Despite what the national media forecasted for the Miami Dolphins in 2026, there have been several position groups that have outplayed admittedly low expectations. Until Week 9, one of those groups was the offensive line. That's not to say that they had been perfect or even good, but as a unit, they'd been better than expected.
While pressures are in the eye of the beholder, one thing most can agree on is that quarterback Malik Willis was often under duress against the Detroit Lions. Willis didn't play particularly well, but he certainly deserves credit for escaping several would-be sacks with magician-esque moves.
That's what was required, as Miami's offensive line (and running backs) allowed 12 pressures on just 29 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. That 41 percent pressure rate was Miami's worst since Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and its third-worst showing this season overall. That's only the tip of the iceberg with the O-Line in Week 9, however.
The Miami Dolphins offensive line needs to flush the Lions game from memory and start fresh against the Indianapolis Colts
Pro Football Focus is certainly not perfect. They nonetheless have eyes on every player on every play, trying to assess their performance in every game of the season. Against Detroit, the Dolphins didn't have a single offensive lineman grade out above average when all was said and done.
The best of the bunch was first-round rookie Kadyn Proctor, whose 57.3 offensive grade was only slightly below PFF's "average" grade of 60.0. Tackles Austin Jackson (56.3 offensive grade) and Patrick Paul (52.6) struggled, with Jackson being deemed responsible for two pressures allowed and Paul shouldering the blame for five pressures allowed.
All of that paled in comparison to the miserable afternoons for guard Jonah Savaiinaea (45.8 overall grade) and center Aaron Brewer (36.1). Savaiinaea allowed one pressure and one sack, while Brewer curiously allowed no pressures. Somehow, Brewer still finished with the worst pass-block grade among the offensive linemen, at 26.5.
The Dolphins also limped to a pedestrian 3.7 yard per carry in the run game.
Miami's big boys didn't just struggle physically; they were similarly off their game mentally. They were penalized four times — two apiece for Jackson and Brewer. There were also costly penalties by tight end Will Kacmarek and wide receiver Jared Wayne.
There's only one sensible path forward as it relates to the offensive film from the Lions game: burning it and spreading the ashes in the Atlantic Ocean. No one should have to see that tape ever again. Still, there's reason for hope in how things ultimately unfolded.
I'm not hand-waving away a miserable performance by any stretch — the Lions came into Hard Rock Stadium and bullied the Dolphins' offensive line, full stop. Nonetheless, it's fair to point out that the Lions' defensive line is no joke. Detroit is second in the NFL with 27 sacks this season.
To use a basketball analogy, if I'm giving up 50 points to Kobe Bryant, I can stomach that a little better than getting torched by a role player.
Aidan Hutchinson is one of the league's premier EDGE rushers. He is PFF's top-graded player at his position by overall defensive grade as well as pass-rush grade. In other words, he's been unstoppable this season. His running mate at defensive tackle, Alim McNeill, is no slouch either. He's PFF's fourth-ranked defensive tackle this season by overall grade and 12th as a pass rusher.
I'm not sure if they're quite Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal, but they're without a doubt one of the best D-Line pairings in the league.
The Dolphins will hopefully get better from this game. Regardless, growing pains are to be expected with 25-, 22-, and 21-year-old offensive linemen (Paul, Savaiinaea, and Proctor). There's no shame in getting beat by the best, as long as lessons are learned in the process.
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