Sprinting out to a 3-1 start in the first quarter of the season, the Dolphins are in search of a third win over an AFC East rival Sunday in New York. It would be the first road win in the division and the fourth victory in-conference. If Miami can get to the winner's circle, their four conference wins would be tops in the AFC.
Each Thursday, we put out the call for questions on Twitter. We choose three every week to be answered on the mailbag, as well as three for the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield and three more here on the written mailbag.
Question from @*ledgend2324* – What should we expect from the passing game this week without Tua?
A: I think the expectation is a next man up mentality. Teddy Bridgewater has a lot of experience in this league and has played in plenty of games where his offense was moving the ball up and down the field. He's got, according to him, the best weapons he's ever played with.
I do think running the football is an important element this week. Getting balance on offense and controlling the clock could go a long way towards the second road win of the season.
Question from @Phindiana13 – Are you worried about the pass rush yet? We haven't had multiple sacks in a game since week 1.
A: The Dolphins did have four sacks in the Week 3 win vs. Buffalo. Sacks are great plays but it's not a true measure of the quality of a pass rush. Disrupting the quarterback and the timing of the offense is ultimately the idea. Christian Wilkins is currently third among defensive tackles in pass rush win rate and Jaelan Phillips is eighth among ESPN's edge rusher distinction; not to mention Melvin Ingram was just named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September.
I think the sack number says more about the opposing quarterbacks the Dolphins have faced. Few players are better are making rushers miss and extending than Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.
Allen has taken eight sacks this season and half of them (four) came in the one game against Miami. Jackson's been dumped behind the line the same amount, just eight times. It was a slow start for the Bengals in pass pro but in the last two games Burrow has been sacked just three times. For the Dolphins, continuing to disrupt the opposing quarterback will eventually lead to better sack production.
Question from @99JoeWeZ – What about Kader Kohou's game has made him so successful early on?
A: His competitiveness stands out, first and foremost. My favorite part of his game is the way he trusts what he sees. He has good instincts for the position and when he sees it, he goes. It allows him to make impact tackles and shrink windows in the passing game.
For more, check out the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available five days a week on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Twitter mailbag thread will go up every Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
