Friday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua and Bad Weather, Hunter Long, Pro Bowl, and More

Who could be unlikely heroes against Buffalo? Will tight ends become more involved? What's the Bills weakness? Those and other questions from Miami Dolphins fans

Part 1 of the pre-Bills game SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From rob hellebrand (@dolfanrob1):

In hindsight, would you rather the Dolphins have moved to the AFC South upon realignment, back whenever that happened? We had our strong rivalries, but moving south probably would have meant more playoff opportunities, and no more being frozen out of the picture in December.

Hey Rob, since (as you might know) I’m a big music guy, let me reference Don Henley here and answer with: “In a New York Minute.” Realignment was done in 2002 and the Dolphins, per a story in The Athletic, had the option of going to the AFC South with Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee. And it indeed was rivalries that kept convinced then-owner Wayne Huizenga to stay in the AFC East with the Bills, Jets and Patriots. Considering Houston was an expansion team in 2002, that immediately would have meant an easier division to win for the Dolphins and there’s of course the easier travel and not having to worry about having Northeast opponents to play in the cold in December. And then one could argue that the Dolphins didn’t really have a rival in the 2000s the way New England dominated the division.

From Coach Kenny Simpson (@fbcoachsimpson):

Is Miami willing to win an ugly defensive game in the snow - or do we feel the pressure to try to throw it and build our stats?

Hey Coach, you’re joking, right? You don’t really think Mike McDaniel is more concerned about stats than wins, do you? If your question is based on the fact the Dolphins have emphasized the passing game this season — and maybe over-emphasized at times — understand that it’s clearly been their best path to success. It very well might not be the path to success against the Bills, in which case, yes, the Dolphins absolutely would be willing to win an ugly game.

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FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM

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From Tony Figueroa (@tonyfigcis):

Where have you seen greatest improvement through the year? What holes are priorities to fill to take this team to the next level next year?

Hey Tony, that’s a tough question to answer because the season is not over. For example, Tua has taken a major leap in 2022 but he still needs to show he can come up big in a clutch late-season game, so maybe that becomes a priority in the offseason if he continues to falter down the stretch. I think the Dolphins will need a tight end since they’re obviously not willing to use Mike Gesicki very much this season, a top-level offensive lineman is another priority, and on defense the team could use a stud middle linebacker and another cornerback.

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Hey my friend, I really think this game is going to give these Dolphins a great chance to grow and gain a lot of wisdom and experience in terms of the elements. Do you think it will help them if they have to play a meaningful game in the future in cold weather?

Hey Dana, yeah, I don’t think there’s any question the Dolphins would benefit from playing in bad conditions Saturday night if they end up facing a similar scenario on the road in the playoffs. I don’t think the Dolphins are looking at the game in terms of a learning experience, though.

From Lloyd Heilbrunn (@LloydHeilbrunn):

Why is the cold weather narrative limited to Tua? It's just setting up Tua to fail if he doesn't play well in weather most QBs do not play well in. I watched Bills-Jets a bit last weekend in the bad weather, and not a single one of the 3 QBs that played, played well.

Hey Lloyd, you make a valid argument, but it’s a talking point when it comes to Tua because one of the concerns with him coming into the NFL was (and continues to be arm strength) and the ability to throw the ball in rainy or windy conditions. Nobody is expecting any QB to pass for 300 yards and four touchdowns in the wind or snow, but there is a bar and I’m not sure using one game to prove your point does it, especially considering Mike White threw for 268 yards despite taking too massive hits and Josh Allen was hurt by dropped passes. And, again, Tua doesn’t have to put up big numbers against the Bills, but he does have to show the ability to move the offense with the passing game to some degree if the weather conditions turn out to be bad.

From Chris Davis (@KyLouFinFan):

Surely to goodness even with Wilson out, they’re going to run the ball more? And that would be a legit Q/hope in a dome in the South.

Hey Chris, yeah, I would think the Dolphins would love to establish the running game against the Bills and certainly do expect them to give it more of a try than they did against the 49ers or Chargers. But they’re also not going to keep running just for the sake of running if they’re getting stonewalled all the time.

From supergold1973 (@mattewhmandel):

Do you know what uniforms the Dolphins will be wearing? I know it sounds trite, but if there is two feet of snow, the all-whites could be a potential issue.

Hey Matthew, the Dolphins indeed will be wearing all-white uniforms and the Bills will be wearing their all-red color rush unis.

