Malik Willis had an imperfect (but encouraging) Dolphins debut vs Raiders

Playing quarterback in the NFL is hard. I know, way to state the obvious, right? For Miami Dolphins fans who may be worried about how new starting quarterback Malik Willis performed against the Raiders in Week 1, however, it's an important thing to keep in mind.

All offseason leading up to the start of the 2026 season, all fans have heard from the media is how little established talent remains on Miami's roster following their purge of expensive and (mostly) underperforming players. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley chose to start from scratch instead of trying to build on the unstable foundation left behind by the previous regime, and they chose Willis to lead the charge.

Why? Because even in a game where he completed just 15 of 27 passes, threw an interception, and was sacked five times, he displayed more high-end traits than any QB Miami has had in quite some time. Now, it's about building upon those flashes and putting him in a better position to succeed as the season marches on.

Malik Willis showed why the Miami Dolphins believe in him, even in a lackluster performance

Willis' performance was a tale of two halves in a lot of ways. He ended the first half 9 of 13 for 119 yards, with multiple chunk plays to rookie receiver Caleb Douglas accounting for most of that production. He started the second half hot as well, scoring the Dolphins' only touchdown of the game on a 14-yard scramble just a few minutes into the third quarter.

It all fell apart from there, however, as he began holding onto the ball too long and trying to make up for a poor second half from his offensive line. Even with the collapse late in the game, a few things stood out that fans can get excited about moving forward.

Willis' arm talent jumps off the screen, especially compared to what Tua Tagovailoa offered in that department by the end of his Dolphins career. He can push the ball down the field with ease, and he doesn't need a perfect pocket or to have his feet set to deliver a catchable ball.

His athleticism is an even bigger outlier compared to what Miami fans are used to, and he showed what kind of damage he is capable of doing with his legs on multiple occasions against Las Vegas. If anything, he didn't use them enough to try to keep the offense moving once the pass protection started to break down.

While I appreciate his willingness and effort to stay in the pocket and look for open receivers, this team doesn't have the same level of talent he had while he was in Green Bay. He needs to recognize that picking up yards on the ground will often be his best decision until the players around him get more comfortable in the offense.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik didn't help Willis much either, in my opinion. No matter what the score is or how the game is unfolding, De'Von Achane cannot finish a game healthy with just 15 touches. The running game is their only realistic path to consistent offensive success this season, and it will help take some of the pressure that Willis was clearly feeling in the second half of his debut.

Overall, there is plenty for Miami to work with based on Willis' first start for the Dolphins. He will get a serious test next week against the San Francisco 49ers, and it will be very interesting to see how he adjusts after a disappointing offensive showing in his debut.

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