Welcome back to another edition of 5 Questions, a weekly collaboration with other SB Nation sites to preview the Ravens’ upcoming matchups. This week, the Ravens are playing the Dolphins in Miami, so Kevin Nogle of The Phinsider is on hand to answer Baltimore Beatdown’s questions about Week 6.
Also, check out Baltimore Beatdown’s responses to The Phinsider’s questions about the Ravens!
1. What is pulse of the Dolphins fanbase regarding Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel? Is the overall sentiment that the team should move on from both or just one? Does one of the two limit what the other is capable of, or is it simply a partnership that has run its course?
The fan base is just tired of losing. They are tired of being mediocre. They are just tired, really. The fan base has always been split on Tagovailoa and what his ceiling really is. He is not the type of quarterback who can just take over a game on his own – you can win with that type of player, but you need to make sure he has the protection and the skill players that compliment him. When things are right, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins can dominate, but when they are wrong, ugly probably is not even a strong enough word.
McDaniel came in as the hot young guy who was revolutionizing the game. For two years, it was awesome. Then last year the league caught up to him, and this year it does not seem like they have made enough of an adjustment to compete each week. For some reason, the former San Francisco 49ers’ run game coordinator has struggled to commit to the run in Miami. Last week, he did and the results were there. Will he keep doing that? Will he revert back to calling screen passes behind the line of scrimmage on every snap?
Dolphins fans are an extremely loyal bunch to the team – and Miami, despite the success of the Heat, the Panthers, even the Marlins, is a football town. If the team starts to win, the fans will be back on board with McDaniel and Tagovailoa. But, if this year continues like much of what we have seen through the first half of the year, the calls for a complete overhaul of the team, the coaching staff, and the front office will only continue to get louder. It is all about seeing the Dolphins succeed, and if they are not doing it, it is time to get someone else in who will get them there.
Personally, I think McDaniel and Tagovailoa can still be successful in the league – but they are running out of chances to do it in Miami.
2. If the Dolphins are sellers at the deadline, which players are absolutely untouchable?
Left tackle Patrick Paul should be the cornerstone around who the team builds for the future. I would assume they will not want to move running back De’Von Achane. Edge rusher Chop Robinson is probably another piece they would want to keep, though the end-of-year success we saw last season in his rookie campaign has not continued into the first half of this year.
Players who I think could be moved, but it might cost a lot, include wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, and defensive tackle Zach Sieler.
If Miami does go into selling mode, I think linebacker Bradley Chubb, linebacker Jordyn Brooks, and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick all become players that the team could look to move. Everyone else on the roster is probably available for the right price.
3. Can Sunday’s explosion of offense be expected to continue or was it one last hurrah for the Tagovailoa/McDaniel era in Miami?
Obviously, Miami is not bringing in the top two offense from 2023, but they should be better than what we have seen so far this season. When you have players like Waddle, Achane, wide receiver Malik Washington, and rookie running back Ollie Gordon II, they should at least be an effective offense. On Sunday, we saw them finally look like it.
As I said earlier, McDaniel making the conscious decision to stick to the run, using Achane and Gordon (and third running back Jaylen Wright) is the key to opening Miami’s offense. The play action pass is now in play, and Tagovailoa does well with it. The Miami passing game is designed to attack the middle of the field, but teams have learned to keep the linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field, clogging up the passing lanes. If the running game is successful, the linebackers start moving up, and the spacing returns for Waddle to run a slant through the middle, catch the ball in stride, and be gone – as we saw on his 43-yard touchdown catch.
Until the Dolphins prove they can consistently perform like they did on Sunday, the answers are going to include “if” and “should.” I do not know what we will see, but I do have some hope for the first time in a while.
4. The Ravens are very familiar with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. What have the Dolphins carried over from past defenses and what has Weaver added to their scheme from his time as Baltimore’s defensive line coach?
That is a great question, and I would love to break down Miami’s defense and how Weaver is getting after opposing offenses. Unfortunately, I am not sure anyone really knows. The Dolphins are at or near the bottom of nearly every team defensive category this season. They are allowing 145 rushing yards per game, which would be worse if they had not jumped out to a lead and forced the Atlanta Falcons to become one-dimensional in their comeback attempt on Sunday.
The front seven was supposed to be the team’s strength, headlined by Sieler, Chubb, Phillips, and Robinson getting after opposing quarterbacks. Linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson would then shore up the middle of the field and the run game. Rookie defensive tackle Kenneth Grant would be able to eat blocks, creating space for everyone else. But, that is not what has happened.
On a team where five cornerbacks are on injured reserve and the team is relying on rookies and younger players to try to hold it down, the secondary has somehow turned into the least-worrisome part of the defense. They are going to commit penalties because they are overmatched and young, but they are at least effective. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has been seeing time as a nickel cornerback as well, has solidified the secondary.
The Dolphins also have had miscommunication issues throughout the season. Weaver has pointed to those errors, and how the same players will make the same mistakes, as a part of why the struggles have happened.
Weaver has been tweaking his system lately, moving people around and adding in more blitzes. He is trying new things, and there has been improvement, but at the start of the issues this season, fans were calling for McDaniel to be fired and Weaver to take over as the interim head coach. As the season has continued, there are no longer calls for Weaver to take over – the defense has struggled that much.
5. The Jalen Ramsay/Minkah Fitzpatrick trade raised some eyebrows around the league, especially given the Dolphins’ cornerback situation. How has the deal worked out for Miami?
Having Fitzpatrick has been good, simply because he seems to calm down the secondary and bring consistency to the group. He has not been a dominant force, but no one on the team really has.
The biggest benefit for the trade may have just been sending away Ramsey. He is such a good player, but there is a reason he is on his fourth team in 10 seasons. I loved watching him play, but off the field, there is just something about drama that seems to find him and lead to him wanting out.
I do not think you could say the Steelers lost in the deal, but I do feel like the trade was a win for Miami. Maybe not a dominating fleecing of Pittsburgh, but a win in terms of less drama and a solidifying presence in the secondary that Miami has to have.
