The most exciting thing about a preseason game is that it officially ends the lack of NFL football over the last six months. For the Miami Dolphins, it was also a chance to see the young roster for the first time in a game situation.
The Dolphins couldn't pull off a victory over the Commanders, but there was still quite a bit to take away from the game, some good and some bad.
Hafley will have a lot of work ahead of him when they get back to Miami. For the Dolphins, it's not about a single-season game; it's about direction, which is why it's hard to fault anyone for their play on the field, truly.
Miami Dolphins will have a lot of work to do before the 2026 regular season begins
The offense could be better than expected
Malik Willis' one-and-only drive resulted in a touchdown. The offense moved the ball consistently well with a mix of run and pass. De'Von Achane showed he is already in mid-season form. In the trench, the Dolphins' starting offensive line looked good, but they were also playing against backups. Overall, it was a good early outing for the first group.
Jacob Rodriguez has a lot to learn
It's too early to judge the second-round rookie. He had a couple of good plays, including a batted pass, but he didn't register a tackle officially. He also overcommitted on a couple of running plays, and that caused him to get tangled up on the line. There is a lot of work ahead of him, but it is promising nonetheless.
Quinn Ewers future is on thin ice
The backup QB may not be the understudy for Willis for long if he continues to play as he has throughout camp. Fans had hoped that he was taking risks in practice, but that wasn't the case. Ewers was off-target, indecisive, and didn't look close to what he did in his three starts last season. This game isn't going to draw interest from other teams. Luckily for Ewers, Cam Miller showed he is nowhere close to competing for his job.
Defensive front could be a problem
With the starters taking most of the night off, the rookies and backups got plenty of time on the field. It wasn't pretty. The Commanders' backups ran all over the Dolphins' defensive line. The edge rushers couldn't get off blocks, and the interior of the line couldn't push into the pocket. Too many linebackers and safeties were needed to make plays. This could be a serious problem for Hafley.
Malik Willis isn't as fast as advertised
There was a lot of talk during the offseason about how much speed the Dolphins quarterback would bring to the offense. In the few runs he made on Friday night, he looked sluggish, tough, but slower than what was billed. It's not a big thing, as fans would rather have a quarterback who is good at throwing the ball, and he did well. The Dolphins don't want Willis running right now; they want him learning the system and executing it. He did that well on Friday night.
Add us as a preferred source on Google