The Miami Dolphins didn't look good for the better part of Friday's 20-7 preseason loss on Friday night. The Washington Commanders didn't need to be perfect to take advantage of the Dolphins' youth.
Aside from the first series of their game, the Dolphins struggled in every aspect of every unit. It showed just how far away they are from where they need to be.
A preseason game means nothing in terms of regular season success, but it gives fans an insight into how players are performing and identifies areas of concern. There were plenty of them on Friday, but not all of them should cause concern.
Miami Dolphins opening preseason loss makes minor issues seem bigger
The Dolphins defensive line is not a problem
Miami's starting unit was only on the field for a small number of snaps. They relied on their depth at the position to finish the game. There were struggles with stopping the run and getting pressure on the quarterback.
It may have seemed bad watching the Commanders run through Miami's line, but without Zach Sieler, Kenneth Grant, and Jordan Phillips on the field, it should have been expected. This unit should be just fine. Miami gave up more than 146 yards on the ground; that isn't going to cut it, but again, without the starters playing, expectations were not high.
WRs look worse thanks to the QBs
It wasn't pretty for guys like Tutu Atwell, Jaelan Reagor, and Jalen Tolbert. Tolbert caught just one of these three targets. Atwell and Reagor didn't catch the one pass each of them got. Miami's passing game outside of Malik Willis was beyond bad. Quinn Ewers managed just one completion, and it wasn't because passes were being dropped.
The WR group may not be elite, but there is reason for hope. Caleb Douglas and Malik Washington both looked solid in limited work, and Chris Bell is still working his way back onto the field. The Dolphins are going to struggle, but Friday didn't provide enough reasons to be concerned. The bigger issue is what happens if Willis goes down.
The starting offensive line
Jonah Savaiinaea held his own on the first drive of the game. He opened nice lanes for De'Von Achane. Savaiinaea was a problem last year, but this year he is showing signs that he is turning it around. The rest of the starters looked good as well. Patrick Paul and Kadyn Proctor got early work in on the left side of the line. If they can stay healthy, there is a lot of promise along the trench, but they have to stay healthy because the depth is more of a concern than originally thought.
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