All the talk about a physical run game went up in smoke
The Miami Dolphins didn’t get the Week 1 result they wanted, but the loss to Las Vegas wasn’t without positives. In fact, the biggest reason for optimism may be exactly where Miami needs it most: the young talent brought in by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
But what was the greatest disappointment was that all the talk about committing to a physical run game was thrown in the toilet by Phins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
It was as if Mike McDaniel never left… and that had me more frustrated than the loss.
We knew the 2026 team wasn’t going to be good, but when a win is there, we should have the right leadership to take it or at least go down fighting the right way. Slowik’s gameplan and play calls weren’t even close to that.
Rookie Class Shines in Ugly Loss
Jacob Rodriguez led the way. The rookie linebacker finished with 14 tackles, the most by a Dolphins rookie since Zach Thomas, and was all over the field despite Miami’s defensive front struggling to keep blockers away from him. Chris Johnson had his share of problems but still produced 11 tackles and two pass breakups while being asked to play multiple positions in the secondary.
The offensive rookies flashed as well. Caleb Douglas showed why he may have been one of Miami’s best offseason finds, producing explosive plays and looking like a legitimate NFL receiver. Chris Bell also got behind the secondary for a 25-yard reception, while Will Kacmarek showed plenty despite an imperfect debut. Even UDFA DJ Herman provided some encouraging snaps late.
Then there was Kadyn Proctor.
Proctor was actually Miami’s highest-rated offensive lineman, an encouraging development considering how much of the Dolphins’ new physical identity was supposed to be built around the massive rookie. He wasn’t perfect—there was a false start and some early pressure allowed—but he produced some strong run blocks and became increasingly stout as the game progressed.
Unfortunately, Miami barely took advantage of him.
Slowik Had a World Class Terrible Gameplan
That brings us to the biggest disappointment of Week 1: offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and the complete absence of the offensive identity Miami spent the offseason supposedly building.
The Dolphins talked about becoming bigger and more physical. They drafted a 350-pound guard, added blocking at tight end and built an offense around De’Von Achane and Malik Willis. Then they opened the season and essentially abandoned the running game. Achane received only 11 carries for 36 yards, while Willis was put in a position where he had to throw roughly three times as often as Miami handed the ball to its All-Pro-caliber running back.
That’s not putting Willis—or the offensive line—in position to succeed.
Miami’s line wasn’t great. Aaron Brewer had two holding penalties, Austin Jackson faded after a decent start, and Jonah Savaiinaea was average. But asking this group to repeatedly pass protect against defenders with their ears pinned back completely ignores what the unit was constructed to do.
The Dolphins lost a football game Sunday. That’s survivable.
What’s more troubling is that they didn’t look like the team they spent an entire offseason telling us they were building.
You can bet with the best pay per head that the rookie class gives Miami legitimate hope for the future. Now Slowik needs to figure out how to use it.
Hafley needs to commit to being tough like we were promised and…
Run the damn football.
Go Phins!!!