The Las Vegas Raiders are set to begin the 2026 season with a Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins after both teams made significant offseason changes
. To preview the game, Silver and Black Pride reached out to our friends at The Phinsider, and Kevin Nogle was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Dolphins for Raider Nation.Q: From an outsider’s perspective, it looks like the Dolphins are entering a rebuilding season in 2026 (similar to the Raiders). What are the expectations in Miami
for this year’s team? If making the playoffs is considered a long shot, what does a successful 2026 look like?
A: I think, for the most part, if the Dolphins can look competitive, that will be seen as a win. We are all expecting a rough season, but there is hope that they can at least shock a few teams. Miami is set up to be everyone’s trap game this season, and they will be looking to take advantage of that.
“I don’t think we have a choice, honestly,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks said last week when asked if the team was taking on an underdog mindset this season. “I don’t think there’s one outlet on social media, anybody that’s got us picked to win anything. Not that it matters, but that’s just what it is. I don’t think any of our opponents respect us, so 100% underdog mindset and I think that’s always the best position to be in. We’re going to carry that mindset into the season and have that ‘us against the world’ mentality and do our best to win football games.”
This year really is a reset for the franchise. The front office is new. The coaching staff is new. The quarterback and much of the roster is new. Even the team president is new. They are also eating a record-setting $182 million in dead money this year to reset the salary cap. Miami is clearly in a reset, and the product on the field will likely look like it.
Success for this year is if the team that takes the field in Week 18 looks and plays better than the team that hits the field on Sunday. This year’s primary objective has to be the growth and development of the roster’s 18 rookies, five first-year starters, and nine second-year players.
Q: Malik Willis gets a chance to prove himself as a starting quarterback this season after spending the last two years backing up Jordan Love in Green Bay. How do you think new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik will structure his scheme to fit Willis’ skill set? More specifically, the quarterback’s rushing ability?
A: Slowik should run a Shanahan-style West Coast offense with elements of former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s scheme, but likely toned down, with less emphasis on speed, mismatches, and multiple pre-snap motion packages.
There will still be motion, but it will be used to diagnose the defense rather than to create confusion or get wide receivers up to full speed before the snap. We probably will still see the rhythm-based passing game that was a McDaniel staple with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but Willis can take deeper shots and use power on his throws better than Tagovailoa could.
I do think we will see Willis’ legs factor into the game plan. We only saw the Dolphins starters for one series in the preseason, and during joint practices the focus was on pocket passing and building chemistry, not moving Willis around or letting him take off on scrambles. I think we will see more read-option and designed quarterback runs enter into Miami’s offense.
And Dolphins fans may learn they do not have to hold their breath any time the quarterback starts running.
Q: De’Von Achane was a breakout performer in 2026 and earned a big payday in the offseason with a four-year, $64 million contract extension. How can he build on last year’s Pro Bowl campaign? If you were the Raiders’ defensive coordinator, how would you go about stopping (or just slowing down) Achane?
A: Achane has said his goal is the NFL rushing title, and that might be reachable this season. To be fair, he said that is his goal every year, but 2026 might actually be the year he reaches it, given how much of Miami’s offense should run through him. The Dolphins have high expectations for the offensive line this season, which should only make Achane’s job a little easier.
Opposing defenses know Miami’s offense centers on Achane, so they will stack the box to force Willis to throw. If they can get the passing game in any sort of rhythm, it should open lanes for Achane, which then makes the play-action that much more effective. It will all be cyclical, but it starts with Achane.
Back to our discussion about Willis, the read-option will be a huge benefit for Achane. If defenses have to consider the possibility of Willis keeping the ball and running himself, it will cause them to hesitate, and that split-second could be all Achane needs to find space.
And, finally, Slowik should get back to using Achane as a passing threat. There was discussion last year of Miami using him as their slot receiver; he could have that kind of impact in the passing game. It will not help him reach the rushing title goal, but I would expect a decent percentage of Achane’s touches to come through the air.
