Dolphins in Depth: What’s wrong with Tua and Dolphins offense?

Dolphins in Depth: What’s wrong with Tua and Dolphins offense?

Welcome to a threegame winning streak for your 2025 Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins took care of the New Orleans Saints 2117. Was not a pretty victory. Left it left them in the game all game. But you know what history records? It records wins and losses. And this one turned out to be a win. Isaiah Smalls from the Miami Herald. Miami Herald columnist here. Omar Kelly Isaiah, when you start out the season, what was it? One and six. Can you be picky about how you win a game? I don’t think that two things can be true. I don’t think you can be picky about how you win the game, but how you win the game tells a lot more about you than maybe you might want to reveal, right? back-to-back close games with the Commanders and who looked really good actually last night against the the Broncos, taking them to double overtime and it coming down to a two-point conversion that uh South Florida’s own Nick Bonito uh swatted away. But I say that to say the Commanders Saints two um team South Florida’s own. Yeah, Nick Nick Bonito. Yeah. Where you from? Edge rusher. Where you from? He from I don’t remember where, but he went to I think he went to St. Thomas. Yeah, he went to St. Thomas. He’s from Fort Lauderdale. Oh, I ain’t know that. Yeah. Yeah. It’s It’s your own It’s your statesman. Your countryman. You got to know your countrymen, man. Okay. All right. All right. But it’s they both wins were ugly. And Mike McDaniel said something that is very true. Like you have to learn how to win in different ways, right? This isn’t college football. You’re not being graded on your wins, right? Stop points. stop. Yeah. You’re not you’re not gonna take a shot with a minute left just because you’re trying to look good for the community. You ain’t trying to run up the score like University of Miami trying to get into the BCS playoffs. This the this took care of your business earlier. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about all that. But look look your from your lips to God’s ears. Hopefully uh you know the college football playoff gods are working their magic to try to take care business against LSU against Louisiana and SMU, but you didn’t. And for me, wait a minute. Louisiana, Miami lost to Louisiana. Uh, Louisville, Louisville, Louisville, Louisville, Louisville. Louisville. Sorry. One of them L teams. Um, but listen, I don’t judge victories by style points. If if the offense was taking care of business in the red zone, the game would have been over by the halftime. I agree. But this is something that’s been a reoccurring issue for this team. The the offense is is sputtering in the red zone now. I generally or or not taking care of business. I mean, think about how many fourth and one opportunities they had to score touchdowns and couldn’t punch it in. That’s an issue they certainly have to fix. Um and and but the one thing that’s finally showing up, it only took them three4s of the season is is the Dolphins defense. I think they played impressive, wonderful game even all the way to Minka Fitzpatrick uh kind of sealing the game with the pick two because it’s not a pick six cuz it doesn’t count points. Yeah. As I was telling Marcel, I’d never heard that phrase before. Pig two. I was trying to cuz as I was writing it out, I was like two point conversion attempt blah blah blah interception. I’m like okay this sound wild. Like is it what what do I how can I shorten this? But pick two is certainly the take two. Pick two is pretty accurate. Yeah. Um that was a that that was an impressive play and I actually wrote a column about this. And what was more impressive about that play is the fact that they never got the defensive call in. And Terrell Datson basically told everybody just get a man. Everybody got a man. Jordan Brooks was like, “I don’t even know if everybody was playing the same scheme, playing the same call because we just and and what what what puzzles me is why didn’t you just call what was called previously?” Just, you know, cuz they they did have a false start. He had a play call. Obviously, the formation changed. Obviously, they were during the pass situation, but the headsets weren’t working. And Weaver never got the call in to Terrell Dodson, who’s a Green Dot player. And Terrell Dawson just made a call. Mike McDaniel says he was going to call a timeout until his defensive coaches said, “No, no, no, no. They’re in the right formation. They got the call.” But truthfully speaking, they never got the call. A little cover 67, man. Huh? A little cover 67. That was the uh that was the call on the uh on the day. Listen. Listen. for Minka Fitzpatrick to step in front of that pass and not only catch it but run it all the way back because realistically if he had caught that pass we would been looking at overtime. Second overtime game you never know what’s going to happen. Um that that that New Orleans defense they New Orleans offense they