On Sunday, theKansas City Chiefs face theMiami Dolphins in the early window of Week 3 games. We welcome Kevin Nogle of The Phinsider — our sister SBNation site covering the Dolphins— for Five Questions with the Enemy.
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3 matchup!
1. Miami has opened the season 0-2 after losing consecutive games by double digits and being outscored 62-26. How much of this start should be viewed as the expected growing pains of a young team beginning a rebuild under Jeff Hafley, and how much should concern Dolphins fans?
1. Miami has opened the season 0-2 after losing consecutive games by double digits and being outscored 62-26. How much of this start should be viewed as the expected growing pains of a young team beginning a rebuild under Jeff Hafley, and how much should concern Dolphins fans?
It should absolutely be the former. The Dolphins are the youngest team in the league this year, and they are relying on a lot of youth to get them through the season. Miami is, by far, the team leading the way in rookie snap counts this season:
This year isn’t about wins and losses; it’s about building the foundation for future seasons. They are not losing on purpose; there is no “tank” in progress, but they are probably going to have the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft because this is a complete rebuild of the franchise – from the front office through the coaching staff to the players. The Dolphins even changed presidents this offseason.
That said, people are already complaining about the hire of Hafley. They are somehow surprised that the Dolphins are struggling early in this season. I have already seen some saying Miami needs to fire Hafley and move on. I have no idea how you can say that after two games, especially when none of this should surprise anyone. The Dolphins are going to struggle this year, but as long as they are looking better by the end of the season, this will be a success.
2. Through two games, Malik Willis has completed 29 of 50 passes for 417 yards, one touchdown and one interception while being sacked nine times. How would you evaluate his performance beyond the numbers, and how much of Miami’s offensive difficulty falls on Willis compared with the protection and personnel around him?
I think a few things are at play with Willis. First, in Week 1, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik moved away from giving the ball to running back De’Von Achane and turned to Willis to try to throw Miami back into the game. That should never happen – Miami’s offense has to flow through Achane.
Second, Willis seems to be trying to prove he can be a pocket passer. He is waiting for someone to get open rather than getting away from pressure. A couple of the sacks also come from him running out of bounds as he looks for a receiver, rather than throwing the ball away and living for the next play. I do not know if the game is going faster than he expected – yes, this is his fifth season in the league; he has only eight starts; he is still inexperienced and is trying to grow just like the rest of the roster.
Third, the offensive line has struggled. Right tackle Austin Jackson, who I have described as a solid tackle when he is not injured, is not living up to being an average tackle right now. He doesn’t seem injured, but he is not playing well. It did not help that the Dolphins left him on an island against Nick Bosa for much of the game last week, expecting him to contain Bosa in one-on-one assignments. Right guard Jonah Savaiinaea is settling back into his natural position after being moved to left guard as a rookie last season, and he is playing better, but he is still young.
Left guard Kadyn Proctor is a rookie who is making rookie mistakes; after Week 1, he was highlighted for several successful pancake blocks against the Las Vegas Raiders, but it was pointed out that he was not blocking the right player on some of those.
I think Willis will be fine as he grows into his role. Is he the franchise quarterback that the Dolphins need? Maybe, maybe not. I know the coaches are hoping he is, so they can use their first-round pick on another position (likely an edge rusher), but he has to show a lot more over the remaining 15 games.
3. San Francisco scored touchdowns on its first five possessions, while Brock Purdy completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and finished with a 149.1 passer rating. For a team led by a defensive-minded head coach, what has been the biggest problem defensively—scheme, communication, lack of pressure or simply an inexperienced roster?
Youth is clearly the biggest issue, and it has led to communication problems throughout the secondary. We have seen several times when two defensive backs cover one player, leaving another receiver wide open. Handoffs are not happening as well as they should – as is probably expected with communication among younger players.
Lack of pressure has been a HUGE issue this year. Miami is not getting to the opposing quarterback. Last week, the edge rushers at least flushed Purdy out of the pocket or got in his face before he threw the ball a couple of times, but they are nowhere near successful in the pass rush right now. It has been a huge source of frustration.
4. Chop Robinson missed Week 2 while in the concussion protocol, and Miami struggled to generate pressure without him. How important is his potential return against Patrick Mahomes, and does this defensive front have enough pass-rushing depth to disrupt Kansas City if Robinson is unavailable or limited?
I would love to say Robinson is going to have an impact, but he wasn’t much of a factor last year, and he hasn’t done anything to prove he is a top-level pass rusher this summer or in Week 1. I am terrified of what Mahomes will do to a young secondary because he will likely have plenty of time to read, wait, read again, and then throw.
Maybe the third week of using Hafley’s defensive system will open something up, but right now, it does not feel like the Dolphins have the talent to get home routinely.
5. De’Von Achane remains Miami’s most dangerous offensive weapon, but the Dolphins have produced only two touchdowns through two games. What is Miami’s best path to pulling off the upset against Kansas City, and how do you expect Sunday’s game to play out?
Finish. In the first half against the 49ers, Miami proved they could move the ball. Yes, Achane is the focus of the defense, but even with everyone in the stadium knowing he was going to get the ball, they kept moving forward. He averaged 3.7 yards per attempt on the ground – not record-setting, but that is a first down every three rushes. That will work.
Of course, the Dolphins also crush themselves with penalties right now, a product of fielding such a young roster. They do not have the talent to overcome self-inflicted penalties.
As a whole, Miami averaged 5.1 yards per offensive play and were able to control the ball for just over half the game (30:13). In the first half, they drove to the 49ers’ 33-, 10-, and five-yard lines, but came away with just two field goals (missing a 51-yard attempt on the first drive). The Dolphins have to figure out how to finish drives. Even the touchdown drive was really a 77-yard touchdown pass.