To stop Achane, make sure you are disciplined in setting the edge. Slowik’s offense should look to stretch the field in the running game, taking advantage of Achane’s speed. Force him back into the middle, and keep your lane assignments covered. I think you were right with your assessment on Thursday: Quay Walker and Naokbe Dean will likely be the key. Stay clean, clog lanes, use Walker to offset some of Achane’s speed advantage, and be prepared for cutbacks.
Q: Defensively, I was a little surprised to see that rookie Jacob Rodriguez will be wearing the green dot over 2025 first-team All-Pro Jordyn Brooks. What have you/the Dolphins’ coaching staff seen from Rodriguez during training camp and the preseason that led to that decision? How do the two linebackers complement each other on the field?
A: I think I was more surprised that Brooks will not be calling the plays than I was that Rodriguez will be calling them. An All-Pro inside linebacker who was calling plays last year does not usually see that taken away from him, but I think it was twofold.
First, Rodriguez earned it. Last week, Brooks said:
“Jacob is, I like to say, like a rookie vet. He’s already seasoned. Whatever he was doing at Texas Tech, he was doing the right things. Came in very knowledgeable of the game, very mature and just ready to go. He’s just gotten better and better since OTAs, honestly. I’m excited to see his growth and what he does this year.”
Brooks added to that on Thursday, saying:
“No, he’s ready. I mean, he’s been ready. That’s why we trust him with the green dot. And so I think he’s come in ready and he’s just been getting better and better since he’s been here, since we drafted him. So I’m excited for his start and his contributions he will make for the defense and the team.”
Defensive coordinator Sean Duggan explained the decision on Thursday, saying:
“I think [Rodriguez]’s done a really nice job. It’s something he’s done since he’s gotten here. You know, he’s gotten better at it. I think the communication with him and [head coach Jeff Hafley] during the play call, getting kind of the rhythm of how he calls things has gotten better and better. Something I’ve appreciated about him is he’s been open about, ‘Hey, I kind of like it more said like this,’ and Haf’s like, well, ‘I like to say it like this.’ So it’s fun to see a rookie take that ownership of the call and that ownership of having the green dot on him. But he’s done a nice job, he really has. He’s gotten better and more comfortable with the playbook and with the calls and how to word it to the rest of the defense.”
Second, I think you are probably going to see Brooks lining up as a weakside linebacker while Rodriguez will be in the middle. Giving Rodriguez the green dot and the responsibility to man the middle of the field frees up Brooks to do what he does best: react and make a play. Brooks will likely be all over the field, whether it is in coverage, blitzing, running sideline-to-sideline, and filling gaps. The two seem to already be working well together, and I think it will only get better as Rodriguez gains experience.
Plus, they are both Texas Tech products, so they have that connection. And, just to throw this out there, Dolphins legend and Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas was also from Texas Tech. Miami may have found a pipeline.
Q: Miami’s secondary doesn’t have a lot of names that stand out on paper. What can you tell us about the team’s defensive backs, and how has rookie first-round pick Chris Johnson looked so far?
A: The secondary is clearly the biggest area of concern with the Dolphins this year. They are relying on unproven younger players and veteran journeymen who may need to step up quickly this season. JuJu Brents and Chris Johnson should be the primary starters. Johnson is officially listed as the nickel cornerback, but if Miami is in a two-cornerback set, I would expect him on the field over Jason Marshall, Jr.
I expect to see a lot of big nickel, with Miami using three safeties, Dante Trader, Jr., Zayne Anderson, and Michael Taaffe. Add in Kyle Louis, who was listed as a linebacker when the Dolphins drafted him and throughout the preseason, but was moved back to safety on the Week 1 depth chart, and you have plenty of players who can move around in coverage and run support.
Johnson has looked really good during training camp and should be able to be trusted as a boundary cornerback who will slide to the slot receiver when the nickel packages are used.
“I feel like as of right now, I’m just kind of going where needed,” Johnson said on Thursday of where he likes to play, inside or outside. “And I’m excited to do that, be able to help the team wherever I can and to my best ability. I’ll probably say initially I was definitely more comfortable outside, but now I’m really comfortable at either. I feel like I’ve taken enough reps at both to where I feel confident in my abilities inside or outside.”
I expect rookie mistakes early this year, but Johnson has definitely shown the flashes that made him the 27th overall pick.
