I’m very enthusiastic about watching our Dolphins play tonight, even if I only see glimpses of certain players and watch with the full understanding that the flavor of these games is vanilla. You’re not going to see exotic offensive plays or any trickeration, and the defense will be the most basic scheme. No one is trying to fool anyone, but that’s in some ways the beauty of these games. You can see basically just one on one matchups and get an idea where certain players are, or aren’t. I feel really good about our team, better than I have in close to 3 years. The main reason is I feel we’re building something here, we have direction, and as the youngest team in the NFL we have a lot of guys I will be elated to root for. That has not been the case, at least for me the last few years. There wasn’t a whole lot to “like’ about the players we had here, and now that has changed drastically for me.
Let me start out by saying I’m thrilled that WR Caleb Douglas is thriving. It’s so early on and it’s only practice, but there’s already a chemistry and a trust building between QB Malik Willis and WR Caleb Douglas. Yes, Caleb Douglas, poster boy here for the “Biggest Reach in the Draft”. I think most people who said would happily retract that statement now. To be fair, he hasn’t yet played a game for our team, Preseason or otherwise, but I would love nothing more than for him to show a little something tonight in Preseason numero uno against the Washington Commanders. Besides WR Caleb Douglas, there are so many players to watch tonight. We’re going to see plenty of the 2nd year Chris Grier draftees on the defensive line, namely DL Kenneth Grant, Zeek Biggers and Jordan Phillips. I believe Zach Sieler will not play this evening, so these guys will get some playing time tonight.
We all want to see the rookies, and we have plenty of those. On the offensive line, all eyes will be on LG Kadyn Proctor, our first pick in the 2026 Draft at #12. Although not a rookie, as many eyes if not more, will be on 2nd year OG, now on the right side, RG Jonah Savaiinaea. His struggles last season were well documented, he graded out at the bottom of PFF’s ratings at LG. Now, back at his more familiar RG spot, hopefully he has a better showing. As long as we’re on the topic of blocking, I can’t wait to see TE Will Kacmarek. I know blocking TE’s aren’t the most exciting thing, but for a team that is trying to become a physical team, it’s essential to have a physical TE in a league littered with “Receiving Only” TE’s. Kacmarek will get some targets as a receiver as well, but he was drafted as the best blocking TE in the draft.
There have been countless comparisons between rookie LB Jacob Rodriguez and HOF LB Zach Thomas, both from Texas Tech. Of course, you surely remember Zach Thomas as a rookie replacing veteran LB Jack Del Rio which led to Del Rio’s release. Some writers can’t help themselves by saying Tyrel Dodson is going to be the next Jack Del Rio. It’s possible, maybe a trade can happen, but I doubt wholeheartedly the Dolphins are going to release Tyrel Dodson and get nothing in return. As I’ve mentioned in a few of my articles, this team is going to have a lot of situational players, which means there’s plenty of room for opportunities for everyone. All the tweeners we have on the roster that we drafted like LB/S Kyle Louis, EDGE/LB Trey Moore, S Michael Taaffe. Even our second first round pick CB Chris Johnson will be shifting from outside CB to nickel or slot CB in specific situations. What I’m driving at is there will be a lot more team efforts, and probably not a whole lot of individual accomplishments this season. With the exception of maybe RB De’Von Achane, I wouldn’t expect to see a lot of Dolphins on the leaderboards of any particular category.
I actually love the team concept. Gone from this team are all the hard to root for “superstars”. Not to say we don’t have potential superstars on our roster, but no one can just walk in with swag onto the field like they’re better than anyone else. Everyone has a lot to prove, and I like it! The score of the game tonight is irrelevant, but you want to see the team compete and not look totally overmatched. I think HC Jeff Hafley has been getting his message across very well to the players, i think they understand what is expected of them. The team attitude has changed from “Me” to “We”. The change doesn’t occur overnight from being a weak finesse team to a physical play anywhere team, a team that can play in frigid weather or steaming hot Miami weather with the same success. I’m sure that transformation hasn’t fully taken place, but I think the attitude is well on its way to getting there.
