The Miami Dolphins opened their preseason schedule on Friday night, and it took one series for Malik Willis to show off what he can bring to the offense.
Jeff Hafley's first game as an NFL head coach offered a taste of what the future will hold, at least with his starters. The rest of the team needs a lot of work. It's a small sample size, but there is tape to work off of now.
While the Dolphins played their starters against the Commanders' backups early in the game, the Commanders played against mostly rookies and inexperienced veterans. It evened out in the first half. With the game now in the books, we can look at those players that shined bright and some of those who didn't.
Miami Dolphins leave Washington with positives and negatives after beating the Commanders
Malik Willis - QB - Winner
The Dolphins' new QB couldn't have done any better than he did in the one series he played in. He was accurate, poised, and in command. He led the Dolphins on a 91-yard touchdown drive to open the game, missing on only one pass that was caught with one foot out of bounds. Willis' play was exactly what Dolphins fans needed to see.
Quinn Ewers - QB - Loser
The momentum was on the Dolphins' side early, but it's preseason, and things change quickly. Ewers was unable to move the ball deep into Commanders' territory on his first drive and delivered an interception on his second. Ewers has struggled throughout training camp, and it appears he isn't ready to turn that corner just yet. In over two quarters of work, Ewers completed just one pass on eight attempts. His second completion was to the Commanders' defense.
Caleb Douglas - WR - Winner
Douglas' routes were flawless despite an awareness of the sideline. The rookie looked fantastic in his debut. He caught a 28-yard pass in tight coverage that he tipped into the air, stayed with it, and brought it in as he fell to the ground. Douglas' night lasted as long as Willis' did, but in his short number of snaps, he showed why Jon-Eric Sullivan was so high on him.
Dolphins entire secondary - Loser
An overthrown pass in the first quarter gave the Dolphins an early interception; for the rest of the game, Miami's secondary let the Commanders pick them apart. If not for self-inflicted mistakes by Washington, the Dolphins could have been blown out more than they were. Chris Johnson looked good in a limited set of snaps, but the list ends there.
Cameron Goode - LB - Winner
Goode is easily on the roster bubble, but in his second-half work, he did well plugging holes. He also broke through the line to sack the Commanders' QB. Goode needs to excel over the final three weeks before final cuts are made. Friday was a good time to put himself in front of his head coach.
Cam Miller - QB - Loser
If what they say about Miller having a canon for an arm is true, he didn't show it on Friday night. Miller was atrocious, and the only player who should be thanking him is Ewers. Miller just gave the Dolphins a reason not to get rid of Ewers.
Miller threw two interceptions against the Commanders and could have thrown at least two others had they not been dropped. He was lost most of the game, lacked pocket awareness, but his accuracy was a huge problem. The Dolphins may need to start thinking about going outside the organization for help.
Ollie Gordon - RB - Winner
Gordon ran with conviction when the ball was put in his hands. It was clear that he isn't ready to give the second position on the depth chart to Jaylen Wright without a fight. Wright played quite well in his limited number of snaps as well. This is becoming a good competition.
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