The Miami Dolphins were always going to struggle in 2026. They sealed their fate when they gutted the roster in the offseason. Miami's new regime of GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley is off to an inauspicious 0-2 start, getting outscored by 36 points in that span.
Any notion that this team had the makings of some sort of Tony Sparano-esque magic has quickly gone out the window. Like, sure, teams turn around from 0-2 all the time, but not all 0-2 teams are created equal, obviously.
Miami's outlook entering the home opener against the mighty Chiefs on Sunday looks particularly bleak. And there seems to be no end in sight to the suffering, since the only hopeful narratives to cling to have all but evaporated already.
Miami Dolphins offensive line is still a mess on the right side
Austin Jackson was a first-round pick once upon a time. Jonah Savaiinaea was horrible as a left guard last year, but his move back to the right side could turn him into a totally different player, right?
Eh. Not so much. Starting with Jackson, he has PFF's second-worst overall grade among offensive tackles and a dead-last pass-blocking grade through two games. Meanwhile, Savaiinaea has improved, yet his PFF pass-blocking grade still ranks 60th out of 66 qualifying guards.
Before the year, I could've bought into a healthy Jackson regaining his franchise-caliber tackle form and Savaiinaea feeling more at home on the right side, where all his prior experience was. Not anymore.
That makes the margin for error zero for center Aaron Brewer and the left side of the O-line of Patrick Paul and Kadyn Proctor. Three of the five pieces look strong. Can't do much with that.
De'Von Achane is among the most electrifying backs in the league, but this line has only gotten him to 3.5 yards per carry thus far. Not even close to good enough. That's two full yards below Achane's career average.
Turns out, Malik Willis looks incapable of overcoming a subpar supporting cast
All the EPA numbers and advanced stats in the world suggested Malik Willis was an elite quarterback when he played for the Green Bay Packers the last two years. His first couple of games in Miami are a cruel reality check.
Not that anyone expected Willis to perform super well with such an obscure cast of pass-catchers, but he's had only 45 yards rushing in two games. That'd only translate to about 383 on the season over the course of 17 games.
Willis is gonna need to use his wheels a lot more, not just to pick up chunk yards on the ground, but to extend plays and buy his receivers time out of structure. Otherwise, loooong season ahead...
Jeff Hafley isn't really elevating the secondary
This whole notion that Jeff Hafley's background, dominated by coaching defensive backs, was going to be a big help hasn't proven true so far. To be fair, it's still very early, but playing first-round pick Chris Johnson at nickel, while Jason Marshall Jr. gets roasted on the boundary, is certainly a choice.
I get that the Dolphins' personnel in the secondary is pretty lackluster. They're starting a Day 3-drafted rookie at safety, Michael Taaffe, and JuJu Brents has been a disappointment so far for someone with his talent and physical tools.
Doesn't help that Chop Robinson is banged up in the trenches, and Miami doesn't have any viable pass rushers outside of him. Still, you'd be hoping for better at this point.
The 49ers' receiving corps was depleted in Week 2, and Brock Purdy completed 20 of 22 passes. The Raiders didn't have Brock Bowers in Week 1, and Miami could do little to stop Kirk Cousins and Co. It can really only go up from here, but it better get there eventually.
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