As in any Preseason game, I don’t know how much we’re going to see of any particular player. I’d like QB Malik Willis to look efficient for however many drives he gets, I don’t want him to play recklessly, and most of all he has to stay healthy. I don’t want him to put himself in harms way in a meaningless Preseason game, so he has to be smart. No Tua selfish, I said smart! I would like to see backup QB Quinn Ewers play well. He’s been much maligned during camp, so hopefully he can shake that off and show well tonight. I don’t think we’re going to carry 3 QB’s on the 53, so despite the fact that QB Cam Miller will probably play some, I want to the top 2 guys to thrive. WR Caleb Douglas on the other hand, has done so well in camp, I’d like to see that continue and for him to be able to show how for real he is in a game situation.
I’m really looking forward to seeing all our rookies, whether drafted or undrafted. One guy we won’t be seeing but on who continues to progress in drills, is WR Chris Bell. Honestly, it doesn’t matter when he comes back, whether he shocks us all and makes the 53 immediately or is on some form of injured list for a month or so during the season. Either way, even if he comes back in October, he’s still going to play a big part of the season, and that’s awesome. I can’t thank the Dolphins enough for making the necessary moves, purging this team of the poison, players and coaches alike, and giving us a new hope. I mean that more than you know, I have not enjoyed watching this team during the Tua/MM era. Now, everything is different, and despite being in the very beginning stages of transformation from ballerina to brawler, it’s begun, and I love every minute of it!
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
First
Nice pregame summary, MikeE!
Sucks I won’t get to watch the game. It’s not being televised here.
I’ll have to watch it on NFLN when they play it as well. Sucks, but I don’t really need to see it live, although I wouldn’t mind
Thanks BBMike!
If anyone has NFLN you can record the game, it’s on at 2:00AM tomorrow morning
That’s 1am for me. I might stay up. Just looked and it airs again on Tuesday at 11am.
Mike, did you mean Kyle Louis and not Louis Moore.
All the tweeners we have on the roster that we drafted like LB/S Louis Moore
LOL – Yes! Kyle Louis
are you seriously saying you got confused between Trey Moore, Louis Moore and Kyle Louis 😜
When in doubt double down. LOL
Moore Moore Moore, how do you like it, how do you like it?
According to Bleacher Report, the Dolphins have five of the 99 best rookies heading into the 2026 season. First-round picks Kayden Proctor and Chris Johnson checked in at Nos. 25 and 35, respectively. LB Jacob Rodriguez was listed as the 49th-best rookie, while wide receivers Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas were ranked No. 53 and No. 92.
Woohooo LOL
They are actually trying to identify the best 99 out of 257 guys and we top out at #25? How do they determine the “best” rookies when NOT ONE has taken a snap in a NFL game?
WTF, did they just republish their big board?
Probably
I wonder what changed in their heads between grading Proctor as the 33rd best player in March and #25 now?
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25419331-2026-nfl-draft-big-board-br-nfl-scouting-depts-final-rankings
Bell WAS listed as their #38 player in March, what made him drop to #53?
Why did Douglas go from #161 up to #92?
These lists are so ridiculous. They are not even consistent with their OWN ratings. LOL
I don’t know. Different writers maybe as a wild guess. Maybe just from camp hype/performance.
Rock, from earlier, I think if we go QB early and have the choice between Manning and Moore that Sully and Hafley would choose Moore over Manning. It’s just a feeling. For me, it’s a no brainer and Moore is the better all round QB. It’s actually not even close for me right now.
I would hope so. I don’t like Manning. It could just be all the hype over him that turns me off, but I don’t want Manning in Miami.
neither can carry Malik’s jockstrap😜
Good write, Mike!
I don’t expect any razzle dazzle just fundamental football with a lot of young players competing for jobs. I don’t expect to see any vets who are locks to make the team playing tonight. Willis might but for the most part Sully and Haf need to see which guys are going to round out the roster. I’m excited to watch all the young dudes and vets trying to win a spot reviving their careers.
Thanks!
Oh, the other one. lol
I think we see all healthy vets for at least a series.
“…all the young dudes…”
Mott The Hoople – All the Young Dudes (Audio)
Tim – All the young dudes, carry the news
You caught it! 🙂
Hmm try again
Yup! You got it boy!