weren’t good. They weren’t. No. But then again neither was the Miami Dolphins offense and I wrote a column. I didn’t care what happened in the game, but this is kind of my second straight game where I’m looking at Tuong Valoa and I do not recognize him anymore as a quarterback. It is. And I know you just sitting there like, I told you, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. I have never seen a this immobile, this unable to move, this unathletic. And I and this is coming. I thought maybe his body was banged up. You know, the by-week’s going to serve him a little bit of good. That was the most easiest sacked quarterback in the NFL yesterday. I mean, you got pass to his offensive lineman. He was sitting there like a pork chop, just a just ready to be gobbled up. And I I it blows my mind like watching to over the years. years. I watched him his final year junior year at Alabama. Yes, I know he had a hip injury. I watched him his rookie season where he was a scared, terrified little rookie. Watch him his second season coming to his own that had his little beef with Brian Flores and you know that had to end. Watched him during the Mike McDaniel era. This is probably the worst I’ve ever seen to a tongue of Aalo as a quarterback. And I’m not even putting it on the excuse of you don’t have uh uh Tyreek Hill because I’ve seen two operate without Tyreek Hill. Now having Tyreek Hill is a wonderful thing. It would be nice if he had maybe three receivers instead of just one and a running back and now a tight end because Darren Waller is back. But led the team in receiving yesterday actually. Who who led team receivers? Darren Muller. Oh, okay. All right. 46 yards, two catches. None of it was impressive. So, I like I did like the play call that schemes him wide open wi with the um with him and Jaylen Wadd. J water running like a five yard out and I thought it was cover too and the uh corner kind of played that and the safety didn’t even you know remotely see Darren Waller was able to sneak in behind him and if he had you know if this was Darren Waller six years ago that would have been to the crib cuz he had no speed he could not he could not get far after that one a good 30 what six yard game keep on sorry listen here’s the thing about Tua the numbers are extremely pedestrian this here. Okay, sacks are up. He’s been sacked 25 times in uh Miami’s uh 12 games. He’s the 13th most sacked quarterback in the NFL. Now, in fairness, Justin Herbert’s been sacked more, 38. Uh Drake May has been sacked more, 37. Trevor Lawrence been sacked more 32. Josh Allen’s been sacked more 28. So, I’m not sitting here saying that, oh, two is just a sitting duck, even though he looks like a sitting duck. Now, this hasn’t been a allseason thing. And two has been tremendously good throughout his career at avoiding sacks and stepping out of sacks and and and pocket presence, but it is gone. Now, we we get to he’s 28th in passer rating at 85.9. That is horrendous for Tua. We’re talking about a quarterback who has gone three straight years with 100 passer rating. He is 28th in the NFL. Behind him is Boon Knicks at 85.8. Gino Smith at 84.0. Tyler Show, who you just saw on Sunday. Hey, you better get his name right. Tyler Shuck. Shuck. Yeah, he outplayed Tua. He had them in a like and I looked at it. I didn’t want to I was saving this this this for for right now, right? You go look at his second staff second half stats. I think he completed over I think he threw maybe five incompletions, two touchdowns, like had them in a position to tie the game. Obviously wasn’t the best pass, right? And then even the the touchdown pass that he threw um to set up the two-point conversion, moved around the pocket, stepped up and floated up like that was an okay pass. He is like a 29y year quarterback. Yeah, I know. He’s he’s definitely a 26 year old. Um, but he’s got a 83.6 pass rating. Trevor Lawrence 81.6. Cam Ward 75.2. JJ McCarthy 57.9. Damn, that was pretty bad. I mean, JJ McCarthy is not good. I’ve said that from the moment. I said he’s not I don’t I didn’t see anything special and I did not see first rounder on him. But, you know, people looking for the next Brady. It is. But but in what year, era, time has TA been the 28th quarterback passer rating in the NFL? Like not never. I think it’s I mean I think it’s obvious and I I’ve said it early on like he’s obviously regressed. Like I I don’t you can’t if you watch his performance on a day in dayout basis and you’re not willing to come to terms with that. Like I I get I understand why but you’re holding on to something that I don’t think is existed anymore. I think this is the closer version to who Tua is now because again like what what do you think he’s going to do? What like what’s the best case scenario here? Like he has another like hip replacement and he tries to like I don’t I don’t even know we don’t even know what the issue is, right? We don’t know if it’s if it has something to do with it. We don’t know what it is. But like I don’t think you don’t just