Friday Dolphins Mailbag: the Bills Game, Gesicki, Kohou, O-Line, and More

Where do the Miami Dolphins have a clear advantage over Buffalo? What's the best way to contain Josh Allen? How should the offense attack the Bills defense?

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

From Richard grosso (@rjgro):

So if KK replaced 40 at boundary on Sunday, why didn't Needham move back to slot? Has Crossen surpassed him for that job?

Hey Richard, good question. I’m getting the feeling (it’s just that) that guys in the secondary will be interchangeable until Byron Jones returns to the lineup. I think we just as easily could see Needham back starting outside against the Bills as we could see Kohou or Crossen or any combination when you add in the slot position. DC Josh Boyer said this week inserting Kohou for Needham in the second half was a matter of matchups.

From Miami Dolphins Québec (@Dolphins_Quebec):

Can the Dolphins linebacker unit match the toughness of the Bills O-Line? My point is if Miami must blitz a lot to stop the run, Josh Allen's job will be easier. So, is it possible to stop Buffalo's running game with a conservative play call ?

Bonjour, yes, I do think the Dolphins defense can stop the Buffalo run without having to sell out to do it. If you take away Lamar Jackson’s 79-yard run, the run defense actually was pretty good against the Ravens, particularly in short-yardage situations. Elandon Roberts has been very impressive in that department, as have most of the defensive linemen. The biggest factor in the Buffalo run game is Josh Allen and he’s just very good at making plays off schedule.

From Steve , (@jujusimba7777):

This game is a real test, imo the best team in the league at the moment. We can’t give up those big plays like vs. the Ravens. Bills defense is far, far better! Can we pressure Allen with just four guys? We may need to! The pass rush and Baker and Roberts’ play have been a bit concerning for me.

Hey Steve, I’m not going to flat-out say yes or no to that question, but I’ll say there’s reason to doubt that can happen because the Dolphins pass rush just hasn’t been very effective so far. The Dolphins have only two sacks — one came on Brandon Jones’ safety blitz and the other was a bust by the Patriots O-line that allowed Emmanuel Ogbah to get to Mac Jones without interference. And beyond sacks, there hasn’t been enough pressure on the QB. So, yes, this is a concern. As for Baker and Roberts, we haven’t noticed Baker very much, that’s true, but I think Roberts has been pretty good so far.

From Reza Hariri (@Therealrezpect1):

I still think best way to play Buffalo is man-to-man with a spy on the QB. Do you see Boyer using Riley or Tindall in that role? Also feel Darth Kader is better matchup than Needham as he struggles vs. Buffalo.

Hey Reza, I understand everybody wanting to see Channing Tindall on defense, but I’m going to stay with my position that it might be a while before that happens and I certainly wouldn’t have him spy on Josh Allen as his first assignment. Duke Riley makes more sense, but understand how difficult of a job this is no matter who’s assigned to it. As for Kader, I’ll just say that playing man-to-man against Buffalo is one thing is you have a healthy X and a healthy Byron Jones, but quite another thing when Jones isn’t in the lineup and X isn’t at 100 percent.

From Craig M (@Dolfan2334):

Alain, can you tell me an area or areas where Miami has a clear-cut advantage over Buffalo, other than perhaps the weather and home field? Thank you for your work!

Hey Craig, thanks for kind words. The one area that jumps out is cornerback if Xavien Howard is in the lineup because Buffalo is without Tre’Davious White and will be starting two rookies Sunday. That would be the one position where I think the Dolphins have a “clear-cut” advantage and also would throw in punter. I also believe they might be better at running back, they’re even at wide receiver (both teams are stacked) and they’re at least even at safety when you factor Micah Hyde being out because of his neck injury.

From jorge boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain. Will the Dolphins be able to run enough to open up the pass; what do you think the Bills are going to do on defense to try and stop the Dolphins? I have heard they only rush the front four, and how can the Dolphins counter what the Bills might do on defense?

Hey Jorge, I can’t predict how well the running game will fare, but I’d say there’s reason to be optimistic. Yes, Buffalo usually rushes only four and that’s because they can get away with it and the key for the Dolphins offense will be how well the offensive line performs in giving Tua Tagovailoa time to throw and opening some holes for the running game.

