The Dolphins are under the lights Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium for the first time since the big Thursday Night Football win over the Ravens last year. Ahead of the matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are making their first trip to Miami since 2016, we answer your questions.
Each Thursday, we put out the call for questions on Twitter. We choose three every week to be answered in the mailbag, as well as three the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield and three more here on the written mailbag.
Question from @Cam3ronSparks – Which individual matchup(s) are you looking forward to the most this week vs Steelers?
A: It's tough to peg this answer down without having any knowledge of the game plan or approach, so I think making it a little more broad serves the question better. The two things I'm curious to see is how a team that uses the blitz with one of the highest frequencies in the league (Miami) attacks a quarterback who has really excelled against the blitz this season. Kenny Pickett is averaging 8.1 yards per pass against the blitz compared to 5.6 against rushes of four or fewer.
Then, whatever the plan for running back Najee Harris turns out to be is a fascinating sub-plot to this game. He's the focal point of their offense getting the majority of the touches, operating in both the run and pass game. Keying No. 22 is paramount in this one.
Question from @*D_Shaw02* – Who's been the biggest surprise player so far this year?
A: I'm not sure I would call it a surprise since he played so well through OTAs and training camp, but I think the obvious answer is a rookie undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M Commerce, right? Kader Kohou proved all offseason that he belonged on an NFL field and now he's producing at a level that should have fans excited about his potential growth and development each week.
The way Kohou stays on top of routes, and not just his quick reaction, but physically change directions at the drop of a hat; those are ideal traits for the cornerback position. He's also been impressive as a tackler when he's had to fit the run.
Maybe it's a surprise to fans that saw him for the first time in that Week 1 game against New England, but he had been trending that way for months.
Question from @Phin1984Gareth – What is it that makes Tyreek Hill so tough to cover?
A: We had the benefit of hearing from Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker on Thursday. He discussed Hill's competitive nature, how he's wired and the impact it has on the rest of the room.
"He loves everything being a competition, and he has fun with that," Welker said. "Whether we're in the meeting room making up games about football and 'Alright, what's this coverage,' point systems – he loves all that stuff. He loves talking trash. I think all of us (are) in there just talking trash. If somebody gets locked up in one-on-ones, he starts playing the song, 'Got locked up, they won't let me out.' (laughter)So anyways, we have some fun with some of that stuff, but just ultra, ultracompetitive. He loves making anything a competition."
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.
