3 biggest questions Dolphins must answer coming out of their bye week

The Miami Dolphins should have spent their bye week doing a lot of internal soul-searching. From the players on the field to coach Mike McDaniel and owner Stephen Ross, there are too many concerns with this roster that they must address.

What happens out of the bye week will go a long way toward figuring out the rest of the season and maybe beyond. McDaniel needed to spend his week finding a way to inspire his team and fix the offensive problems. Ross needs to look at the makeup of the roster and where the money is being spent, and he needs to evaluate Chris Grier's performance to see what it actually is. The players, well, they need to hold themselves accountable for what this season has been.

Unfortunately, those problems the Dolphins are dealing with only touch the surface of larger issues they must figure out.

Dolphins must make a commitment to the ground game

For three years, Dolphins fans have been pounding their fists for a more balanced offense. When the run game is working, the Dolphins tend to win. If they rely on the passing game, everything seems to change. It's hard not to throw the ball to Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle, but Miami wins on the legs of De'Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, and the rest of the running backs.

The Dolphins beat the Patriots in Week 5 by running the ball. The problem for McDaniel is that once he gets Tua Tagovailoa back, he will likely lean on the passing game far too much. He can't, especially with Tua back. The Dolphins need balance, and McDaniel must dig deep inside to commit to the run.

Offensive line needs to step up after the bye week

The Dolphins' offensive line does well in the run game. Why? Because they don't have to hold those blocks long. Open a crease and let the backs go. When they are pass-protecting, they have to hold their blocks longer, especially without Tua behind them. They haven't succeeded in that.

With Tua behind center, the release is quicker, but defenses are figuring out how to stop the quick-strike offense, resulting in Tagovailoa scrambling.

It happens far too frequently, which is on Grier and McDaniel for believing they can field a line with players who would be on the second-team units for most teams.

Dolphins need to become more disciplined with penalties

Nothing is worse than a 20-yard run or a 30-yard pass completion being brought back because a lineman held on the play.

Miami has almost no self-discipline. Per NFL Penalties, the Dolphins have the eighth-most penalties in the league despite playing one fewer game than the seven teams ahead of them.

Players are making mental errors on special teams, they are making mental errors on defense, and offensively, the mental mistakes only serve to make their problems more evident.

McDaniel doesn't hold the players accountable. Instead, he wants the players to hold themselves accountable. That doesn't work. Strong head coaches don't need to be validated by their friendships with the players. The players don't need a buddy as the head coach; they need someone they want to fight for.