Part 2 of the post-Week 1 victory SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

What did Sunday’s game reveal about how the offense will use tight ends?

Hey Colindo, if we’re going to go strictly by what we saw against New England, then we’re in for a season where Durham Smythe is going to be the main guy at the position but none of the tight ends will be factors in the passing game. But I’ll stress that this was just one game and the game plan will change weekly based on the opponent and there will be games when I suspect Mike Gesicki will be a major factor. I certainly wouldn’t make clear conclusions off one game.

What kind of wheel barrel would you recommend for carrying cojones?

Ha, Cliffy, good one! Let me dig up the name of my supplier and I’ll get back to you. LOL. On a serious note, while I truly appreciate and respect Mike McDaniel for going for it on fourth-and-7, I’d actually make the argument that going for it on fourth-and-1 from midfield on the first drive was a much more ballsy call. The fourth-and-7 presented a really favorable risk-reward ratio because there was only 24 seconds left in the half and New England had no timeouts left. So for me, McDaniel’s aggressiveness showed up a lot more on a fourth-and-1 at midfield in the first quarter of a scoreless game — and it’s not even close.

Hello Alain. Thanks for all you do. How did Liam play and how did Hunt play? Tua looked rushed at times. He also had time at other times. What is your assessment? All the best, Mark.

Hey Mark, thanks first of all. Without studying the game film, my eyes told me that Liam Eichenberg was so-so against New England and Robert Hunt was pretty solid. On the idea that Tua was rushed at times, this is the NFL and if your quarterback is never rushed in a game, then you’re headed to the Super Bowl. That just doesn’t happen. Yes, Tua was rushed a couple of times, but the pass protection overall actually was not good but very good. I’ve seen some fans in some places complain about it, but again I don’t know what the hell some folks expect or what they're watching.

Should Tua play in a flak jacket throughout his career?

Hey AB, that obviously is a personal decision that Tua has to make and it comes down to him being comfortable wearing that — and most quarterbacks don’t want the extra padding.

From Scott F Kenward (@ScottFKenward):

Do we need another O-lineman? If so, who?

Hey Scott, as I mentioned Tuesday, I would not expect the Dolphins to make a move for an offensive lineman at this time, even in light of the injury to Austin Jackson, the severity of which remains unknown. My expectation is that the Dolphins very well might elevate Larnel Coleman from the practice squad for the Baltimore game if Jackson can’t play. One issue with adding a veteran is there’s just nobody available without some kind of issue, whether it be injury history or scheme fit.

From James Sonny Burnett (@JamesBurnett11):

Who are we releasing to make room for another OL?

Hey James, that’s jumping to conclusions. It’s mid-morning on Wednesday as I’m typing this, and there’s been no move to put Austin Jackson on IR and even if he has to miss a couple of games because of his injury, the Dolphins always have the option of elevating one of their two tackles on the practice squad, Larnel Coleman and Kion Smith. If the Dolphins do end up signing a veteran offensive lineman, I would suspect it would mean Jackson would be headed to IR, and that would be the roster spot opening needed.

How’s Armstead’s run block grading?

Hey there, I have not come across PFF’s grade for the game against New England and I would tell you from my vantage point that he appeared solid both in run blocking and pass protection.

Any idea how many dropped INTs Tua has in his career? Seems like he is the luckiest QB when it comes to that.

Hey there, I do not have that information, and I’d also say it’s subjective anyway. For example, do we consider either of the two near-picks in Week 1 (the one that Tyreek Hill caught after the DB flubbed it and the one where Devin McCourty was waiting for a low ball only to have another DB tip the ball away) as dropped INTs? I would say that Tua certainly has had his share of those kind of passes in his career, but I’m not sure it’s been significantly more than most quarterbacks.

From Jason Mitchell (@Mr_Ivorian):

Hi Alain, always good to get any win against the Pats, but am I alone in feeling a bit underwhelmed by Miami’s performance? And do you think Gesicki’s days are numbered given his lack of targets? Thanks as always.

Hey Jason, last question first, no, Gesicki’s days are not numbered based on the lack of targets in Week 1. First, that could and likely will change from week to week. Second, and more importantly, Gesicki is not going anywhere in 2022 with the Dolphins paying him $10.9 million unless they decide to trade him — and even then it probably would take a pretty good offer for the team to make that move. As for the team’s performance, I would say you have every right to not be overwhelmed because I’m not sure it was a dominant performance, but it also was a 13-point win against a team that made the playoffs last season and it featured two elements that will be key to the success of the team in 2022 — the game-changing play on defense and the quick-strike ability on offense. Also remember that this was Week 1 and the Dolphins will get better. So I’d say all in all every Dolphins fan should feel good about this game, at the same time understanding the team will have to get better to reach its goals.

Run game was meh at best IMO. Adjustments to a new scheme? Personnel? Good run D by Pats? Combination of all? Thanks for great reporting Alain!

Hey Dave, first off thanks, the team has been working on the new scheme since the spring, so not buying that as a reason (or excuse) for the running game not producing better numbers. So to me we’re looking at a combination of execution, good run D by the Pats and maybe the wrong play call at times based on the defensive formation. What’s undeniable is the running game will have to get better — and by a lot — before the season is over and it’s going to be tough to make the playoffs.