It's the end of the week and that means it's time to answer your questions! The Dolphins are back home to face the Houston Texans, and as we do weekly, we want to hear from you!
We'll dive into three questions posed on the weekly Twitter thread (can be found on the timeline of @WingfieldNFL). We also answer a handful of your questions on the Friday edition of Drive Time with Travis Wingfield, your daily podcast on the Miami Dolphins podcast network.
Q: @bircheezy - I've been waiting all season for Waddle to bust out a big play. What do the Dolphins need to do to get some explosive plays out of him?
A: The approach offensively for the Dolphins, and frankly all teams, is to take what the defense gives. If you ever watch the Peyton and Eli broadcast on Monday Night Football, they comment on this all the time -- about how if 'Quarterback A' can just remain patient and take the checkdowns, they can piece together methodical drives that ultimately result in points.
However, Miami's own mistakes have made this approach difficult. Procedural penalties, dropped passes, sacks, whatever the case may be, mistakes have put the Dolphins behind the chains too often. So, that's where chunk plays are needed. Waddle has uncovered a couple of times but whether it's protection breakdowns or the ball coming out on a low-to-high read before that route can develop, they're just struggling to get vertical. It's certainly something worth keeping an eye on in the second half of the season.
Q: @rubeneramirez - How are Tua's 4th quarter stats compared vs all other QBs?
A: Favorable. In fact, among quarterbacks with at least 90 passing attempts between 1994-2021, Tagovailoa's 110.9 passer rating ranks No. 1. Allow me to repeat that -- his fourth quarter passer rating is the NFL standard over the last 27 seasons (when Stathead began tracking); it's when he's been his sharpest. It should come as no surprise that the guy who came off the bench to rally his team to a 13-point come-from-behind win in the National Championship Game plays his best when the lights are brightest.
Q: @mgcroteau - Who do you see as leading the charge in the locker room to turn this team around?
A: I think Brian Flores said it best when he talked about the example the players set for themselves with their hard work.
"I like the people in this building," he said. "I love the people in this building. I think we have the right types of players. I think we have a talented group. I think we have a young group. I think we have a developing group. I think we have guys who give great effort, prepare the right way and I enjoy coaching this group. I think there's a lot of the right ingredients here and we've got to find the right formula to help us get over the hump. A lot of people may disagree but that's my belief. I believe in this team. I believe in the people in this building and I'm really unwavering on that."
If you didn't see your question here, listen to the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield where John Congemi and myself get your questions every Friday.
To submit questions, keep an eye on the @WingfieldNFL Twitter handle each Thursday when the mailbag thread goes up.
