The Miami Dolphins start the 2026 season with a third consecutive loss in the 24-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite another double-digit loss, this game was probably the most competitive for the Dolphins. Going up against a three-time Super Bowl champion in quarterback Patrick Mahomes was a tall task, but the Miami defense held its own throughout the contest.
Offensively, it was another rough outing. Star running back De'Von Achane went down on the first drive and did not return. Miami only managed 10 points despite putting themselves into Kansas City territory consistently.
Before the Dolphins hit the road again in Week 4, here are five takeaways from their third straight loss.
Rookie LB Jacob Rodriguez showed out
Rookie second round pick Jacob Rodriguez was impressive in
his first game at Hard Rock Stadium.
Rodriguez showed the ability to impact the game both in coverage and in the backfield against the Chiefs, recording his first career interception on the legendary quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He also added six tackles, three of them for loss.
Rodriguez came into this game ranked top five in tackles throughout the league with 22. He has been a fan favorite since arriving in Miami and is living up to the hype.
The Miami defense held its own after a rough start
This game appeared to have the makings of another brutal effort by the Miami defense after the Chiefs' first two offensive drives resulted in seamless touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead. But the young Dolphins defense was not discouraged and held the Chiefs without points until the fourth quarter.
The effort by the Miami defense allowed the Dolphins to win time of possession by almost ten minutes. The Dolphins also ran 67 offensive plays, while the Chiefs ran 49. Usually, these numbers are a recipe for victory, but the Miami offense couldn't capitalize.
Having just two active running backs was a mistake
The decision to only have two active running backs is extremely puzzling, especially when taken into consideration how much this offense relies on Achane in the run game. After Achane went down on the Dolphins opening drive, Ollie Gordon II was the only active running back.
Gordon carried the ball 17 times for a total of 41 yards and a touchdown. He also hauled in three receptions for 14 yards in the passing game. Gordon could not provide the spark in the running game that this offense needs, averaging just 2.4 yards per attempt.
This problem almost went from bad to worse when Gordon went down late in the third quarter with cramps and had to go back to the locker room. Fortunately, Gordon's injury only impacted a couple of plays, but the moral of the story should be that three running backs should be available in each game.
The inability to run the ball effectively added pressure for Malik Willis to carry the load offensively. Willis in fact led the Dolphins in the rushing department with 56 yards on nine attempts.
The Dolphins couldn't come away with points
The Dolphins offense began the game with an impressive 17-play, 91-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown and took over nine minutes off the clock. But unfortunately, they could not duplicate this success. Miami reached Kansas City territory on their first six possessions but only came away with 10 points.
Malik Willis finished the day completing 20-of-36 passes for 210 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. If it weren't for a couple big plays that went for over 30 yards, Willis' stats would have looked much worse.
Willis' big plays in the passing game included a pass of 44 yards to Chris Bell, one of 42 yards to Greg Dulcich and one of 30 yards to Malik Washington. Factor out these three plays, it was another underwhelming day for the Dolphins passing attack.
The Dolphins will have to establish more consistency in the passing game that goes beyond just a few big plays, especially if Achane ends up missing time.
Costly defensive penalties were key in helping Kansas City put points on the board
Despite a better showing by the Miami defense, a couple costly penalties proved to be momentum shifting plays. Miami finished the day with eight penalties for a total of 64 yards, and a couple of them were especially costly.
In the second quarter, an illegal contact penalty on safety Michael Taaffe wiped away a Jordyn Brooks sack on Mahomes on third down that would have held Kansas City to a field goal attempt. Instead, the Chiefs scored their second touchdown on the game two plays later to go up 14-7.
Another costly penalty came late in the third quarter with the score 14-10 in favor of Kansas City. A roughing-the-passer call on edge rusher Chop Robinson on a 3rd down extended the Chiefs' drive. Instead of the Dolphins getting the ball back with a chance to take the lead, Kansas City was able to march down the field and extend their lead 17-10.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 5 takeaways from Dolphins' 24-10 loss to Chiefs