magically regain athleticism unless your name is James Harden because I think he did. But I don’t think you can magically regain athleticism. can magically regain athleticism. I I don’t know. It’s called HGH, sir. Yeah. Yes, you can. Um, okay. You can’t legally. You can’t legally. Hey, I could go to Germany and do what I need to do and come back. You can’t prove nothing anyway. But that but but realistically realistically look look where we are. Look what you’re resorting. Look what you’re recommending. You’re recommending that he does an illegal treatment going. It’s illegal. I could go get H right now. It’s not illegal. It’s it’s a violation of the of the bylaws of the NFL. Oh, was smoking weed. They did it anyway. And players have been taking steroids for more than a decade. Steroids. Like, come on. Let me It’s not steroids. It’s human growth hormone. Listen, listen. Listen, don’t make me go get a batch of human growth hormones on you. Um I I mean, I’m in the gym now. Are you Is it I I probably need it cuz I’m back in the gym now. I I ain’t lying to you. My body hurt. I’d like to feel young again. Um, but Tua is leading the NFL. He’s tied with Gino Smith with 14 interceptions. That ducky he threw yesterday w to a wide open Jaylen Wadd. That ball just hung up there. Wide open. I don’t think he was wide open. Oh, he was wide open for the quarterback. Wide open. The just sitting right up there waiting for it. Now, you know, maybe Jaylen could have made a better play on the ball. I don’t know. put in a double coverage. What are we talking about? He was not wide open. He had the safety. You’re you’re right in a sense that like if he he the placement on that ball would have had to the ball needed to be have more zip. It would have been it would have had to been like in the back corner of the end zone and like that’s like a difficult pass for anybody to make. Like I’m not even I don’t even want to like I just think it was just a terrible throw and a terrible decision to be honest. Like I don’t because again the corner the most predictable thing that for the mind Dolphins after a turnover at the 40 they’re going for the end zone. I’ve been here four years. I know exactly what Mike McDaniel’s calling and so does every other opponent. So like why would you do it? But but you know that’s that’s Mike. He’s an aggressive play caller. My point is, and everybody knows I am I I’m a Tua Tongavaloa defender. I do not recognize this quarterback anymore. And I don’t know what’s wrong. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s a hip. It, you know, okay, he runs he runs out the pocket in the fourth quarter and slides before he gets the first down, putting them in a fourth and one situation, which I believe they did not convert. It it’s it’s you know I’ve never been a big proponent of oh I need an athletic quarterback. However, he’s reminding me of Dan Marino after the Achilles injury where literally Dan could not move and Tua can no longer move. And I I have no idea what the issue is. It’s funny like a lot of a big thing on Dolphins Twitter is this, you know, big push for an athletic quarterback. However, oftent times I see more quarterback running clips than actually throwing the ball as if his legs totally supersede what he’s going to have to do with his arm, right? And I just and so I I I look, I’m I’m of the guy that gets the job done. That’s why, you know, I like Jayen Herz, right? He’s a guy that just wins, right? But I I think after what I’ve seen this season from two, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to I don’t I just don’t want the next administration to prioritize athleticism over actual arm. I don’t want Anthony Richardson 2.0, right? Like I just don’t want that. Like I I don’t I don’t want that. Like you can probably go get Anthony Richardson if you think you can fix him. I mean, yeah. I think I think a change of scenery, one like two things can be true, right? As I started the podcast saying, I think you the NFL can have a quarterback development problem, which I think it clearly does. That’s clear. That’s clear. You’re drafting these 20 year olds and giving them the keys to an NFL franchise. Like, that’s just not realistic. They the guys need to sit. But then two, I mean, Anthony Richardson has one of the most impressive throws I’ve ever seen at the start of last year when he threw this the 70 yard bomb. Like, that is one of the most impressive throws. So, so he has arm talent. I think it’s accuracy and decision- making, which decision- making, I know, is a little bit difficult. You’re gonna you’re going to need a real patient coach to to to try to coach out the the decision-m, right? The poor decision- making. Um, accuracy, though, I don’t know. You can’t really I mean, you can’t you but to me, I think accuracy kind of also comes down to mechanics a little bit. Like, I I remember when I, you know, with Josh Allen, the rook, the jump he took from his rookie year to like his sophomore year, and that was fixing his mechanics, right? and that helped him