Dammit! Beer to you…
OMG! If I were Jayden Daniels I would tell my mother to shut the fuck up and disappear! Is he a grown man or not? (Obviously not! Little boy!) She is such an embarrassment to him!
did you see her on the Netflix quarterback season three documentary? That’s never gonna happen.
That (and multiple other times) is what I’m talking about. Now she is leading the charge against LSU because they “Gave away” his #5!?
The fucktard was there for 2 seasons! It’s a 130 year old program! There are clear rules in place about retiring a number at LSU. One of them is you have to play there 5 years among other rules. They didn’t retire Burrow’s number and he won the CHAMPIONSHIP not the taco bowl or what ever Daniels won.
If I had that women flapping her gums in public about me and my life I would crawl into bed, cover my head with a pillow in embarrassment and refuses to get out of bed!
The long wait is finally almost over. Only 188 more minutes until the Dolphins play football!
Are you going to be able to watch it live?
Sorry in advance for being a hater, but I can’t tell you how fucking happy I am that I never have to watch our games and see Tua’s smug ass fucking annoying face with our uniform on again! Love him all you want, I can’t fucking stand him or the sight of him! lol
agree 100 percent. In the immortal words of Tony Scare face, I never liked that guy!
no “BITCHES”
its game day
ohhoh i’m really slacking today!
like Steve said
it’s game day bitches!!
GO Dolphins!!!
Mike E,
Nice write! Your optimism is palpable… as is the case with Tim.
I’m not nearly as optimistic (it’s only year 1 of a rebuild), but I’m certainly intrigued to see how many teams we can and will upset.
Any and everybody,
If ya find links to the game tonight, please post it! I’ll do my best to find one, but based on the last several years, what worked the previous season doesn’t necessarily work in the ensuing season.
I refuse to pay NFL+ any money to watch mere preseason games live.
looks like I get the game
NBC local
Chop looks ripped
what a catch Douglas after a boner
wait what, conversion running on 3rd and short
I’m watching. 6.99 for a month of NFL+. It’s been a long offseason. Take my money. 😂
OH! I thought it had to be a 1-year subscription! My bad. For $6.99 for the preseason month, I’ll sign up for that.
Thanks, Herd!
Don’t be like me and forget to cancel. 🤦🏼♀️
you guys help me!
Hide the Kool-Aid don’t let me anywhere near it
Because that was a nice fucking drive
forget about the season, let’s just stop right here, its not going to get any better😜
🤩
OL didn’t let anyone near Malik
Nice guys!!!
I’m surprised we have so many starters active. It’s like what Belichick always did. We have to get reps and ready to play games.
now take out the entire starting O
Hafley with a woody, err happy smirk
Chris Johnson playing
Herd,
Do you still use Firestick to watch regular season games?
No. I never did that if you’re talking about the one UK had mentioned.
Yes, now that you mention it, I think it was UK. Thanks!
that was a loud tackle by Taffe. SMACK
and then he gives up 20+ yards
special teams, not looking too hot so far
2 starts inside the 10 yard line in two kickoffs
on the bright side it’ll allow us to do another 95 yard seven minute drive for a touchdown.
first one was a WTF by Wright and a bad ticky tack penalty
second was a punt, so not sure what they were supposed to do
KO was good
KO coverage was good
What a catch by Caleb 🙂
that was a nice block by Jona Savannah. that’s how speech text is gonna sign spell it then I’m gonna let it go
nice protection
Quinn Ewers had all day
I think I am going to watch the replay at 1am tonight. I am following the ESPN gamecast right now at work.
we’ve had 2 really tricky tackles penalties
Marco WIlson with a pick on an overthrow
He looked surprised LOL
The camera guys aren’t in regular season shape yet either. Can’t see the line play very well.
Ewers, what RU doing
Ewers out there floating ducks to the other team for an Int.
