Here’s the latest installment of our Miami Dolphins Q&A, where South Florida Sun Sentinel writers David Furones and Chris Perkins answer questions from readers.
Q: Is this year’s team better than last year’s? Roster is supposedly better but last year they competed with winning teams. This year it’s back to same old Dolphins. Letdowns in big games – Steve Camara on Dolphins Deep Dive
We don’t yet know whether this season’s team is better than last season’s team. This Dolphins team hasn’t beat quality teams, which was a problem last season. This season’s Dolphins are 1-4 against the best teams on its schedule (defeated Dallas, lost to Buffalo, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Baltimore). On top of that, Miami went 3-2 in December and is now 3-6 in December under coach Mike McDaniel.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t bad in December (108 of 156 passing for 1,274 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions and a 104.2 passer rating. The problem is that he wasn’t great, and the Dolphins needed greatness.
Tagovailoa isn’t alone. Wide receivers Tyreek Hill, who has been slowed by an ankle injury sustained against Tennessee, and Jaylen Waddle, who has a high ankle sprain, weren’t at their big-play best in December.
In fact, few players have been at their best recently. That’s been a major late-season problem. And now injuries are getting worse when you consider the loss of edge rusher Bradley Chubb (knee) and consider the likelihood of Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard (foot) missing the Buffalo game. You can almost be certain neither Hill nor Waddle will be close to 100%.
The Dolphins have better names with the additions of All Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and high-regarded defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, but the results haven’t been as expected to this point.
It’s a results-oriented business so if the Dolphins win a playoff game we can say they’re better than last year. If not, they’ve taken a step backward.
Q: Ogbah has been inactive the last two weeks, is he hurt? If he can return to 2019 form we could get that 1 big strip sack on Allen – Steven Bewley Jr. on Dolphins Deep Dive
Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who had 9.0 sacks in 2020 and 2021 for Miami, seems to be in the doghouse. He was a healthy scratch last Sunday vs. Baltimore. He had a hamstring issue previously but considering the Dolphins signed linebacker Melvin Ingram and played him more than Ogbah tells you there’s something going on with Ogbah.
To your point, Ogbah has seemed to make things happen this season. He has 16 tackles, 5.0 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in just 200 snaps.
We’ll see what happens this week with Chubb and fellow edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) out. There’s a chance Ingram, who is more athletic than Ogbah and therefore better suited to chase Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, gets more playing time than Ogbah. But the thing to watch is whether the Dolphins use Ogbah at all, and how much they use him.
McDaniel said Monday he feels good about Ogbah, but we’ll see how many snaps he gets.
Q: Do you think we can overcome the injuries and can we beat Buffalo with the game now set to nighttime causing us to lose the “home field” – Richard O’Connor on Dolphins Deep Dive
Injuries could be a major factor in the outcome of Sunday’s game. The most significant injuries could be Hill, Waddle and Howard. If Hill and Waddle, who didn’t play vs. the Ravens game, aren’t able to make big plays, the offense will likely struggle. This offense relies on big plays. It’s not a move-the-chains, workmanlike-type offense.
We’ve seen Hill’s left ankle injury force him to pound on the ground in pain after being tackled, or immediately go down after making a catch instead of using his speed and quickness for significant yards after catch. He hasn’t been himself since being injured in the Titans game, and that’s a major issue for Miami’s offense.
As for Waddle, a high ankle sprain is often a multi-week ailment so we’ll see if he plays this Sunday and how effective he can be with that injury.
Howard’s absence could mean cornerback Eli Apple gets the start, and that was an issue against Baltimore. One advantage of using Ramsey to shadow Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs (six receptions, 120 yards, three touchdowns in Buffalo’s 48-20 win over Miami earlier this season) is it keeps Diggs away from Apple. Diggs had most of his success against slot cornerback Kader Kohou in the first matchup, and Miami might not want a defense in which Buffalo could simply line Diggs up against either Apple or Kohou and avoid Ramsey.
Right guard Rob Hunt (hamstring) and running back Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle) will likely play this week. And linebacker Jerome Baker (knee/injured reserve) could also return. Those are all helpful.
And Tagovailoa, who sustained a left (throwing) shoulder injury vs. the Ravens after recently suffering a left thumb injury and a quadriceps injury, should be OK.
The worrisome players are Hill, Waddle and Howard.
And the nighttime kickoff shouldn’t be an issue for either team.
Q: Any chance McDaniel uses Achane in the passing game against LBs they way the Ravens used Hill vs Duke Riley? – Matt Newton on Dolphins Deep Dive
Yes, they will when possible/necessary. Achane had four receptions for 30 yards vs. Baltimore, including a 23-yarder. He’s a good receiver, and the same goes for Mostert.
If Hill and Waddle aren’t 100%, and that looks to be the case, Miami will have to find a way to get the ball in the hands of its most explosive players in space, and that means Achane and Mostert. Miami’s remaining wide receivers (Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Robbie Chosen, Chase Claypool, River Cracraft) aren’t explosive enough to carry the big-play load by themselves. They’ll need help from the running backs to spread the field.
Achane, who rushed for 107 yards vs. the Ravens, is the most likely candidate to get more touches this Sunday considering Hill and Waddle will likely be slowed.
And you might recall Achane had 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns on eight carries in the Dolphins’ 48-20 blowout loss to Buffalo earlier this season, and he also had three receptions for 19 yards.
I’d look for Achane to be heavily involved in the game plan this week.
Q: Is Mike McDaniel to blame for losing big games??? The Fins appear to be out coached and out maneuvered in the second half of those games. – callofdoodie1??? on Dolphins Deep Dive
McDaniel has to take his share of the blame for losing big games. He’s the head coach. There are some things that aren’t his fault (dropped passes, injuries), but they’re his responsibility.
McDaniel’s biggest fault in the big game losses are the poor performances by the offense. He’s the architect of the offense, and this team’s identity is its offense.
Among its five losses, Miami’s offense has scored three touchdowns just once, in the 48-20 loss at Buffalo. It scored just two touchdowns in losses to Kansas City, Tennessee and Baltimore, and only one touchdown in the loss to Philadelphia (Baker had an interception return for a touchdown).
More and more teams have been defending the Dolphins by keeping two safeties deep to help use double teams on Hill and Waddle and reduce the yards after the catch. McDaniel hasn’t found an answer for that, so, yes, that’s coaching.