Losing to the Las Vegas Raiders wasn't a complete surprise. The Miami Dolphins have a lot of things they need to work on. Fan expectations are not high, as many will judge the season after it is over based on how they look now and how they will look in January.
On one hand, Miami could have put more points on the board, but shot themselves in the foot. They could have prevented at least one score by not extending a drive with an unnecessary penalty.
Overall, the Dolphins stock didn't move at all, but for several players, there was good that stood out and bad that needs to be fixed. Unlike our look at winners and losers, we streamlined it a bit more to look at the guys who saw their value to the team roster.
The Miami Dolphins had more players who stood out for the right reasons rather than the wrong ones
Jacob Rodriguez - Stock Up
Rodriguez had some hiccups in his first NFL game; that's expected. He also had five solo tackles and 14 combined tackles against the Raiders. He didn't make any real splash plays, and he got tangled at the line when he blitzed, but he had a solid command of the defensive scheme and called a good game as the team's "green-dot" communicator.
Caleb Douglas - Stock Up
How anyone could be down on Douglas would be surprising. The third-round rookie entered the offseason already being labeled a bust, but he needed only six more yards to eclipse 100 for the day on just five receptions. Douglas proved he is capable of playing at this level.
Jonah Savaiinaea - Stock Up
The offensive line wasn't very good, or at least not consistent. The left side was much better than the right. Aaron Brewer celebrated his big new contract with two penalties and an inability to drive defenders off the line. That being said, Savaiinaea wasn't bad. He may not have been great, but his expectations are quite low after last season. On a couple of pulls, he managed to create space for De'Von Achane. Overall, it wasn't perfect, but there is optimism that he will be better than last season.
Austin Jackson - Stock Down
On one hand, Jackson managed to play a game without getting hurt. On the other hand, he didn't do much that would have led to him getting hurt. Jackson didn't play well at all, as he allowed constant pressure off the right side and couldn't consistently block in the run game.
Chris Johnson - Stock Up
There are a lot of fans who looked at Johnson's debut as a mess. It wasn't perfect, and he did give up two touchdowns, but Johnson was all over the field playing a new position as the nickelback, and his role was not to sit back and watch plays develop. Johnson had five solo tackles, six more assists, and two passes broken up. Those are not bad snaps. It may not have been perfect, but for a rookie in his first NFL game playing a highly demanding position, it's a good start.
Chop Robinson - Stock Crashed
There is no up and down for Robinson. Whatever positives were coming out of camp crashed on Sunday. He didn't register a tackle, registered no pressures on Kirk Cousins, and failed to consistently set the edge. Robinson was non-existent.
Malik Willis - Stock Down
There were parts of Willis' game that stood out positively. He put a nice touch on his passes, was able to move around the pocket to buy time, and showed what he can do when he runs the ball. There were also missed opportunities because of poor decisions. Sacks that shouldn't have happened because he held the ball too long. Willis needs to develop better awareness, especially when he is outside of the pocket. If it's not there, it's o.k. to throw it away.
Zayne Anderson & Michael Taaffe - Stock Up
You could hear the thud of pads colliding on the broadcast. Anderson was as physical as anyone on the defensive side of the ball, and you could see his approach had rubbed off on rookie Michael Taaffe, who played with the same intensity and fervor. Taaffe got his first pick of the NFL season, but both players showed a lot of promise in theirDolphins' debut.
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