Taffe on the blitz but dances at the end to do nothing
I wonder how close Ewers is to losing the #2 spot.
to who? Certainly not Cam Miller
NBCs coverage sucks
Johnson drops a pick in the endzone
that’s why he’s not a WR
😁
Fucker doinks it in off the upright
7-3
Ewers needs to play a little with the 1st team, to evaluate him
properly
Yeah, I don’t even know the name of the guards in front of him right now.
we saw what he did last year, not great, something to work with
where did they find this Pinion punter, that punt was as bad as what I saw at camp
Washington getting really lucky with their kicks, a doink goes thru, then the false start nullified a missed extra pt
get well soon Kevin Coleman, our KR are as pathetic as Ewers’ play tonight
show the replay of the fumble on the punt JOs, not a list of our draft picks
NBC bites
another bad punt
we already knew many of our backups suck, important things were starting O and D, both played pretty good
Hafley with an MMesque TO with a minute left, when they seemed to be playing for an FG
Reagor twice on KO returns just jogging along
Ewers again with a Tua velocity pass
Washington’s 3rd string QB outshining Ewers. We need to bring in another QB to challenge Ewers, he’s been terrible throughout camp now PS
Help me to understand the logic of having 2 kickers compete, when Patterson was great last year, but no competition for this shitty puntet
good riddance Ewers
our backup O is can’t watch football
Not impressed with Ewers and Miller. Not lack of receivers, totally off the mark. It’s still early.
Our depth is probably thin with the exception of a few. I don’t see impressive 2nd and 3rd teams yet.
Ollie running pissed
He’s got skills. I think he’s above Wright.
is that our first 1st down since the TD?
Ewers finished with an ESPN QB rating of 1.6
Damn!
that high
and he’s on the bench, like Forest Gump, laughing with Willis
Why is Gordon still in there when there are other RB’s on the roster who haven’t got a touch yet?
someone has to get us a 1st down
I’m noticing two backs in shotgun with the QB like back in the Marino days.
our down in the depth chart WRs are so bad we had to bring Tolbert back in
Nice dialed up blitz!
Yikes, I don’t think I am going to stay up to watch the replay. I will watch the second replay Tuesday Morning.
Just watch each teams first drive
and the Raiders were mad we stole Miller. I don’t get it, who saw anything in him?
I’d rather we played like we did, winning the first quarter, than winning the other 3
not in general, the way it went down
Malik was very good
last PS we got crushed, both O and D starters, then won at the end twice with scrubs. Then stunk it up to start the season, week after week
No injuries lots of guys will not make the team even though not for a couple weeks.
They saw who doesn’t belong and I saw guys who gave up on plays. They’re gone!
Trey Moore will make the team. STs and LB versatility. He showed up. It’s weird looking at a LB as #17. But it is what it is.
Arm tacklers are gone.
Pretty disappointed with the not so mighty Quinn. Malik looked good, let’s hope he is durable.
I’ll root for them to win every week, but I’m not going to be devastated if we suck this season. We need a QB, and a poor season is the only way to have a chance at a good one. Obviously the hope it Willis balls out and is the guy, but is like some insurance.
So I watched the first team units on both sides. Have to say, they looked pretty darn good, considering new HC and a new QB and lots of new receivers. Achane looked like he always does, and the O-line was giving him plenty of holes to run through. The defense shut them down. Obviously it was just one drive each side, but we did what we had to do, never looked overmatched. I’ll watch the rest of the game when I can. but impressed so far!
don’t bother, Ewers and Miller zachly the same as camp practice I watched, where wide open receivers were missed and ints a plenty
They should have signed the gun slinger Austin Reed before the Ravens did. Reed may or may not play tonight as the Ravens just signed him in the last week.
Anyone see the Falcons/Tua highlights? LOL
Stefanski was not happy.
3rd and 15 dump off for 4, then a rollout short completion for a 1st down, then another dump off
he’s checked out, playing not to get hurt, if he continues that in the regular season they have a Tua problem
ever notice certain players beat some team, then become available and the team they beat picks them up? A grass is greener situation
Well, that was a short stint for Lamm. lol
OT Kendall Lamm was placed on the reserve/retired list.
People, stop with the JJ McCarthy to Dolphins trade scenario’s. Latest one is the Dolphins should trade their 2027 3rd and a conditional 2027 4th for McCarthy.
Hell to the no!
I wouldn’t be overly impressed with our opening drive. The Commander’s sat their entire starting defense with the exception of Sonny Styles.
