The Miami Dolphins started their 2026 season with a visit to the Las Vegas Raiders. The good thing for traveling fans was the trip to Las Vegas. The bad thing was the show the Dolphins put on in the game.
This is a rebuilding year for the Dolphins, and the expectations are about as low as they can be, but seeing a competitive performance on the field is still desirable. Miami had moments when they started to put things together, but it was not enough and important aspects never showed up.
Here are
some immediate reactions as Miami got trounced by Las Vegas.
Final score
Dolphins 13 – 27 Raiders
Recap and immediate reactions
The first half was all Raiders. Miami’s defense had no answers to the two-pronged attack of quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Ashton Jeanty. Even when the Dolphins were in position to make a stop, the Raiders would find a way to escape and turn a loss into a big gain.
According to the first yard net yardage, the game should have been close at the break. Miami gained 151 yards on 25 plays for an average of 6.0 yards per play. The Raiders had 170 yards on 31 plays, for a 5.5 yard average. The score at halftime was 17-6 and it felt like Miami was no where to be found in the game.
The second half started with a bang for Miami. Rookie safety Michael Taaffe picked off Cousins on the opening drive of the half and gave Miami great field position. Four plays later, quarterback Malik Willis turned a scramble into a 14-yard touchdown run to cap a 52-yard drive. Suddenly, Miami was back in the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Dolphins allowed a 50-yard return and, five plays later, the Raiders scored a touchdown. Two plays into Miami’s next drive, the Raiders picked off a Willis pass and, largely behind running back Ashton Jeanty’s ground attack,
Pass rush no show
The Raiders’ offensive line last year was ugly. In the first week of the 2026 season, you would think they had the top line in the league. Miami’s pass rush simply did not show up.
Chop Robinson was a non-factor, something that cannot happen this year. The edge rushers never got close to quarterback Kirk Cousins, and the veteran was able to carve apart Miami’s young secondary – particularly targeting rookie cornerback Chris Johnson.
Miami needs their pass rush to take over games so they can take some of the pressure off the secondary. On Sunday, the pass rush may not have gotten on the plane.
Special teams anything but special
Miami gave up a 23-yard return on a punt to start the second quarter, then allowed a 45-yard return on a kickoff late in the quarter. After Miami scored their first touchdown in the third quarter, a 50-yard kick return set the Raiders up at midfield. Special teams coverage was anything by special in the game.
Mark Schlereth on the broadcast explained that you cannot experience special teams work at full speed in training camp or practice, but the Dolphins have to figure something out because giving up huge chunks of yards on returns is not going to cut it. The 23-yard punt return turned a 59-yard punt into a 36-yard net kick – these are free yards Miami cannot afford to be giving to opposing teams.
When your kicker has two special teams tackles, it is a bad special teams day.
Physical Dolphins still need to tackle
The Dolphins focused on becoming more physical this year, moving on from a finesse team built around speed and misdirection to become a team not afraid of contact. Miami was supposed to be physical, they were supposed to like being physical, and they were supposed to make their opponents feel them.
On Sunday, the Dolphins showed some of that physicality, but not nearly enough. And not in their tackling. The Dolphins’ defense had way too many missed tackles. The Raiders could just swipe Miami’s arms away from them and continue upfield. Tackling was an issue throughout the game, and for a team that talked about being physical, missinga basic aspect of the game is worrisome.
A running team that cannot run
This ties into the physicality discussion above, but Miami struggled to run the ball, which is supposed to be the strength of their offense. Counting Willis’s scrambles, Miami ran the ball 17 times for just 65 yards. That is a 3.8 yards per attempt.
De’Von Achane picked up 36 yards on 11 carries. That is just a 3.3 yards-per-rush average – not good enough for a Pro Bowl running back. Add in four receptions, and the Dolphins’ top offensive weapon was relegated to an afterthought for much of the game. So much for Hafley’s idea of getting Achane 40 touches a game.
Yes, the Raiders stacked the box and dared Willis to beat them. It was the right defensive gameplan against Miami, but the Dolphins had to know that was coming, and they have to have a way to beat it.
The offensive line has to open up holes better. The play calling needs to scheme ways to keep defenses from focusing only on Achane. Willis needs to do a better job of reading the defense on run-options and getting Achane into favorable runs. This is not all on Achane, but he has to be better.
Safeties hightlight the day
The biggest concern on the Dolphins roster coming into the game was the defensive secondary. Miami is relying on young, unproven players in the secondary, especially at cornerback. Cousins attacked them, especially rookie Chris Johnson. He did not have a huge day – throwing for just 160 yards on 21-for-30 passing, but he did rack up three touchdown passes and do everything that was needed to put this game away.
The safeties, though, came away with perhaps the two highlight plays of the game for Miami. Taaffe started the second half with an interception, and Dante Trader, Jr., picked off a second pass to try to spark a Dolphins comeback. It was not to be, but it cannot be because of the safeties.
