Friday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, Jackson, Pro Bowl, and More

Tackling various Miami Dolphins topics ahead of the Week 16 game against the Dallas Cowboys

Part 1 of the pre-Cowboys game All Dolphins mailbag:

From Dave (@angryvet59):

To me looks like a low-scoring game with two strong defenses making yardage count. Do you see some more than usual run emphasis & more short throws?

Hey Dave, I’m not sure I’m there with you in terms of expecting a low-scoring game because there’s an awful lot of firepower on both sides and the Dolphins pass rush isn’t likely to overwhelm the Dallas offensive line the way it did against the Jets, which basically shut down everything New York was trying to do. And, yes, I do expect a lot of short passes because it’s a great way to alleviate pressure (literally and figuratively) on the banged-up Dolphins O-line.

From Mark Lever (@MarkFinsfan):

How many Pro Bowlers do you think the Miami Dolphins will have this year? Will you guys be attending the game in Orlando? Thank you for all your hard work and dedication.

Hey Mark, thanks. First off, not sure whether Omar and/or I will be Orlando for the game. Maybe we’ll be neck-deep into Super Bowl preps, right? As for the Pro Bowl question, Dolphins players who are slam dunks or have a very good chance would include, in no particular order, Tua, Tyreek, Terron Armstead, Raheem Mostert, Christian Wilkins, Alec Ingold, Bradley Chubb, Jalen Ramsey, Braxton Berrios, Blake Ferguson, with others with a shot including Jaylen Waddle, Duke Riley and Zach Sieler. What’s important to remember is that while the Dolphins are dominating the AFC fan voting, that’s only one-third of the selection process. Also remember that reputation (particularly at positions without obvious stats, like the O-line) can play a big role, hence why I list Armstead even though he’s missed a lot of time with injuries.

From Name cannot be blank.. (@eastrnbowhunter):

Being a huge game, and you having so much knowledge of Fins history, can you think of another regular season game with this much riding on it that the Fins won?

Hmm, immediately off the top of my head the 2008 season finale at the Jets jumps out because the game was for the AFC East title and could complete the biggest turnaround in NFL history, and the Dolphins came through with a 24-17 victory.

From David Triana (@davidtriana_):

With the assumption that the Cowboys defense will play a much better game on Sunday, if the Dolphins’ offensive line holds their own, how much confidence should that give us going into the final two games? Love the show and here’s to depth optimism! Thanks, Alain.

Hey David, yes, the offensive line holding up against one of the best pass rushes in the NFL would be huge in terms of providing confidence for down the stretch. Zero question about that. And, absolutely, here's to depth optimism.

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Tua has many elite traits, accuracy, anticipation, quick release, to name a few. Throwing to the sideline is not one of them. Yes, I’ve seen him make completions to the outside before but consistency doing it is not his strength. The one time this is really needed is in the two-minute offense. This can be mitigated by having a full complement of timeouts. How much emphasis should the Dolphins put on keeping their timeouts for the final two minutes? Or am I just crazy and the Dolphins should treat their timeouts like any other team?

Hey Dana, every single, solitary team in the NFL should treat timeouts like they’re gold because they often can make the difference between pulling off a last-second win and running out of time. That’s regardless of quarterback. I would go as far as suggesting that sometimes in the second half, depending on the circumstances, it would be better to take a delay-of-game penalty and move back 5 yards than waste a timeout. Those are precious.

From Bryan Watson (@bryanwatson131):

Would the narrative change about beating teams with a winning record if the Dolphins win Sunday?

Hey Bryan, first off, it’s not a “narrative,” it’s a fact. Now, suggesting the Dolphins CAN’T beat a team with a winning record, that would be a narrative, but I don’t think I’ve ever anybody say that. But, yes, with a win at Dallas, all that talk disappears … outside of being able to defeat a quality opponent on the road.

From Jeff (via email)

Hello Alain, for the sake of conversation, let's imagine that the Pro Bowl roster would entail the top 5 players from each team that represent the sport and being a professional athlete. What would your top 5 be for the Dolphins this year?

Happy holidays/Merry Christmas!

Hey Jeff, so basically we’re talking about great players who are great ambassadors for the game. The second part gets into a tricky area for me. Sticking strictly to top players, for the Dolphins this season to me that would be Tyreek Hill, Christian Wilkins, Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Ramsey and Raheem Mostert. Happy Holidays!

From Basti (via email):

Hey Alain, I was wondering: People say the LT is the most important player on the O-Line - basically because he protects the QB's blind side. That, of course, is not true when you have the very rare left-handed QB under center. In the Dolphins' case: Is the RT more important than the LT, thus making the extension for Austin Jackson (and with it a kind of security on the position for years to come) far more important? And a second question if I may: What about the work load for Berrios and Cracraft at the moment? At the beginning of the season they had a lot of snaps regarding their position on the depth chart and also made some crucial catches. Berrios is still making those catches, but he very seldomly gets the opportunity. What happened? Big thanks in advance and happy holidays to the team and your families!

Hey Basti, yes, on the blind side question. With Tua, the right tackle spot is more important than the left tackle position. Without question. As for Cracraft and Berrios, they’re both quality receivers, but the offense is predicated on speed, and that means getting the ball out to Tyreek, Waddle, Mostert and Achane, so Berrios and Cracraft always will take a back seat. It’s not a reflection of their caliber of player or their performance.

From James Sonny Burnett (@JamesBurnett11):

Do you expect a run heavy game plan Sunday, considering the success Buffalo had?

Hey James, I don’t. I still think what the Dolphins do offensively all runs (no punt intended) through the passing game and let’s understand that all those quick throws almost double as running plays. Buffalo went right at the Dallas defense, and that’s not the Dolphins’ style, which is predicated more on speed.

From Miami mark (@MarkWardlaw97):

What kind of impact will Chris Brooks have in the run game/play calling? Also, if we lose, should we retire aqua jerseys for the rest of the year?

Hey Mark, Brooks wasn’t much of a factor in the running game before he was injured, so I wouldn’t expect that to change now, especially immediately upon his return. As for retiring the aqua jerseys, this game will feature the throwbacks, and there’s a segment of fans who would be very upset at you for suggesting that.

Dolphins Week 16 Opponent Breakdown: Dallas Cowboys