improved him as a a as um an accurate throw. I’m not too familiar with Anthony Richardson mechanics. I’d have to look it up, do some more research. So, I don’t know what the exact issue there. I just know he’s not an accurate thrower of the football. Um and so, look, like that that’s fine. I’m a I’m because like who is going to be here regardless of how they finish the the season and if the next administration believes it’s time to pick a quarterback, the quarterback is going to have to sit. Like I just don’t see a scenario where unless it gets that bad next year where it’s like okay maybe we need to play a different quarterback. But then again I would argue that at points of this year it was that bad. I mean the guy’s leading the league in interceptions and Quinn Eers wasn’t you know looked twice at right. They had an opportunity to give him not potentially give him the keys but to you know increase his reps i.e making him the number two string quarterback and the second string quarterback and they decided not to do that. Right. So just from following the the breadcrumbs that this organization has given us. Look like I I think Tua has to be better. He he admitted it himself. Like the run game and the defense really really bailed him out. I’m still kind of dying at at Tom D’Angelo from the Palm Beach Post question like yeah you guys are winning right and but you’re not playing well you know. How do you feel about that? I mean a 56.2 two passer rating is 55.9. You that’s that’s one of your worst games in an in your career. Yes. Yes. Definitely. You sucked yesterday. Yeah. You you are not a contributor to this team’s wins. And so I I want to and I saw someone tweet about this and I just kind of want to pose you the question. If you’re Devon Aan’s agent right now, you see what’s happening with Tua. You see the season that your client is having. What’s your message to the to the Dolphins? like it has to be pay this man now before the price goes up the end of the year. But the Dolphins historically haven’t done that. They haven’t gotten in front of one. Devon Chan can’t sign a contract right now. They have to complete their third season before you can offer them a contract extension. Yes, clearly Devon Chan is going to try to get James Cook money. Um, you know, clearly he’s gonna try to to get a a multi-year extension, but the reality is, is it wise to pay it back? And is it wise to pay a small back? Here we go. I mean, that’s the that’s the reality of the situation. He’s the third leading rusher in the NFL right now. A,00,034 yards. He’s never had a bad season. However, he’s a byproduct of the offensive line. The offensive line. Earlier in this season, we weren’t talking about how great Devon Achan was. What we were talking about was how bad the offensive line was. Offensive line starts improving. The jumbo package, listen, the jumbo package is huge. Jumbo package has like cha revolutionized this team. Actually made them respectable. Uh look at look at when they finally started to begin to actually play well. Jumbo package. Daniel Brunkill should be in the running for MVP of this season. Like what? Okay, hold on now. Let me let me let me make my argument. Let me make my argument. Pump your brakes. Let me make my argument. Go ahead. Tell me the single change that has happened that has contributed to this four and five winning record. You like pinpoint one single change. I think I think it’s Tell me tell me what was what’s the origin of this four and five winning record? Four four and five. Four of the last five games. What? It Okay. Um I mean Brunkill obviously is like the easy answer, right? But I don’t want to go there. Oh, no. Wait, wait, wait. They can run the ball. Protecting Tua. Yeah. When did they start being able to run and also also like let’s not act like I mean the defense is starting to force turnovers as well. Okay. Defense was No, they ain’t forcing turnover. They still not forcing turn. Let’s not be They forced They forced two yesterday uh against the against the the Commanders. They got the the fourth fumble on B uh Bonner recovered a fumble and they had Jack Jones’s strip. No, no, the pick. That was the pick. The pick. He didn’t have a strip, too. Okay. The strip was a was a week before against the Bills and they forced two turnovers again. I could I could expect the defense is stepping up too. Defense stepping up. They’re creating more extra possessions for the offense. I I think and again nothing with those extra possessions. I mean, I’m being real with you. The difference with this team is they’re actually successfully and efficiently running the ball. Well, not Devon A been here. How have they been been successfully and officially running the ball? Well, that Daniel Brun skill that when all your tight ends went down, homeboy started playing as a six offensive lineman and all of a sudden you started mowing people down. Um, for the for the record, I’m just like looking at Devon H. He had a he had a damn near hundred uh 99 yards against the Jets, right? No um jumbo