Jeff Hafley finally coached a real NFL game as a head coach. It will be interesting to see what he changes as the season goes along. The Miami Dolphins played physically from the start and never let up, but the Las Vegas Raiders ultimately handled business at home with a 27-13 defeat of the good guys.
Hafley has said that wins won't be what defines this first season. That's a good thing, because the consistency of this team is going to be a problem.
It wasn't all horribly bad; the Dolphins just made self-imposed mistakes that they couldn't overcome. But they will learn from those mistakes, or at least they better. Here are the winners and losers from Miami's first game of their new era.
Miami Dolphins can't overcome individual mistakes that doomed them on Sunday
Offensive line - Loser
Hafley hates pre-snap penalties, and the Dolphins had a couple, and Aaron Brewer's two holds didn't help their cause either. The line played better in pass protection, but they struggled with being physically dominant in the run game.
De'Von Achane carried the ball 11 times for just 36 yards. An average of just 3.3 yards per carry. The Dolphins are not going to win games if the offensive line can't give him more space to operate.
Jacob Rodriguez - Winner
Rodriguez' first game wasn't perfect, but it was pretty close. Fans have been waiting to see what the rookie linebacker was going to bring after being highly touted coming out of college. He didn't disappoint. His vision was good, and he made plays. At one point, he handled Ashton Jeanty on his own and slammed him to the ground.
Rodriguez plays football with an old-school attitude, and his stats showed that on Sunday. The second-round pick finished the game with 14 tackles.
Dolphins defensive line - Loser
This is one of those take a pick of which player was worse. Zach Sieler was often doubled up, but neither Zeke Biggers nor Jordan Phillips stood out. Ashton Jeanty ran through them like they were butter, but the worst was watching the white uniforms get blown off the line by the Raiders' offensive lineman. Vegas made the defensive front look soft.
Caleb Douglas - Winner
Douglas didn't take long to make his presence known in the NFL. He was sure-handed throughout the game, and his route-running ability was on display. It's clear that he and Willis have a good connection on the field.
Douglas was so good on Sunday that the Raiders changed their coverage to keep him from getting open. It's a notable thing when you play well enough to create a defensive coverage shift, especially as a rookie.
Dolphins special teams - Loser
The Dolphins' special teams, specifically the kickoff team, were horrible. They gave up two 40-plus-yard returns that set the Raiders up at the 50-yard line. These are mistakes that will leave the Dolphins fighting from behind all the time.
Riley Patterson made two plays on returns, forcing the ball carrier out of bounds, but he contributed to his own mess as well. He missed a chip-shot field goal near the end of the third quarter.
If there was a bright spot, Jaylen Wright took a kickoff 70 yards, but the Dolphins failed to punch it in thanks to the aforementioned miss by Patterson.
The safeties - Winners
Zayne Anderson gave fans a glimpse of why he was named a starter. Anderson can hit, and hit hard. Michael Taaffe got his first NFL career interception and could have had two if he had turned around on a pass that dropped next to him. The rookie showed good instincts. Dante Trader Jr. added his first interception of the season as well.
All of the safeties did a good job of keeping the plays in front of them and reacting to the ball. Entering the game, it was supposed to be a major weakness; on Sunday, it wasn't.
Malik Willis - Loser
Willis looked good at times and bad at times. Some of his throws were highly questionable, including his interception. There could have been more, and he is lucky there wasn't. Despite those throws, he also ran for a 14-yard touchdown and was poised in the pocket.
There were plays that Willis left on the field, but his patience in the pocket was good. It was refreshing to watch a QB who let his players find open zones downfield rather than calling a two-second count and throwing. Willis can't afford to wait as long as he does all the time, but on Sunday he was efficient; he needs to get more consistent.
One thing that stood out as something that needs to change immediately is the pacing of the offense, especially when time is of the essence. Willis took too much time getting the offense lined up. His time management at the end of the first half was ridiculous, and late in the 4th quarter, there was no urgency on offense.
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