Miami Dolphins: 10 observations from Week 1 vs. Patriots

Miami Dolphins Week 1 Observations:

5. Kader Kohou is making a name for himself

Perhaps the most concerning positional unit for the Miami Dolphins heading in to the 2022 season was the defensive backs. With Byron Jones out for at least the first four weeks, the team is in need of someone to step up in a big way.

Kader Kohou was that guy on Sunday. Between his tackles-for-loss and solid pass defense, the undrafted rookie began to make a name for himself in his first NFL game. He was one of the most productive players on the defensive side, and the Dolphins could benefit greatly if he is able to build on his Week 1 performance.

6. Linebackers were too quiet

It can be argued that Miami’s linebackers are the least talented unit on the entire team, and they didn’t do much to dispel that notion on Sunday.

Neither Jaelan Phillips nor Andrew Van Ginkel got to the quarterback, and the two amounted to one total tackle between them. Miami had two sacks and six passes defended, none of them coming from linebackers, and Melvin Ingram is the only one who had a tackle for loss.

Much of the yardage that the Patriots were able to gain on the day came at the hands of the Dolphins linebackers, as they had trouble stopping the 7 to 10 yard chunk plays, especially in the first half. They’ll need to clean that up before they go up against one of the best tight ends in the league next week in Baltimore.