The Miami Dolphins might be looking at a long season ahead.
But they’ve gotten at least one thing right — Caleb Douglas looks to be a rising star at wide receiver.
That was the bright spot in the Dolphins‘ otherwise bleak Week 1 Sunday in Las Vegas, which ended up as a 27-13 win for the Raiders.
Douglas, a third-round rookie who is starting both because he’s talented and because the Dolphins have the least-experienced receiver room in football, looked every bit as good as a guy who is tall, strong and fast.
For Miami fans looking for a reason not to be too bummed on Sunday, just think about Douglas.
Caleb Douglas NFL Debut Stats
Douglas was the top receiver in the game by more than 40 yards, for either team.
He had five catches for 94 yards from new Miami QB Malik Willis.
Willis targeted Douglas seven times, so it was a pretty efficient connection to make five of those work, including a long completion of 30 yards.
Douglas had a quiet start through a couple drives, but then he got going.
Considering Willis was just 15-for-27 for 220 yards, the five catches for Douglas represented a huge chunk of the offense.
Other Dolphins Stats
The rest of the Dolphins’ receiver room contributed a bit, but not a whole lot.
Malik Washington, the starting slot receiver and leading returning player from this group, had three catches for 53 yards. He was targeted eight times, though, so he and Willis weren’t always on the same page.
The other third-round rookie, Chris Bell, made just one catch on two targets, a 25-yarder.
Willis also involved De’Von Achane in the passing attack, as you’d expect — he had four catches for 30 yards out of five targets.
Willis also completed two passes to the starting tight end, Greg Dulcich, for 18 yards.
The fifth-round rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. was targeted twice but didn’t have a catch.
The bright spot for Willis on the day was probably his 14-yard touchdown run. He ran six times for 39 yards overall, leading the Dolphins in rushing on a day that Achane carried 11 times for 36 yards.
Of possible opponents, the Raiders were one of the easier ones on the Dolphins’ schedule. The fact that they lost by two touchdowns anyway is a concerning sign.
Miami’s best hope this season will be that their inexperienced wide receiver group becomes experienced in a hurry. That’s the only way they’ll keep up as their defense allows chunks of points.
Douglas looks up to that task. The next step will be him helping Washington, Bell and Coleman along with him.
It’s too early to know whether Willis is the answer, but at least the Dolphins can feel pretty darn good about the fact that Douglas is on their team.
Caleb Douglas’ NFL Debut is Bright Spot for Dolphins