5 Things I Think I Think About the Miami Dolphins After Week 8

Let’s start with the bad news. The Miami Dolphins are 1-6, having scored the second-fewest points in the entire league. (Who’s scored the fewest? Thank you for asking. It’s the winless Los Angeles Chargers, whose offense is led by our old friend, Mike McDaniel. There’s a lesson in there somewhere.)

Young, developing teams can be hard to watch sometimes, but they can also be rewarding if you know what to look for. So with that in mind, here are five things I think I think after Week 8.

There’s a Good Team in There Somewhere

For one glorious half, the Dolphins looked like a quality, well-coached football team.

Their defense forced a fumble deep in Patriots territory. After trading field goals through most of the first half, they drove 70 yards for a touchdown, spreading the ball around to Greg Dulcich, Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman before connecting with Malik Washington for a short touchdown just before the break.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, things unraveled in the second half. The Patriots made adjustments the Dolphins couldn’t counter, and (as we’ll discuss shortly) Miami made so many self-inflicted mistakes that it couldn’t overcome them. But it’s hard not to wonder: If the Dolphins can build a double-digit lead over a playoff contender like the Patriots while making so many unforced errors, what happens when they stop making them?

That Said, the Dolphins Are Still Making Rookie Mistakes

Playing against a Mike Vrabel-led team isn’t going to be easy. Any lapses in communication on either side of the ball are going to be exploited, and the Dolphins weren’t exactly on their A game.

On one of Malik Willis’ five (!) sacks, Douglas and Bell ended up running to … the same area of the field. After stopping the Patriots’ offense to open the second half, the Dolphins had a chance to extend their lead. Instead, on third-and-9, Willis’ pass at the sticks doinked off Dulcich’s helmet. And at the end of the third quarter, two defenders covered the option on Drake Maye’s goal-line read-option, leaving Maye free to waltz untouched into the end zone. It didn’t cost them much, I suppose, but a wide-open Jaylen Wright also dropped an easy pass.

(And no, I’m not emotionally ready to talk about Ollie Gordon’s unsportsmanlike penalty.)

These are fixable mistakes, but they cost the Dolphins a winnable game against a division opponent.

Malik Willis Is Becoming Part of the Solution

OK, so 19 points doesn’t seem like much of an answer to the torches-and-pitchforks crowd around these parts three weeks ago. And even after two games of noticeable improvement, I don’t think we’re anywhere near being able to say, “Hey, let’s not spend an early-round 2027 pick on a quarterback.”

That said, 21-of-32 for 211 yards, two touchdowns and a deflected interception? That’s “pass”able (ha ha) for a quarterback playing with little help from the running game and under pressure for much of the afternoon.

More to the point, Willis is starting to do what professional quarterbacks do: throw the ball away, take the easy yards when they’re there and avoid putting the ball in harm’s way. (Though I see we’re still sliding behind the line of scrimmage for a sack instead of throwing the ball away, so there’s still some growth that needs to happen.) It’s a small thing, but a necessary one if you want to see continued development.

I’m eager to see how he performs against the Lions this week.

Kadyn Proctor’s Importance Is No Longer Theoretical

In my Tracking the Guards series, I’ve talked a lot about how people who understand offensive line play have been impressed with Proctor’s development this year, even if his PFF grades don’t always reflect it.

But if you really want to judge how well a player is performing, look at how the team does when he’s not in the lineup.

Proctor missed the Patriots game while in concussion protocol. His replacement, Jarrett Kingston, played fine, but Proctor’s absence was noticeable. Without him, the Dolphins’ running game lacked its power. There were far fewer instances of linebackers getting neutralized, and the Patriots’ safeties and second-level defenders had a much easier time disrupting the offense.

Proctor is expected back in the lineup against the Lions, and it’s clear the team needs him.

It’s Not Always Pretty, but the Rebuild Seems To Be Working

Just look at all the players 25 or younger who are either starting or playing meaningful snaps: Patrick Paul. Caleb Douglas. Malik Washington. Kevin Coleman. Chris Bell. Kadyn Proctor. Jacob Rodriguez. Michael Taaffe. Chris Johnson. Chop Robinson. Jordan Phillips. Jonah Savaiinaea.

You could probably throw in Kenny Grant, Dante Trader, Jason Marshall and Zeek Biggers, too.

That’s an incredible amount of development time, and it’s time that isn’t being spent (or wasted) on players like Jonnu Smith or Jalen Ramsey. And, with a few notable exceptions, they’ve largely stayed healthy, too. They’re getting the reps they need to grow into the players we want them to be.

Those reps are also producing penalties and blown assignments, but that’s part of the growth process, too.

So, yeah, 1-6 isn’t much fun, and it’s definitely not fun listening to pundits talk about how the Dolphins’ future opponents are going to have a field day playing them. But the growth and talent development are exciting to watch, and to me, much more rewarding than what we’ve seen in recent years: older players underperforming and getting hurt.

I like this version better.