

Hey there, rapid-fire answers for multiple questions: My best guess is Robert Jones would be first in line to start at left guard if the Dolphins decide to make the move away from Eichenberg. There’s no question the special teams have struggled, but in-season coaching changes are tricky. I would suspect his job might be in jeopardy if things don’t get straightened out before the end of the season. The ineligible penalty issue has just popped up the past couple of games, and I don’t understand why it’s happening and it absolutely needs to stop. That’s just sloppy football and lack of concentration. Lastly, the play-action fake at the goal line is just real tough, especially on first or second down when the tendencies are to run the ball if you have a good running game. I honestly don’t get overly worked up about those.

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From mikethewreck (@mgcroteau):

What’s it going to take for us to start generating QB pressure with our D-line? Is this week good for some blitzing with Trubisky or Pickett back there?

Hey Mike, well, first off, it’s going to be Kenny Pickett back there, and being that he’s a rookie who hasn’t seen many things in the NFL, I’d say he’s the perfect candidate to blitz and force to make quick decisions. As for your other question, be honest with yourself and try to think of how many times the past two years the Dolphins generated pressure up front strictly through players winning their individual battle. Emmanuel Ogbah did it several times, but it was pretty sporadic with other players, and Ogbah hasn’t had quite the same success ratio this season.

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Hey my friend, the Dolphins have had many players taking longer than expected to return from their respective injuries lately. Fuller last year, Jones and Jackson this year. The list goes on! What gives? Should the Dolphins be evaluating their medical staff?

Hey Dana, it’s a fair question on the surface, but not one I’m equipped or qualified to answer because it’s not like I’ve examined the players (I’m not a doctor, I just play one on TV). Also understand there sometimes are other factors at play. With Austin Jackson, for example, he was listed with an ankle injury, but if we’re dealing with a high ankle sprain, that’s typically an injury with a 4-6 week recovery period.

From Wade Tripp (@WadeTripp1):

Everyone has a favorite Dolphins uniform; which one is yours?

Hey Wade, that is a great question. Let me start by saying I’m not exactly a fashion guru (just ask my wife). I’ll also say that while I like the throwback unis, I don’t think I’d like them on a permanent basis. I like the idea of rolling them out once or twice a year on special occasions. Oh, and definitely not the Orange Crush uni they wore for that 2016 night game at Cincinnati. Having said all that, I’ve gone back and looked at photo galleries of the team’s different uniforms, and I think the one I do like the most is the one the Dolphins wore from 1997-2011.

From Cliffy Mac (@mclifford36):

What is going on with all the penalties?

Hey Cliffy, that’s a very good question and a factor that shouldn’t be overlooked in the last two losses when the Dolphins were penalized a total of 21 times. As for why it’s happening, it’s always a combination of factors, including poor technique, lack of concentration, getting beat on a play, overaggressiveness. Whatever the reason, that issue needs to be resolved — and soon.

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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.