The Miami Dolphins' third loss of the season left fans with a positive impression. The Dolphins played a solid game for four quarters against one of the better teams in the NFL. The Chiefs were a top-10 defense and one of the top offenses in the league. The Dolphins didn't stop fighting.
Miami made mistakes that cost them points and could have changed the outcome of the game, but overall, it was too much to expect against Kansas City. The Dolphins were within four points deep into the 4th quarter until Patrick Mahomes led a short field drive from the 50 after a failed 4th-and-6 attempt by Willis and the Dolphins.
There is a long way to go for this team, but the positives are starting to look much better after what fans witnessed over the course of the first two games.
Miami Dolphins can't overcome their own mistakes despite a hard-fought loss in Week 3
The Dolphins offense is getting better
The Dolphins showed signs of life on Sunday. They cut down on some of the mental mistakes that have been made in the first two weeks. With no De'Von Achane for all but a few plays, Miami's offense still managed to move the ball with Ollie Gordon on the field.
The team's 17-play opening drive touchdown was six seconds less than their 14-play drive against the 49ers a week ago. That series died at the 10-yard line; Miami punched this one in.
Bobby Slowik is making the most of what little he has to work with, but against the Chiefs, there were some very nice drives that kept the game close. They gave fans an idea of what this offense can become.
Miami needs a new place kicker
In the NFL, players are consistently making 50-plus field goals, even more than 60. The Dolphins don't have that in Miami. Riley Patterson is a liability at this point. With the game 14-7 at the end of the first half, Miami had to punt on 4th and long because there was no faith that Patterson could make a 58-yard attempt.
If this doesn't change, the Dolphins are going to leave points on the field, and this team can't afford to give up any points, let alone ones they won't even attempt. Patterson can't get any better. His 2025 season warranted him being brought back, but after three games, it's time the Dolphins start looking somewhere else for help.
Penalties continue to kill drives
A consistent problem since the start of the season has been pre-snap penalties, but the bigger issue is that these infractions tend to come on the wrong side of the 50-yard line. Once Miami moves into the opponent's territory, the offense starts making mistakes.
On Sunday, it was the same again. Deep in Chiefs' territory, an illegal shift took seven points off the board as the Malik Washington TD was called back. This is what is driving Hafley nuts. The Dolphins are too young and inexperienced to have to deal with self-discipline. Players not knowing where to line up is a problem this far into the season.
Overall, the offense at least made strides and cut down the number of mistakes, but it wasn't perfect, and it won't keep their head coach happy either.
Ollie Gordon's incredible day
With Jaylen Wright out and De'Von Achane leaving the game early with a knee injury, the Dolphins' offense fell on the shoulders of Gordon. He didn't disappoint. When Achane went down, it appeared the Dolphins' offense was doomed, but Gordon shouldered the responsibility, and the offense kept clicking despite the loss.
Gordon has only one game where he was a feature on offense, and it was average, but on Sunday, he kept the Dolphins' offense moving with hard-driving force and soft hands in the passing game. If Achane misses any time, Gordon will give them a far more physically punishing option.
Jacob Rodriguez is going to be elite
Three games into the season, Jacob Rodriguez already looks like a star in the making. What is impressive is that he isn't playing perfect football. The Dolphins' second-round pick is still making small mistakes, but once those get cleaned up with experience, look out!
On Sunday, two plays stood out. A deep pass ricochet interception that saw him nearly traverse half the field to dive for the pick, and a one-on-one textbook tackle of Kenneth Walker. The rookie has a long way to go, but that's the beauty of it. The youngster has fans and media alike talking. Sunday was another good day.
Malik Willis has the tools, lacks consistency
Willis was better than he has been all season, but there is still a lot of work to do. His deep ball passes leave a lot to be desired. He took his shots, but underthrew a pass that was a guaranteed touchdown, and it almost got picked off instead. On three others, he overthrew the receivers.
Willis was strong as a runner, but a scramble deep into Chiefs territory turned into a critical turnover that took potential points off the board. On fourth down, he pressed the ball into coverage under duress, showing he still doesn't have a quick feel for the hot routes.
It was a good game for Willis in some areas, but he isn't proving he can shoulder the entire offense. On Sunday, Willis gave the Dolphins a chance to win, but when it came down to doing enough to pull it off, he couldn't finish.
Dolphins secondary showed signs of life
It wasn't always perfect, but the Dolphins' secondary played a much better game than they have played all season long. Mahomes struggled to find receivers downfield after the first series. The tightened coverage kept the Dolphins in the game. Eventually, the Chiefs found a late-game rhythm, but in a game that easily could have been an absolute blowout, the secondary showed they are getting better.
Dolphins third down defense stands out
Until the final Chiefs touchdown that came on third down, the Dolphins had held Kansas City to just two third-down conversions on the day, finishing 3/7. That's a big improvement over the last couple of games. The Chiefs were also stopped on their only fourth-down attempt.
It's hard to get excited after a loss, but there were a lot of positives to take away on both sides of the ball, especially on a defensive unit that has been outplayed through the first two weeks.
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