When the Miami Dolphins defense is on the field in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders, the entire unit will play like falling dominoes. There isn't a single player who will turn the game in Miami's favor, but rather a group effort that stymies the Raiders' plans.
The Dolphins may be young, and they may be experienced, but head coach Jeff Hafley has had several weeks to put together a game plan that fits with what his players do well. If he is smart, the Dolphins will attack immediately and not let up.
Las Vegas isn't built to be a steamrolling offense. Without star tight end Brock Bowers, they will need to rely heavily on Ashton Jeanty and their collection of unproven playmakers. It's up to Miami's defense to make that hard to do. Here are the four keys for a successful start to the season defensively for the Dolphins.
Jeff Hafley has the Miami Dolphins defense in a perfect situation to start the season strong
Stopping Ashton Jeanty
The Dolphins have to keep Jeanty from having a big game and controlling the flow of the offense. The second-year running back came up just shy of 1,000 yards in his rookie season. Jeanty scored five touchdowns on the ground and caught another five.
Jeanty is similar to what the Dolphins have in De'Von Achane. He is versatile, quick, and can create mismatches on the boundary. The Raiders' receiver unit isn't frightening. Their best WR is Tre Tucker, but he only accounted for 696 yards last season. QB Kirk Cousins is better than he was last season, but at this point in his career, he needs to rely on his best offensive playmaker, and that's Jeanty.
Putting pressure on Kirk Cousins
Cousins found himself as the backup in Atlanta last year, and Dolphins fans were able to see them rip his offense apart. Defensively, the players may have changed for Miami, but there is still a good core that can get to the QB. Beating the Raiders comes down to stopping Jeanty, and an easy way to do that is to force Cousins into mistakes. He makes a lot of mistakes.
The defensive plan goes hand in hand. If you take Jeanty out of the game, Cousins has to carry it himself, and even with the Dolphins' inexperience on defense, they should be able to keep the Raiders' offense off the field. Cousins is going to struggle against pressure, so Hafley has to keep it steady throughout the game, and that will also feed into Chop Robinson's 2026 debut.
Rookie Jacob Rodriguez has to step up
The Dolphins know what they have in Jordyn Brooks. He is a tackling machine, but fans have listened to the Rodriguez talk since he was drafted. Miami likes him so much that they released Tyrel Dodson. Rodriguez has to show his fluidity on the field, and he can't overcommit against Jeanty as he did at times during preseason.
More importantly, Rodriguez needs to create turnovers. His ability to punch the ball to the ground will go a long way toward giving the Dolphins' offense a chance. If the rookie can take control of his side of the field and not allow himself to be taken out of plays, he will have a big game that dictates the outcome.
The loss of Brock Bowers will put more pressure on the young LB. Vegas will likely rely more heavily on Jeanty, who contributed 346 receiving yards last year.
The Dolphins secondary has to play above expectations
We have pretty much pointed out that stopping Jeanty and Cousins is imperative, but this will only work if the Dolphins' secondary plays above expectations. Chris Johnson reportedly will take an inside role to start the year. That puts Jason Marshall Jr. and JuJu Brents on the boundaries.
The Raiders don't have burners on offense, and even if they did, Cousins isn't the same QB he used to be. The Raiders are likely to work the middle of the field and take 10-yard shots to keep a methodical approach to the game. It's a simple, eat the clock and move the chains, philosophy.
All the corners have to do is not let the receivers get behind them. Play physical at the line and keep the WRs off their routes. If Miami's front gets pressure, the corners and safeties will have opportunities to take the ball away, but they have to be in position.
Much as is the case for Rodriguez, there will be more attention to the boundary receivers with Bowers out. They can't summarily wave off Michael Mayer, who will take over for the TE, but he isn't on the same level as Bowers. The Vegas receiving group is not very good, but will still test Miami's youth.
Add us as a preferred source on Google