Miami, FL
Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Grier, O-Line, Tua, and More
Part 2 of the post-Bills game Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:
From Josh Streimer (@Josh_streimer):
Any reason to be optimistic?
Hey Josh, there are many reasons to be optimistic, starting with the playmakers on offense and a defense that’s actually played pretty well the first two games. But, without questions, there are reasons for concern as well and I can understand Dolphins fans being very dejected at this moment.
From Lloyd Heilbrunn (@LloydHeilbrunn):
Do you think Chris Grier is worried about the OL yet? Putting an injury-prone QB behind this OL is GM malpractice…
Hey Lloyd, yeah, not sure how to respond to this, other than the Dolphins (and not just Grier) overestimated what they could get done with a less-than-ideal offensive line. But it also should be said that every quarterback is going to face pressure at one point or another.
From Ed Helinski (@MrEd315):
In your opinion, what level of disarray are the Dolphins at after these first two games?
Hey Ed, hmm, I’m not sure if disarray is the right word, but it’s safe to say that things have gone off the rails a bit. And if we’re already talking about a lost season, then maybe the team didn’t do a good enough job in terms of securing a solid backup quarterback.
From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):
Hey, Alain. If Tua misses significant time, are we sure the Dolphins will get a veteran QB to start over Skylar Thompson? My biggest concern is that Miami would get a terrible QB to act only as another emergency backup behind Skylar. In this scenario, our season is over. Thanks!
Hey Chris, if I had to guess, I would not count on a “big-name” quarterback being added. And I’m only not on board with the notion that the season is over if Thompson has to start a few games because then we’re suggesting this team was all about Tua, and I don’t buy that notion.
Cold Day In the Sun(@cjb8511):
Is there any answer for the run defense?
Well, was the run defense really that bad against the Bills? Yes, the 49-yard touchdown was ugly, but Buffalo’s running backs averaged barely 3 yards per carry outside of that one play. So I don’t agree that the run defense has been horrible.
From Mark Lever (@MarkFinsfan):
Is there a backup QB that you would like to see the Dolphins pursue? What are the chances Tua returns in a few weeks?
Hey Mark, those two questions are tied, in my mind. I honestly don’t know, nor do I want to speculate, when Tua could be back. If it’s going to be a long-term absence, then I would advocate a call to the Rams to see if they’d be willing to part with Jimmy Garoppolo. If we’re looking at a short absence, I’m not sure there’s anybody out there who would represent a clearly better option than Skylar Thompson, with maybe Mike White coming back to serve as Thompson’s backup.
From will w. (@Willmvg):
How did the front office and coaches miss so bad on the trench play?
This is a case of them always believing that, first, their scheme can making everything work and, second, that they coach up players to constantly improve and they invariably will get better.
From Inphintry (@jayayemsea):
Russell Wilson?
Why? He was kind of brutal last season with Denver and by all accounts wasn’t much more impressive in training camp with the Steelers this summer. And, as with every quarterback under contract, why would the Steelers hurt their depth and leave themselves without a backup.
From TP (@BoatsNhops):
Why is this franchise cursed and when will it end?
Do you mean the franchise with the only perfect season in NFL history, two Super Bowl titles and most recently two straight playoff appearances? If you check with the folks in Cleveland and Detroit, for example, they might look at you funny about this comment, though it’s fair to say things haven’t gone well for a while. But curse? Nah.
From Rico’sRoughNcks (@TheFin22):
Thursday’s game summarized Tua’s NFL career: poor performance against quality team & injury prone. Does MIA’s brass finally do the inevitable and utilize an early draft pick on a QB? Regardless of the future of Tua’s career, trust in him is minimal at best.
Hey Rico, if Tua returns — and the reports Sunday morning was that he’s not contemplating retirement — the Dolphins are committed to him and I simply don’t see them spending a high pick on a QB as long as he’s on the roster.
From Ahula EXTREA Verified (@GrandAhlu):
Couldn’t tell on TV. What did BUF do that stopped McDaniel? TOs killed but regardless Tua didn’t seem to find anywhere he wanted to go. Didn’t BUF have soft safeties that could have been exploited with crossing route, especially if corners were sitting back deep? No McDaniel adjustments?
As is usually the case when the offense gets shut down, it was a combination of the defense playing very soft coverage, the pass rush getting to Tua pretty quickly, and the defenders tackling well. The Dolphins did move the ball at times, but didn’t finish drives and turned the ball over. And the Dolphins simply weren’t sharp offensively and the result is what we saw.
