MIAMI GARDENS ― Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis says his play in the first four weeks is "not good enough."
Willis is 26th in the NFL in passer rating and 24th in ESPN's QBR.
"Speaking of holding myself to the level of accountability I try to, it's not good enough," Willis said before a Week 5 home date with Cincinnati. "We don't have any wins yet, obviously. We can't keep blaming stuff on us being young and still everybody being new, like that's not a factor once the season starts."
Some have noted that rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. appeared open underneath on a deep third-down incompletion Willis tried to Chris Bell in a 15-10 loss at Minnesota.
"These are high-speed decisions," Willis said, adding that the play call was determined in advance
based on the expected defensive look.
"It looked good after the play," Willis conceded. "I'm never going to take back anything I do out there, I have no regrets. It might not have worked out how we wanted to. They played softer than they did on film, and that's unfortunate. I won't say, I’m going to go back and be like, “Oh no, somebody said he was open, so I should say–“ no."
ball has to go to Kevin Coleman here
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 5, 2026
pressure's not home yet, Coleman just broke toward the sideline and he's got room to run after the catch
it's 3rd and 8, you get half of that right away with a completion to Coleman here. I think it was a good call from Slowik, Willis has to… https://t.co/5nj7Z970vc pic.twitter.com/4kTFXH3OdI
Willis added that Coleman was short of the first-down marker and that punting and leaning on Miami's defense in the event of an incompletion was a consideration.
"People are just really instant gratification, so they think that way and they’re results-based, but we try to be process-based," Willis said.
Did Malik Willis make poor decision on deep ball to Bell?
Willis said there have been too many missed assignments and penalties.
"We just got to find a way to get points, and the best way to do that is to not shoot ourselves in the foot," he said.
The Dolphins are 32nd in the NFL at 11.5 points per game on offense.
The Bengals defense is 13th, allowing 21.3 points per game.
"They're just a relentless front," Willis said. "They work hard. They have some moves. I try not to get too detailed into that when I'm talking on here, but they do a great job. They added Dexter Lawrence, a big time guy."
While rookie receivers Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman adjust to the pro game, veteran receiver Malik Washington has quietly become a security blanket for Willis.
"He has the best grasp of the offense as far as guys who actually been able to get out there and do it," Willis said. "He's been here, what, three years, and I think he's done a great job progressing. I mean, that's the point that Caleb and Chris and Kevin and all the other guys are trying to get to within this system."
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: Malik Willis says his play 'not good enough' as Dolphins host Bengals