The Commander’s also sat their entire starting offense with the exception of Guard Chris Paul and Slot WR Luke McCaffrey.
Our starters were going against their #2’s.
Commander’s also had three #2’s on defense who didn’t play.
From Poupart:
SAVAIINAEA SPOTLIGHT
We mentioned the good work of the first-team offensive line, and the one player who really looked like he stood out was second-year guard Jonah Savaiinaea.
Now, perhaps that was due to paying closer attention to him based on. his rookie struggles of 2025, but we spotted him moving out or neutralizing Washington defensive linemen like three or four times on that opening drive.
It’s a small sample size and not against starters, but this was wildly encouraging for the Dolphins and the 2025 second-round pick.
DEPTH? WHAT DEPTH?
As good as the first-team offense was on that first drive, that’s how bad the backups performed the rest of that first half.
And it was basically everybody on offense who looked bad to the point of not belonging on a 53-man roster.
What stood out perhaps most of all was the offensive line because the difference from the first group was jarring.
Now, that wasn’t something that was totally unexpected because of what we’ve been witnessing in training camp, but it still was startling nonetheless.
Particularly disappointing was the performance of center Andrew Meyer. And the reason we’re singling him out is because he was supposed to be one of the surest things among the backups and he simply was not that on that night.
The defense wasn’t much better after the early going because Washington kept chewing up yardage while scoring 17 consecutive points.
The run defense, in particular, was pretty shoddy.
And then in the second half, receivers starting dropped passes from Cam Miller all over the place, with the culprits being D.J. Herman, Seydou Traore and Terrace Marshall Jr.
CONCERNS WITH QUINN
We’re going closer and closer to having to have a serious conversation about Quinn Ewers because things just keep getting worse for the second-year quarterback.
It’s not just the numbers that are ugly, it’s the fact that so many passes are way off the mark, no more glaring an example than his first-half interception where it was very difficult to even gauge who the intended receiver might have been.
There also was a first-half pass intented for Tutu Atwell where it looked Ewers was expected Atwell to turn inside when instead he turned outside and the ball just landed harmlessly.
Whatever is going on, it’s not great for the Dolphins, who right now don’t look like they have a reliable backup for Willis.
Remember Charlie Sheen in Major League and he couldn’t hit the side of a barn until they got him those Clark Kent glasses with the skull and cross bones?
Maybe that is what Ewers needs. LOL
MALIK (THE OTHER ONE) STILL THE MAN
While Caleb Douglas is the shiny new toy and clearly has a higher ceiling, that first drive should have served as a reminder not to dismiss Malik Washington.
It probably wasn’t a coincidence that the first two offensive plays were passes from one Malik to the other because those two have hooked up quite a bit in training camp.
As usual, there was nothing spectacular about what Malik Washington did, just solid, dependable work and coming through when called upon.
https://atozsports.com/nfl/miami-dolphins-news/the-miami-dolphins-left-a-major-clue-to-their-new-look-offense-on-friday-night-but-if-you-blinked-you-may-have-missed-it/
Achane had fun
Jer’Zhan Newton is a solid #2 DT who some wanted us to draft. Jonah manhandled him well last night as well as Sonny Styles. Go Jonah! lol
I will beer you even though I checked first. I just turned on the lap top because I wanted to share this video I saw on my YoutubeTV
I thought he looked SOOOOO much better last night and commented in real time. It gives me hope. I am struggling to not buy in and change my Avi to that ugly read dickhead who breaks peoples walls…..
That first drive had me pumped, but the Oline in general made me feel much better in the first half. The backups {{{{shivers}}}}
I am going to watch the replay Tuesday morning so I can focus on other guys now that I was able to see some of Jonah, Proctor and Kacmarek on this video.
I am sure Ryder will do more as the video becomes available.
Watching the game highlights LB/S Kyle Louis did not look good in coverage. He looked lost out there. He was also a non factor on a blitz where he couldn’t beat the OT. Thumbstache seemed to get himself out of position at times.
Long ways to go on these guys.
Kacmarek sucks, just like I thought😜
BBM : I also really enjoy Tulsa King and Landman .. Billy Bob is always a good watch ….
first snap to Tua bounced off his chest and he had to fall on it ..
