MIAMI GARDENS ― The Miami Dolphins lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-24, to fall to 0-5.
Running back Ollie Gordon II and cornerback Chris Johnson made plays for the Dolphins.
Miami will have a Week 6 bye followed by a trip to the New York Jets.
It's never a bad time for an Overreaction Monday, so... here goes...
Miami should consider benching Malik Willis
Overreaction? Yes. Malik Willis' performance through five games has been disappointing and unacceptable. But Miami needs to give Willis a handful more starts - at least six or seven more? - before even considering taking a look at young backup quarterback Kyle McCord. Miami must find out how much progress Willis can make in areas like accuracy and decision-making. Or, yes, they will be drafting a quarterback in 2027.
The Dolphins offensive identity is Ollie Gordon II and run game
Overreaction? No. The
Dolphins are sixth in the NFL in yards per rush. It's pretty much what they do best. Expect Miami to lean into Ollie Gordon II and perhaps Jaylen Wright as they continue to attempt to just hang in games and finally pull one off at the end. Miami has something good going on the left side with Patrick Paul at left tackle and Kadyn Proctor at left guard. When running behind Paul, Miami ranks first in the NFL in left tackle point of attack average at 9.57 yards per carry. When running behind Proctor, Miami ranks third in the NFL in left guard point of attack average at 6 yards per carry.
Miami's special teams is historically bad
Overreaction? No. The Dolphins' kickoff coverage is 32nd in the NFL. It's been an embarrassment. The Dolphins' punt coverage is 22nd, not much better. The Dolphins have been strong in punt returns, 6th, and OK on kickoff returns, 19th. But field goal percentage is 20th and net punting is 26th. Special teams coach Chris Tabor must be in pain at this time.
Miami could finish 0-17
Overreaction? Yes. The Dolphins are still on track to most likely finish this season between 1-16 and 4-13. A finish of 2-15 or 3-14 seems where this is headed. It's almost impossible for a team to go 0-17. It's not impossible. But Miami continues to play hard. And one must expect young players will show some development. At the moment the Dolphins would select third in the 2027 NFL Draft, behind the Titans and Chargers. But they are favored to land the No. 1 pick in the next NFL Draft, which would give them great flexibility and some leverage.
More reps for youngsters
Overreaction? No. As tempting as it is to play some veterans a high number of snaps, any and all decisions on playing time moving forward really must be based on a very long-range view. For example, some youngsters like Kyle Louis and Trey Moore (when they return from injury), Max Llewelyn, Rodney McGraw, Mazi Smith, Seydou Traore, Justin Joly, Kaytron Allen and DJ Campbell are among players who might as well get some looks this season. And yes, almost all veterans should be available for trade in November.
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Threads and Instagram and X at @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins overreaction Monday: Consider benching Malik Willis?
