The Miami Dolphins take on the Las Vegas Raiders in the regular-season opener this Sunday. This is a matchup between two teams that are expected to finish at the bottom of the standings and acquire a high draft pick next spring. However, a Week 1 win is the first step to a surprise underdog season.
There's uncertainty about how both of these teams will look to open the 2026 season. Both have a new starting quarterback, Malik Willis on the Dolphins and Kirk Cousins on the Raiders. Each offense also enters the season with two of the worst wide receiver groups in the NFL. This could make for a defensive battle in Week 1 as both offenses look to establish the running game and force the other team to throw the football.
To make matters worse for the
Raiders offense, it was reported Wednesday that star tight end Brock Bowers will be sidelined to begin the season after undergoing a meniscus trim procedure. Bowers's absence will further weaken the Raiders' passing attack and simplify the game plan for coach Jeff Hafley's defense.
This Sunday is the first opportunity Dolphins fans will have to see the new-look Hafley defense in regular-season action. Here are four keys to a successful day for the Dolphins defense in Week 1.
Put consistent pressure on Raiders QB Kirk Cousins
Cousins is a prototypical pocket passer who has never been known for mobility. After suffering an Achilles tear back in 2023, he has become even less mobile and more reliant on a clean pocket to deliver.
However, if Cousins is given the time he needs in the pocket, he's more than capable of making big-time throws that will make the difference in the game.
Cousins joins a Raiders team that gave up a league-leading 64 sacks last season. While Vegas made some additions to the offensive line during free agency, it's still likely one of the biggest weaknesses on the team.
Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson will be a player to watch in terms of pursuing Cousins. This is a big year for Robinson after regressing in his second season a year ago. Raiders right tackle DJ Glaze allowed 10 sacks last year, according to PFF, ranking him 88 out of 89 in the NFL for offensive tackles. A sack or two by Robinson this Sunday would do wonders to jump-start a successful 2026 campaign.
The Dolphins were successful against Cousins last year when he was on the Atlanta Falcons in a Week 8 matchup. The Dolphins held Cousins to 173 yards and an 81.8 passer rating with no touchdowns, and a sack by All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks as Miami cruised to the 34-10 win.
Create turnovers
The best way for any defense to impact a game is winning the turnover battle.
All eyes will be on rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who led college football with seven forced fumbles in 2025. His skill for punching the football out could result in a game-changing turnover at any moment. Rodriguez won the starting job over Tyrel Dodson, who didn't make the final 53-man roster.
Another rookie starting for the Dolphins is cornerback Chris Johnson, who the Dolphins selected at No. 27 overall. Johnson recorded four interceptions at San Diego State last year and returned two for touchdowns.
Two years ago, Cousins tied for a league high with 16 interceptions in 2024. His struggles eventually led the team to turn to Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback. The Dolphins secondary should be coming into this game hungry to turn an ill-advised throw by Cousins into a change of possession.
Dolphins' young secondary needs to shine against an underwhelming Raiders WR group
The Dolphins have a new-look secondary to open the season with Chris Johnson starting at nickel cornerback with Juju Brents and Jason Marshall Jr. on the outside. The starting safeties are Dante Trader Jr. and Zayne Anderson, with rookies Michael Taaffe and Kyle Louis as intriguing backup options
The Raiders have one of, if not the worst, wide receiver groups in the NFL currently, and the absence of Bowers makes this passing attack even less threatening. However, despite this group lacking a star name, they still cannot be overlooked. Currently, the top three wideouts on the Raiders depth chart are Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and Jalen Nailor.
Tucker was the Raiders' leading receiver last year with 696 yards and five touchdowns on 57 receptions. He'll likely be Cousins' favored target without Bowers.
Bech was selected in the second round by the Raiders in 2025 and is looking to take a step up in production in year two. As a rookie, Bech totaled 224 yards on 20 receptions. His first touchdown as a pro still eludes him.
Nailor signed with the Raiders this offseason after spending the first four years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Nailor and Cousins were teammates in Minnesota for two years, from 2022-23. In fact, Nailor's first career touchdown was thrown by Cousins.
This is a young and unproven Miami secondary that's faced with its first real test this Sunday. If the Las Vegas wideouts get the best of Miami's defensive backs, it will be a bad sign for the Dolphins since the opposing wide receiver groups won't be any easier to contain in the following weeks.
Dolphins defensive line must win the battle at the line of scrimmage.
The Raiders offensive line is a significant weakness that needs to be exposed by the Miami defensive line. Las Vegas addressed the center position in the off-season by signing Pro Bowl selection Tyler Linderbaum from the Baltimore Ravens. They also signed guard Spencer Burford from the 49ers. But even with the new acquisitions, the offensive line should still be a glaring weakness on the Raiders' offense unless proven otherwise.
Without the threat of Bowers in the passing game, the Raiders will probably want to lean on running back Ashton Jeanty to lead the charge offensively. Jeanty is an immensely talented player who the Raiders selected sixth overall in 2025.
Although Jeanty totaled 975 yards during his rookie season, his 3.7 yards per attempt is quite inefficient and a number the Miami defense would like to hold him to this Sunday. In order to achieve this, it's imperative that the Dolphins defensive line shows dominance early and often throughout the game.
Dolphins' 2025 first-round pick, defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, will begin the season on injured reserve, opening the door for Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers to earn valuable regular-season snaps. Phillips is expected to start at the defensive tackle position alongside Zach Sieler with Grant out of the lineup. Coach Hafley expressed high regard for Phillips last Thursday.
"I think Jordan is a guy that is not going to get enough credit because he kind of plays a position where the limelight is not going to be on him," Hafley said of Phillips. "He's going to be taking on double teams. He's going to be doing the grunt work and keeping the linebackers clean, pushing the pocket, and the stats might not be there, but the cool thing about him is he just embraces that role."
Sieler also spoke highly of this young up-and-coming defensive line group during training camp.
"Those guys, they've gone above and beyond all offseason in and outside the building to make sure they're in the best shape, the best potential position for this season so we can hit the ground running," Sieler said.
While Hafley and Sieler's words are encouraging, praise is always easier during training camp and preseason when the games don't count. The results on the field will show how much Phillips and Biggers have progressed from year one to year two.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 4 keys for Dolphins' defense vs. Raiders in Week 1
