3 valuable lessons Dolphins learned ahead of final preseason game

With two of the Miami Dolphins' three preseason games now in the books, we can see what fans are talking about now that the Dolphins are 2-0 and only two weeks from the first game of the NFL regular season.

Miami remained undefeated in the preseason with a 13-6 win over the Washington Commanders.

What were the biggest overreactions to the performance?

What did we learn from Dolphins' second preseason game?

Dolphins defense will make a big jump under Anthony Weaver

The Dolphins have won both preseason contests on the final plays of the game with the defense on the field. Anthony Weaver's defense has looked good thus far, and what might be even more exciting is that he has yet to game plan. So far, Miami's defense is lining up and running through vanilla play calls.

There have been some hiccups with coverages, but Weaver has yet to have Jalen Ramsey, Jevon Holland, and Jordan Poyer on the field. The linebackers are showcasing their speed, and fans are talking about how much more physical the defense is looking.

That is a huge change from last season under Vic Fangio. While not a bad defense, it didn't live up to the hype that Fangio was supposed to bring. In fact, looking back, it seemed that he was having the defense just go through the motions. Weaver stands on the sideline and works with his players directly as they come off the field instead of talking through a phone in the coaching box. It's a noticeable difference.

Dolphins may need to make room on 53-man roster for Erik Ezukanma

EZ-E, as he is called, made a big impression on Dolphins fans Saturday night, and he went from a likely fringe roster spot to probably making the team. It was Ezukanma's first significant action since the 2023 season when a neck injury nearly ended his career.

Ezukanma may still not make the team, but his performance against the Commanders should have been enough to wake up other teams if he got cut. If the Dolphins are hoping he will clear waivers, that might not happen now. Another good outing against the Buccaneers could be the final hill that gets him on the roster.

The backup quarterback situation remains a concern

There simply is no way around these two. They have dominated in-game chatter on social media outlets and continue to be a topic that won't go away. The Dolphins need a backup quarterback for Tua Tagovailoa, regardless of whether they think they do or not. Neither Skylar Thompson nor Mike White has given any indication that they are good enough to handle the starting job if the Dolphins need them to.

There are arguments being made. Neither quarterback has performed with the top offensive weapons this preseason, and both have also been behind rotational offensive line play. The play calling has been vanilla, and the Dolphins have taken shots they may not take in a real game, but there is nothing hiding the problems for both players.

Mike White: White's biggest problem is his pocket-awareness. He has none to speak of. He has held the ball too long, taken unneeded sacks, and rushed his throws. He has a big arm and seems to be a little more patient than Thompson as well as a bit more accurate but it is a marginal difference at best.

Skylar Thompson: Thompson has a cannon for an arm but he has accuracy issues that can't be overlooked. He misses easy throws at the wrong time and forces throws that he shouldn't make. It's preseason, so there are risks taken that may not be in the regular season, but it isn't something that looks impressive on tape the next day or live during the game. Thompson does continue to move his feet and can feel the pressure in the pocket better, but when he scrambles away from pressure, he tends to lose focus of what is in front of him and that leads to more errant throws.

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