Tua’s been checked out since the end of the 2023 season
Malik’s only miss of the night was the pass to Douglas, where he couldn’t stay in bounds, most blame Douglas, as I did live, but he was wide open and the ball shouldn’t have been thrown that close to the sideline
after further review, 60-40 on Malik
Malik’s miss was my favorite play of the game because the Lights came on for Douglas. During that play as evidence of his catch, after that
beat writers have said Douglas has made a lot of catches in camp, but not really any great contested catches
I’m watching the game, and I’m thinking this could be one of the worst broadcast booths ever! All they talk about is the Commanders, you wouldn’t even know there’s another team on the field with them. It’s like a watching CNN! lol
WTF happened to Quinn Ewers? Why is he so out of sync?
My best guess is that this is a new receiving corps that he’s not used to. And of course, he’s not getting many reps with the starters… Malik Willis is instead.
Yeah, Quinn Ewers seems to have taken a MAJOR step back.
I think our biggest problem on Offense is our lack of depth outside of our starters, and of course, our starting WR room… at least until Chris Bell is cleared to play.
I think our biggest problem on Defense is our lack of depth outside of our starters, and of course, our starting Secondary room.
The key to our season is DEVELOPMENT, not to vie for a divisional championship… though it would be pretty incredible to see us challenge for the division crown!
I don’t believe we’ll be bringing in ‘progress stoppers’, such as Jonnu Smith. We obviously could have signed Rasul Douglas, but again, he’d only serve as a ‘progress stopper’ to our younglings.
If we inadvertently/accidentally find ourselves on the cusp of the playoffs this season, it will serve to know we have the correct leadership in-house.
Observation: Achane is going to ROCK this season. So for all of you fantasy football owners out there, GET HIM!
Jonnu will be 31 soon, he’s got plenty of football left, sign him
IF the price is right, then “COME ON DOWN” like Bob Barker! I wouldn’t have a problem with it.
However, I believe we’re trying to develop from the ground up. That’s why I feel we won’t even look at Jonnu.
bringing in Jonnu would solidify the starting O, lessoning the need for a better receiving group
3rd downs with the game still undecided our 5 eligible could be Douglas, Washington, Jonnu, Dulcich and Achane or substitute Bell in for Dulcich or Washington once available
With Bell included, have we had a better 5 recently? Tyreek, Waddle and Achane with not much else
I don’t think setting low goals is how this team is being coached. The idea is get coached up and get better and the results will be what they are.
It was also just one PS game but I agree some of the depth didn’t look so good. Sully is going to churn the bottom of the roster all season.
Y’all,
I’m trying to get ya to understand that this is a DEVELOPMENTAL SEASON, not a competitive season for us. ‘Organic tank’ comes to mind, though that’s a misnomer in and of itself… but you should get the idea.
We’re not even in the business of signing mercs on the cheap (ie: Rasul Douglas, Jonnu Smith), because we want to develop our OWN.
This 2026 season is a MULLIGAN, by default. We need to rebuild from scratch, change the culture, and prepare for the future.
As such, the churning at the bottom levels of our roster WILL continue.
They’re being very tight with money because they have to. On the other hand, when you’re trying to change the culture if your team from a losing team, you want to win as much as you can to help that happen. I think we’re going to win 7 or more if we stay healthy. If we don’t, depending on where the injuries are, it could be less
then please explain, why they were interested in Diggs? Why they traded for Wallace?
Jonnu will only be acquired on the relative cheap, 4m or less
you could also add Willis
That’s a pretty lofty expectation Mike E!!!!!
I think if EVERYTHING goes right, we win 6-7
I believe our starting team will be competitive. If we get hit with a bunch of injuries it could go south. But that would happen to a lot of teams.
It might be Bri. Certainly Vegas doesn’t think I’m right. 7-10 isn’t really that good, and I don’t think we’re going to be an awful team. I think last year’s team sucked and they won 7.
kind of looks like Malik Washington is going to catch 80+ 🏈 this season
Probably and likely a 9-10 YPCA. But that’s okay along with a good run game. Willis gives us another option in the run game as we all know. The time possession game is what we’re going to try and be. Helps the defense.