The HotChili (ImBoomBoomPow):
Do you think all the pre-snap motion is designed to compensate for the poor play of the offensive line, due to their inability to hold a block? It seems like every snap, Tua has got guys in his face in a split second.
There are a couple of reasons for the pre-snap motion, one of which is to get a read on the coverage, another is to try to get the defense off balance, and those supersede the idea of helping the pass protection.
From Jorge Fernandez (@jfdad):
Need to withdraw from football after being at game yesterday emotionally drained and unable mentally to talk Fins. Another season of misery. Thank goodness leaving for Europe for 3 weeks.
Hey Jorge, it’s two games and the Dolphins are 1-1, so it’s a bit soon for any dramatic statements. Oh, and enjoy Europe!
From El Ax (@axLopezC):
Hey Poup, is Skylar T. a better player (QB) than Ryan Tannehill? Did Ryan leave the Dolphins unhappy or feeling betrayed? Why in the world is not a good idea to bring him back? If McDaniel is a great offensive mind and QB healer, couldn’t he make Ryan play for this Dolphins? Tks!!
Ryan Tannehill is a better quarterback than Skylar Thompson, but he’s got no experience in the scheme the Dolphins run and his skill set also isn’t well suited for what they like to do. The Dolphins took very good care of Tannehill while he was in Miami and he has zero reason to feel betrayed or have any animosity toward the organization.
From Tim Ski (@TimSki22):
Why, after proving ineptitude on multiple levels, is Grier still in charge of personnel?
Hey Tim, without addressing the quality of his work, I will tell you that he’s got the full support of Stephen Ross and the fact he gets along with everybody has played a role in that because Ross mentioned after the firing of Brian Flores the importance in his eyes of having folks who work well together.
From Mick (@Mrac317):
Do you think Mike McDaniel is a genius?
Hey Mick, simple answer is no. I do think he’s got a very good offensive mind, but “genius” would be stretching things.
The full 2026 NFL schedule was released on Thursday night — including dates and times for all 17 regular season Miami Dolphins games. However, following that release, the NFL also released preseason schedules for all teams — and a familiar face will be returning to Miami to face-off against the team that made him the #5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was released by the Dolphins this offseason, but quickly found a new home in Atlanta with the Falcons. During the final week of preseason action, Tagovailoa will be returning to South Florida when the Falcons play the Dolphins on Friday, August 28th at 7:00 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium.
It is not uncommon for NFL teams to practice against each other for a few days leading up to a preseason showdown, so Tagovailoa may find himself on familiar ground for longer than one game if the Dolphins and Falcons choose to mix it up in Miami Gardens ahead of their Week 3 preseason tilt.
Of course, plenty of teams rest starters during the final week of the preseason, so Tagovailoa may not actually end up seeing the playing field when the game kicks off, but seeing the former first-rounder on the sidelines again in Miami — albeit on the visiting sideline this time around — will be a peculiar sight nonetheless.
We will continue to keep you updated on all things Miami Dolphins as the march towards the preseason — and regular season — continues on through the summer.
A group of Miami residents has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump and the state of Florida over a land giveaway for his proposed presidential library.
Almost three acres of prime waterfront land that once belonged to Miami Dade College (MDC) was illegally gifted to the US president by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, the lawsuit states.
It cites the domestic emoluments clause of the US constitution that prohibits a sitting president from receiving any personal gain, profit or advantage from their position.
The action was brought in US district court for the southern district of Florida by the Washington DC-based Constitutional Accountability Center (CAC) on behalf of plaintiffs including an MDC student, a Miami non-profit, and residents, who state the land “is no longer available to serve MDC’s student community and downtown Miami”.
Instead, the filing states, “the land will house a Trump hotel that brings riches to the President”.
Plans for the “gaudy” project were unveiled in March, to be built next to Miami’s iconic Freedom Tower, the historical landmark and community art museum. A giant golden statue of the president will stand before a 50-story tower block that will feature the controversial $400m Boeing “flying palace” jumbo jet gifted to him by Qatar, but not yet in service, in its cavernous lobby.
At the time, Trump said the building was “most likely going to be a hotel”.
The land on which it will sit, the lawsuit said, is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Rather than prevent President Trump from using the gifted land for personal gain, Florida … required that the conveyed land include only ‘components of a Presidential library, museum, and/or center’, leaving the door open for the President to develop the property in any way he sees fit,” the CAC said in a statement.
The library has already been the subject of one lawsuit that claimed MDC trustees, most of them handpicked by DeSantis, erred by originally handing the land to the state in September during an unadvertised meeting with no public discussion.
