The Miami Dolphins welcomed Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Chase Brown and company to Hard Rock Stadium for a clash in sunny South Florida on Sunday — with Jeff Hafley’s squad looking for their first win on the season. Unfortunately for Miami, as the dust settled, the Dolphins fell to their opponent once again — dropping their record to a disappointing 0-5 on the season.
There were some positives to take away from Sunday’s 31-24 loss, including another encouraging outing from running back Ollie Gordon
II. Unfortunately, Miami’s special teams continued to be a problem, and quarterback Malik Willis delivered a performance that made overcoming the team’s other shortcomings nearly impossible.
As we do after every game, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Miami’s week five loss to Cincinnati.
GOOD
Ollie Gordon II continues to make the most of his opportunity
Losing De’Von Achane to a season-ending knee injury was a significant blow to Miami’s offense. Achane was one of the Dolphins’ most explosive playmakers, and replacing that kind of production was never going to be easy.
Enter Ollie Gordon II.
The second-year running back continued to show that he deserves a significant role in Miami’s offense, finishing Sunday’s contest with 88 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Gordon averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and repeatedly gave the Dolphins a reliable option on the ground with his hard running style.
Gordon opened the scoring for Miami with a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, capping off the team’s opening drive and giving Dolphins fans a reason to believe this offense might finally be finding something to build around.
While the Dolphins ultimately came up short, Gordon’s performance was another encouraging sign. He ran with physicality, showed patience by allowing his blocks to develop, and did a good job turning his opportunities into productive gains.
Miami needs to find an offensive identity without Achane, and Gordon is making a strong case that the ground game can remain a meaningful part of that identity. Miami’s power-back deserves credit for stepping into a larger role and delivering. Predictably, there are very few bright spots on this winless football team, but Gordon’s continued development is certainly one of them.
BAD
Miami’s weak special teams unit strikes again
While going against Burrow, Chase and and the rest of the Bengals’ offense was always going to be a tough match-up, the Dolphins immediately made things harder for themselves by allowing an 81-yard return on the opening kick.
That massive kickoff return set up and easy opening drive for Cincinnati — which ultimately ended in just three plays with a touchdown pass from the opposing quarterback. Miami had barely settled into the game before finding themselves in a hole, and the special teams breakdown immediately put additional pressure on a team that has struggled to play complementary football all season long.
A strong special teams unit could be a source of stability for a struggling ball club. Instead, Miami continues to surrender field position and give opponents easy opportunities they should have to work for instead.
The problems weren’t limited to the opening kickoff, either. Dolphins’ kicker Riley Patterson also missed an extra point following Kevin Coleman Jr.’s fourth-quarter receiving touchdown. It didn’t matter much in the end since Miami didn’t recover the ensuing onside kick (surprise, surprise), but leaving a point on the field only added to the frustration of the day.
The Dolphins have enough problems to address without their special teams unit adding another one to the weekly checklist.
UGLY
Malik Willis’ three turnovers sink Miami
There’s plenty of season left, but Malik Willis’ performances are leaving more to be desired thus far — to put it lightly. His three turnover day on Sunday was the defining story of the Dolphins’ latest defeat.
Willis finished with 15 completions on 27 attempts for 136 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble — bringing his Sunday total to three turnovers. His late rushing touchdown provided a little life to his statline, but it couldn’t erase the damage done earlier in the contest.
The turnovers were bad enough, but the decision-making and inconsistency surrounding them made matters worse.
Miami needs their quarterback to protect the football, make sound decisions, and give the offense a chance to compete. Instead, Willis repeatedly put the Dolphins in difficult situations by going “big-play-hunting” instead of taking what the defense gave him — making an already challenging afternoon even harder.
The first half was particularly damaging, as Miami struggled to sustain drives while Cincinnati built a 21-7 lead. The Bengals capitalized on their opportunities, while the Willis-led Dolphins failed to make the plays necessary to keep pace.
To be fair, Willis isn’t operating in a perfect situation. His supporting cast is largely inexperienced and they’ve had their own struggles, but a good quarterback lifts his team up when times get tough, and Willis isn’t doing that at the moment. Despite his struggles, the flashes he’s shown, while infrequent, should remind the fanbase that his athleticism can be a mighty weapon — as demonstrated by his 39-yard scramble late in the game. He finished the contest with six carries for 63 rushing yards.
However, the turnovers are impossible to ignore. A quarterback can survive an occasional bad throw. He can overcome a stalled drive or a negative play. What he cannot do is consistently hand the opposition extra possessions and expect the rest of the team to compensate.
At 0-5, the Dolphins need to determine whether Willis can be a dependable part of their future or whether they need to explore other options. Sunday’s performance did little to inspire confidence, but again, there are plenty of games to go. For the sake of the franchise, let’s hope he turns things around.
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The Dolphins find themselves sitting at 0-5 heading into a much needed bye week. They have a lot of things to work on in all aspects of the game. Do you think they can come back from their off week with a victory against the New York Jets? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @MBrave13. Fins up.