From Go Fins Go! (ncirish1984):

If we win this game, do we win the division? (Requires winning out and Buffalo losing to Cincy)

Hey there, if the Dolphins win against the Bills, they will clinch any head-to-head tiebreaker with them because of their sweep. So they would have to make up the one-game difference in the final three weeks. Let’s not also forget that the Jets or Patriots technically also can still win the division.

From JH (@DrJHow12):

Why was Michael Egnew vilified as our TE years ago but no discussion on the lack of progress from Hunter Long? (Both former 3rd round pick TEs). As someone drafted as a complete TE, you would think he’d have some more use in the offense.

Hey there, yeah, you make a good point because the Dolphins have not made very extensive use of the tight ends this season, though because he’s dealt with injuries his first two years it still might be a tad early to put Long in the Egnew category. But, for sure, it would be nice to see some sort of contribution sooner rather than later.

From Chris Roney (@ChrisRoney0):

The Fins don't have a George Kittle on the roster but can we expect to see a game plan featuring more multiple TE looks and targets in the pass game? Gesicki, Smythe are capable and at some point don't coaches have to give Hunter Long a chance to prove himself in game action?

Hey Chris, yes on all counts. One of the issues in the Chargers game was that Tua kept trying to force throws downfield when there didn’t seem to be anything there. And if the weather conditions are as bad as anticipated Saturday night, it would behoove the Dolphins to be content with shorter throws, and that’s where Gesicki and Smythe would come in. I hear you with Long, but I’m not anticipating that all of a sudden he’ll become a factor when he’s played a total of 60 snaps on offense this season and hasn’t even been targeted once.

From Josh “Green” Lazer (@Green_Lazer):

Any truth to the conspiracy theories that Byron Jones is such a Flores guy that he is trying to force his way to being released so he can sign with the Steelers? Which is why the Dolphins haven’t seen him and won’t for the rest of the year?

Hey Josh, can’t say I had ever heard that one before and the reason it can be dismissed is that dumping Jones would have come with a major cap hit for the Dolphins and they would have zero reason to do it. Besides, it’s not like the Steelers are going anywhere this season anyway.

From DaveyJ13 (@J3Davey):

Alain, someday when you are retired… will you be a Dolphins fan then? Or follow the team you loved as a child? Always curious how journalists/columnists watch the game post-professional life.

Hey Davey, that’s a very good question. While I’m not sure how I’ll react watching games once I’m done writing about them, I’d be inclined to think I’d still watch them analytically and maybe even think about what I would wrote or say about particular plays.

From Elliot Zovighian (@ElliotZovighian):

What are the keys for the Dolphins to win against Buffalo?

Hey Elliot, unlike many outlets, I never write about “keys to the game,” because they never vary from week to week. To win in the NFL, it’s always about winning the turnover battle, scoring in the red zone, stopping the run, etc. Since you asked, what I would say that in this particular game, the top priority for the Dolphins as I see it is winning the turnover battle because I think that’s their ticket to pulling off the upset at Buffalo.

From Flipper13 @Flipper13):

If the Fins pull off the upset, who are the unlikely heroes?

Hey Flip, let me give you on offense and one on defense. On offense, I’m going to go with Mike Gesicki and I include him as an unlikely hero because he’s been a forgotten man all season. On defense, it has to be Kader Kohou, and I explained why in a story I wrote Thursday.

From Jorge boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain, not asking for a prediction but do you think the Dolphins have a chance to beat the Bills? I know they haven’t beat the Bills in Buffalo since Josh Allen got there and they don’t seem to play well in cold weather but I had to ask. Do you believe the Bills have a weakness?

Hey Jorge, I can give you my prediction because I already included it in my full game preview (Bills, 22-16), but I do think the Dolphins have a chance. And, yes, the Bills have a weakness, and it’s their offensive line, which I don’t think is anything special.

From Mark Mcmain (@mmac74):

For the Pro Bowl, who do you think gets in from the Fins. I think Tua, Hill, Waddle and maybe Hunt. Think Wilkins is deserving.

Hey Mark, here's what I have at the moment and this is before alternates get selected (as they always do). I think Tyreek Hill is a lock. I think Tua is 50-50 because he's got the fan votes and the stats, but the AFC also has Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, and Tua's performance against the Chargers on the final Sunday night before the player vote probably didn't help. I think Waddle also is 50-50, and Robert Hunt is less than that because he doesn't have the league-wide rep yet (that's huge for Pro Bowl O-line selections) and the Dolphins line as a whole still has a bad reputation. Lastly, I'd also make Wilkins 50-50 only because of the depth at the position (DT) in the AFC with Chris Jones, Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams and Cameron Heyward, but he absolutely helped his cause with his massive performance against the Chargers.

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