From Jonathan Cohn (@CitizenCohn):

Is there a long-term role for Gesicki where he gets fewer receptions/snaps than in the past but has a key situational role, especially in the red zone?

Hey Jonathan, only Mike McDaniel and his staff know the answer for sure, but McDaniel clearly is a smart guy and it clearly looks like the ideal plan, so I’d say that I absolutely would think they have carved out a specific role for Gesicki. If you look against Baltimore, two of his four catches came in the red zone and another converted a third-down situation. That’s where he really can help.

From Dan Giunta (@Dan_B_Phin_Phan):

Alain, not sure if this will be covered in your next story, but do you believe Miami’s game plan will be predicated on more emphasis on the run game even though Buffalo is pretty stout against the run?

Hey Dan, no, I don’t generally don’t do stories trying to predict the game plan because I’m not that smart (LOL) and because the game plan can change on a dime based on game circumstances. But since you asked, I’ll go ahead and answer and say that I would expect a heavy dose of quick passing to neutralize the Buffalo pass rush. Of course, if the Dolphins start running the ball and having a lot of success doing it, then they’ll stick with that.

From mikethewreck (@mgcroteau):

Given Buffalo's fierce pass rush, what are some options to help the Dolphins convert passing plays Sunday? Has Kohou looked better than Needham on speed receivers? Do you think Buffalo will crowd the LOS and try to pressure Tua while shutting down the run?

Hey Mike, rapid-fire answers for multiple questions: Quick passing is the way to combat the Buffalo pass rush. The key then would be getting YAC. Kohou has looked overall better than Needham in coverage, though Needham had some plays where he gave up completions despite having good coverage. But I don’t think we should make it seem like Kohou has this big edge over Needham. It’s not really Buffalo’s style to crowd the line of scrimmage, so I don’t expect the Bills to start doing that now.

From NY - Fins Up (@azomback34):

I feel the D could be getting more pressure/QB hits & sacks. Do you think this is directly related to missing Byron Jones in man blanket coverage opposite X, and also AVG being limited in snaps so far? The Bills game would be a great way to turn that around.

Hey there, I’m not quite sure why the pass rush hasn’t produced more so far in terms of sacks/QB hits/pressure, but I’m not sure Jones’ absence explains everything. I don’t think the Dolphins have blitzed quite as much as they did in 2021, but even when they have it just hasn’t seemed as effective as last year.

From Brian Dougherty (@BrianBoru619):

Is this the game Jaelan Phillips makes a big impact?

Hey Brian, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? Yeah, Phillips is off to a very quiet start so far in 2022, but remember it was the same way last year before he caught fire in the second half of the season. I think he’ll get it going at some point, though I wouldn’t necessarily hold my breath it happens Sunday (though that would be great).

From Orlando Aloisi (@OrlandoAloisi):

Can the Dolphins defense repeat the first half of game 2 from last year. This year they can put some points up.

Hey Orlando, that’s the big question, right? No, I don’t think they’ll shut down the Buffalo offense as much as they did in the first half of the second game last year because I’m not sure the Dolphins defense is at the same level it was last year but more importantly because the Bills offense is much better. But, as you said, if the defense does shut down the Bills in the first half, the Dolphins actually should be able to take advantage of it this time.

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From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Last week you were asked to be DC; guess what, you’ve been promoted to OC/HC. Would you start the game w/runs & screens to slow up their pass rush or sling the rock to take advantage of their banged-up secondary?

Hey Dana, thanks! What’s my pay raise? I’ll choose A among your two options. I think that’s the best way to go, in part because of the Bills pass rush but also because they Bills just don’t let very much get behind them.

From Chris Roney (@ChrisRoney0):

The Bills have owned the LOS vs Miami OL in most of these lopsided losses. Miami's OL clearly far better than last couple years. What % is coaching vs player upgrades in Armstead, Williams and maybe even Greg Little being responsible for this improvement?

Hey Chris, it’s a good question, one which is impossible to nail down. But if I were to offer my best guess, I’d put it at 70-30 being better personnel because ultimately it’s about the players.