package then. Ran for 128 yards against the Chargers, eight yards per carry. Browns had 82 yards. Like I I hear I I because even I I that’s why I’m I’m gonna have to respectfully uh disagree with you because even against the Falcon jumbo package, sure, but he only ran for 67 yards. The week after that, Ravens 67 yards. Now, now of course he’s put together these threeund plus yard games, Bills, Commanders, Saints, but I wouldn’t say that that was the biggest. I don’t think so. Okay. and and and and uh take it a step further, you know, when when we both know this, when your defense starts taking the ball away, right, that gives more juice to the team, right? They do the little celebration at the end, whatever, whatever. Like as an offense, you feel more galvanized to go punch the ball. And to your to your point, they’re not really doing that at at a high rate, but at the same time, I think just the energy that the defense is is giving at, you know, someone said it to Minka last night, like you guys are kind of bailing out the offense. He doesn’t. Now, of course, Minka didn’t necessarily uh bite into that. He didn’t he didn’t bite it. He didn’t bite into that. But at the end of the day, because, you know, he gave a great answer about, you know, it’s it’s vice versa. It’s complimentary football at its finest, right? Um but at the same time, I mean, it’s hard to he quite literally had a pick two that saved it kind of kind of put the game a little bit out of reach in the sense that the Saints had to go for a touchdown, right? So, I’m sticking with the defense as being the uh I can accept that as the number one reason Anthony Weaver’s unit is finally showing up. I I got to put some respect on Anthony Weaver’s unit. They they are playing how we expected them to play at the beginning of the season. And I know that they said that they they knew that the rookies were going to be a slow progression, but they the rookies are turning the corner. all in mind biggest they out there playing they out there going in the line of scrimmage. I think another factor is guys are really buying into the scheme more, right? Like they just the familiarity with it a little bit because I think there there’s been times where and this is something that I’ve I’ve heard from from from multiple guys, right? Like there be times where you know if you’re a Ma Fitzpatrick, you’re coming into a situation where Bradley Chub now granted you’ve you know you played a lot of high high level football, right? There’s things that you recognize on the field, right? That you might be able to do, right? that might not necessarily fit within the scheme. Doing more than your 111, right? Yeah. And that sometimes create issues. Creates issues. I think now guys are more trustworthy like, “Okay, I’m going to do my job because I know XYZ.” Now, Dante Trader told me about it like with him and Minka sometimes like sometimes Minka does at this point in the season, Minka doesn’t even have to say words like he can just read his body language and know that he’s going there because he’s going there I have to be here, right? So just that that trust increasing Channing Crowley used to talk about it with um Junior Sea, the late great Junior Sea. When Junior said, “Hey, Junior turned to Channon and say, “Buddy, Channon knew he ain’t doing what he’s supposed to do. I got to cover for him.” Like like that. That’s all he had to say. Like he’s like, “Buddy.” And and he was like, “Oh, Judy about to Judy about to go make a play. I got to I got to clean up for him.” Yeah, you’re right. Yes, you’re right. Um, props to the defense for getting it together. Of course, I I I I I definitely want to recognize two guys who have tremendously stepped up, not just their playing contributions, but their leadership. Bradley Chub, Jordan Brooks. Yeah, I did the uh the story on on the leadership council, which um is is if you don’t know what the leadership council is, Mike Mane talk about it all the time. And this is a playerdriven team. It’s always been a tra play playerdriven team. Mike that this team works like the government where there’s the legislature and then there’s the president. Mike Mike doesn’t approve. Mike just signs off on these things that the legislature decides. The legislature is the leadership council. And according to the players, Jordan Brooks, this is his team. He’s damn near running the the the the leadership council. What Jordan Brooks says goes. And when he wanted when he wanted Papa Shot out the locker room, Papa Shot was out the locker room. I love that he’s not talked about that too. He’s like, “No comment. I’m not I don’t want to talk about that.” He’s like, “I don’t want to talk about it.” Even Even when people found out that it was him and I was like, “Hey, we heard this was you.” No comment. I don’t want to talk about it. Like I I decided we not playing papa shot in the locker room no more. Or cards cuz remember the card tape was gone too. Cards were there too. Cards were there too. Yeah. Jordan Jordan Brooks like go on be by