The board held a do-over in December, and voted unanimously to proceed with the transfer.
The Guardian has contacted the Trump Presidential Library Foundation and DeSantis’s office for comment.
To no one’s surprise, FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF engaged in a scorefest May 13 at TQL Stadium.
A hat trick by one of the best goalscorers in the history of the game, Lionel Messi, sparked Miami to a 5-3 win. Miami scored three times from the 79th minute on to come from behind.
A sellout crowd of 25,513 witnessed the showdown, the club’s sixth home sellout of the season.
FC Cincinnati falls to 4-5-4, staying at 16 points, taking its first loss since April 4 at Red Bull New York. Miami improves to 7-2-4 for 25 points, improving to 7-1-1 on the road this season. Miami moved into second place in the Eastern Conference behind Nashville. Cincinnati started the night tied for fifth but could drop depending on games later on.
Second half highlights as FC Cincinnati squandered a late lead
Cincinnati took a 3-2 lead in the 64th minute.
Evander fired a rocket from the top of the 18 into the top left corner. Deneky passed ahead to him, then he maneuvered around two defenders, and no one stepped up to him. It is Evander’s seventh goal of the season.
Miami tied it in the 80th minute, 3-3.
After a Cincy turnover, Rodrigo De Paul quickly found Messi in transition, who delivered to Mateo Silvetti. Silvetti, playing his first game in a month, maneuvered in space and scored from the top of the box for his fourth of the season.
Miami took a 4-3 lead in the 83rd. A Messi free kick from 35 yds was saved by Cincy keeper Roman Celentano. He collided with Andrei Chirila, which knocked the ball out of his hands. Miami’s German Berterame pounced on the rebound to give Miami the lead, his fourth goal of the season.
Chirila landed hard after the collision and was taken out of the game.
Miami took a 5-3 lead when Messi made a sliding shot after a cross from Silvetti. The ball went off the post, then off Roman Celentano, who was on his stomach trying to get the ball, then in. Messi was credited with the goal and a hat trick.
FC Cincinnati took a 2-1 lead in the 49th minute.
Pavel Bucha scored from close range. He took a crossing pass from Bryan Ramirez after Denkey found him on the left side in transition.
It was Bucha’s second goal of the MLS season and the second assist for Ramirez. Bucha was hit in the head late in the first half and examined by trainers, but stayed in the game.
Moments later, Messi had a free kick from 30 yards saved by Celentano.
Messi scored again in the 56th minute to tie it, 2-2. He had a nice give-and-go with Rodrigo De Paul, who dribbled near the end line and crossed to him from the right side. Messi was unmarked and scored easily from near the penalty spot.
In the 62nd minute, Luis Suarez missed an open shot that Celentano saved, set up by a quick transition by Miami.
Miami ended with 17 shots to 10 for Cincinnati, six on target. After an even first half, Miami controlled the expected-goals mark, with 4 to 1.6 for the home team.
First half highlights
Messi scored from close range in the 24th off a turnover by Matt Miazga. Miazga tried to pass to a teammate on the side but the pass went straight to Messi.
He had a goal in the fifth minute waved off by offsides.
In the 32nd minute, Cincinnati won a corner kick, which Evander placed right in front of the goal line but the ball was cleared away.
In the 42nd minute, a Kevin Denkey penalty kick tied it up. Denkey drew the PK after collecting a good pass into the box by Pavel Bucha and being grabbed by Gonzalo Lujan. Denkey converted for his team-high eighth goal of the season.
The first half was tied 1-1 and virtually even on statistics. Both sides had seven shots, one on goal, and 1.1 expected goals. Neither keeper made a save.
What’s next for FC Cincinnati?
Cincinnati heads to the West Coast to play San Diego FC 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16. It is the first meeting between the teams. San Diego, 3-5-4 for 13 points, was set to play Austin later May 13. Cincinnati will leave for California on May 14.
-
News12 minutes agoThe Girls: “This isn’t ringing alarms to y’all?” : Embedded
-
New York2 hours agoMystery Grows Around Representative Thomas Kean Jr.’s Absence
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoMillions of dollars worth of counterfeit luxury goods found in downtown L.A. bust
-
Detroit, MI2 hours ago3 things to love about Lions 2026 schedule
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoTrump derangement syndrome: San Francisco can’t let baseball be baseball
-
Dallas, TX2 hours ago2026 Dallas Cowboys schedule officially announced
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoTua Tagovailoa will return to Miami for preseason contest against Dolphins
-
Boston, MA3 hours agoWeekend Happenings: Panda Fest and more