football. Maybe if it was like a football you had to throw through the little uh Yeah, maybe maybe that could help with the interceptions. Maybe they need to get that in there. Um uh but Bradley Chub, just seeing him lead, uh I he’s been around for a little while. I’ve never seen him be this level of leader. Um, oh, I know he got a sack yesterday, but Bradley, you missing about four sacks a game, brother. You that that that’s going to hit your paper. That’s going to impact your paper. You got you got to finish, brother. Um, and Jordan Brooks, goodness gracious. I mean, I think he’s on pace for like 194 tackles. He is he has become a tackling machine. And and props to Terrell Datson because Terrell Datson took on that green dot responsibility, took on that leadership role because Jordan Brooks is not comfortable with it even though he’s the alpha male in in the team right now, but it makes him play faster. So, props to Terrell Datson, who I think is also on pace for like 100 tackles this year. Yeah, he missed obviously the game. His numbers would have been higher. Um, but he definitely missed the game. So yeah, he was Look, if you’re giving out flowers, I’m I’m gonna give some to to to Chop Robinson. I thought you you might you might say Yeah. Oh, you thought I was gonna give Chop I thought you give him some credit, man. Led the team 1.5 sacks. Um, three quarterback hits. I’m talking about we must have forgot who he was. Like he he looked he looked good out there. He looked good. Even I saw him set the edge once, you know. Okay. So, I I think look look I think as as we’ve said like the increased workload and I’m I’m going to go I’m going to make a point to to talk with him a little bit this week. Um but the increased workload um should yield to better results hopefully. Hopefully that’s the that’s the you know I’m Hold on. I’m going I’m looking at the the game book right now. I wanted to to look at the distribution of snaps specifically. Um, Chop 62%. Uh, and Matt Judon 51%. Okay, that’s an interesting number. 81% for uh Bradley Chub. He barely came off the field. Good god. Yeah. Um, okay. Yeah, but yeah, so there’s, you know, increased Damn, Don D don’t only got five. So, there’s increased workload. I’m I’m a fan of it. You’re a fan of it. Let’s Let’s hopefully if they can consistently stop the run because they are still allowing 4.8 yards per carry. I mean that that but that was a that’s as as McDaniel said yesterday that was an emphasis for them to stop going specifically against this team. Obviously they had only have two wins on the year but as McDaniel said you know those both both of those you said what this was one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL. I’m like I’m not taking a victory lap for that. No now stop the run next week uh against Yeah. Hall. Yeah. Bree Hall. Tyrod. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s real. That’s real. I mean, here’s the thing. Uh, and I say this all the time about this team. This team has a habit of playing to the level of their competition. So, if their competition sucks, they will suck, too. Um, if their competition’s good, they’ll be good, too. Doesn’t necessarily mean they will win the game. So, uh, I don’t really know what to expect, but clearly they need to keep the wins coming, uh, in order to keep their 0.2 two odds of making it into the playoffs alive. It would be nice. Huh? Five and seven. They in the hunt, baby. In the hunt. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um, let’s look. When they get to seven and seven, I’ll acknowledge that they’re in the hunt. And And to do that, they got to they got to beat they got to beat the Jets and then the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was I was I was about to say, is that an early prediction there? A victory on the road in the cold? Listen, all I will say all I will say is uh the natives are getting restless in Pittsburgh and I’ve known for years Pittsburgh fans are done with Mike Tomlin. They are tolerating him at this point and they went all in this season and this season is is basically circling the drain on the Pittsburgh Steelers. It looks like uh Mike Tomlin is going to be there to be grabbed. I’m not sure he’s going to be fired, but I believe that teams that want him might be able to trade for him and acquire a head coach just like the Miami Dolphins acquired uh Don Schula back in the day from the Indianapolis Colts. My question to you, Isaiah, and I know nobody knows what’s going to happen with Mike McDaniel. Nobody knows what’s going to happen with Champ Kelly. They’re probably all gonna keep their job if they win five of the six if if they win five of this this six runs. And I’m fine with that. I’m if you get to a winning record, no playoffs, I’m fine with that. You can keep your job. We can run this back for one more year. But if Mike Tomlin becomes available, yes, not fired, but becomes available because I don’t think the Dolphins will get him if he’s fired and gets to select where he goes. Why is that? Why is that? Um, Steve Ross usually strikes out when it comes to luring the big fish. It just is the way Steve Ross is, if you, and I’ll write this again eventually. If you analyze his hiring cycles, they have been some traumatic experiences for him. Um, and which is part of the reason why he hates doing it. Uh, it’s it’s not a I could just offer you the most money and I can get who I want. That’s not the situation. Um, so but if Mike Tomlin is there for a first or second round draft pick, do you make the call, Isaiah? First or second rounder? That’s Is it a f Is it a Which one? Is it a first rounder or a second rounder? I think because I think that makes a huge difference. Let’s call it the equivalent of a firstrounder. Oh boy. Cuz I I I think he I give up my first round pick for him. Do I get like picks back? Like are they gonna like will they give me if I trade them a first? Will they give you a third? Yeah. Will they give me a third or a second or something? No, not a second. Probably a third. Okay. He’s going Mike Mc Tomlin is probably going to go for a high second round pick. I’m also and we can talk about this off off off air. I’m very unfamiliar with the trading. I know that it’s happened before, but you trading coaches for picks. I just that just boggles my mind. But I think you do it because I think what this team needs is a culture setter. Someone that is going to say like, “Look, this is what it is from the top down.” And um he can kind of get in alignment with whoever the GM is. If it’s Champ Kelly, whatever, whoever it is, who I met for the first time, cool guy. Um you know, definitely had a brief talk with him yesterday. Um so yeah, I I I think you do it. I think you do it. Um, I just I want a guy that to me he checks a lot of the boxes. I want a someone that actually has prior head coaching experience, someone that has won at the highest level. Now, it’s been a minute, but you you’ve done it. And someone that can, you know, get guys in line, right, where in a sense where like don’t don’t get me wrong, I I I believe the player lead led teams, that’s a good model, but at the same time, I think there’s there’s checks and balances, right? you. I need someone that can get a Jaylen Ramsay in check, right? Someone that can get a a a DK Medap in check. And DK isn’t really much of a problem, but like uh just somebody that can that can get guys in check, that is willing to tackle the the ego that is Aaron Rogers, right? Like I I want a guy that isn’t af not necessarily afraid of his players, but someone that his players are a little little bit afraid of him, right? like like it’s just I just I just I just I just enjoy that personality. I enjoy and then plus I think it’s an interesting moment in the sense that like obviously he was thought of too hiphop before now he’s coming back. I like that full circle moment and I almost though and I I’m curious do you how if if someone had that perception of you um on the on the front end. See, but nobody, that’s the thing. Nobody here, nobody this regime. Nobody That’s like two regimes ago. That’s like That’s like two That’s like an owner ago. That’s fair. That’s fair. Um I I know the individual I was here covering the team and I know the individuals who who said that and who had those discussions and really it was just because think about at that time there weren’t that many African-American head coaches. Um, I mean like I we say that time like it was like uh a half a century ago. It was It was 2007 which is almost 20 years ago. Almost 20 years ago. I was 11. I was 11. The same racism that exists then is exists now. Like it’s people just is is like they just took it. Uh it’s a little bit it’s a little bit different. It was a little bit more subtle then. It’s not so subtle. Oh no. It’s not subtle at all. It’s it’s not subtle at all. I prefer this version though. I tell me who you like tell me who you are from the front end so I I can understand where we coming from. That’s true. That’s fair. No, don’t don’t don’t talk Don’t call me too hip-hop behind my back. Say that to my face. Say that to my face. You are a little too hip-hop. It is what it is. Like look. Um on that note, we will be back on Wednesday as we get you ready for the Jets week. Uh we we we do have a couple of injuries to monitor. Uh Alec Ingold’s got a stinger. Hopefully it’s just a stinger. Um he’s battled some neck shoulder issues throughout his career. He’s a fullback. He’s a battering Ram. So hopefully he’s still available. But even if he’s not, they got Daniel Brunale in there. We’re good. All right. We will we will see you on Wednesday, folks.

The Dolphins’ defense has tightened up, but the offense is suddenly out of sync.
Tua Tagovailoa is having one of his worst NFL seasons, and with a strong run game and improved O-line, the spotlight is squarely on the franchise QB, who seems to have lost a step. Are Tua’s issues fixable, and how can Miami improve in the red zone? We break it down in this episode of Dolphins in Depth.

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