On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins kicked off their 2026 season with a 27-13 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Dolphins trailed 17-3, but rallied and scored 10 consecutive points. The team would then fail to score the rest of the way as they struggled to gain momentum on either side of the ball.
For a large number of players, it was their first NFL action as the team features many rookies. Additionally, it was the first game as an NFL head coach for Jeff Hafley. After the loss, Hafley issued a strong message to his team.
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Issues Strong Message
While the Miami Dolphins head coach expressed disappointment in the result, saying, “I’m not happy right now. Nobody should be,” Hafley also added that he was proud of the team. Miami’s head coach said, “But the fight was there. I do like the fight.”
Hafley said, “I’m proud of how the guys fought. We had opportunities. The run defense improved as the game went on. We tackled better as the game went on. We need to play better. The penalties killed us, forcing us into passing situations we didn’t want to be in against that team.”
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, their inexperience showed in the season opener. The team was penalized eight times. They were particularly frustrating for the Dolphins as they either extended drives, such as Juju Brents’ taunting penalty, or pre-snap penalties due to the offense not being on the same page.
Jeff Hafley Proud of Miami’s Fight
Finding positives in a double-digit loss against the team that held the No. 1 overall pick is a tough task. However, there were some encouraging developments for the Dolphins.
Dolphins rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas totaled 94 receiving yards on five catches and seven targets. Douglas, who was Miami’s first wide receiver drafted this year, led the team in receiving yards.
Rookie safety Michael Taaffe registered his first career interception on Las Vegas’ opening drive in the third quarter. The interception led to Miami’s only touchdown of the game.
Additionally, rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez led the team with 14 total tackles while also serving as Miami’s defensive playcaller. After the game, Rodriguez said of his experience calling his first NFL game, “I think it felt clean. It’s constant communication between me and Coach Hafley… I think it was pretty clean for the first time.”
Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis also showed some encouraging signs with flashes of the talent that made Miami give him $45 million guaranteed this offseason; however, there was too much inconsistency. Regarding his performance, Dolphins on SI’s Alain Poupart wrote: “Willis’ touchdown run alone was something about which to get excited, but in terms of his overall performance it resided somewhere in the middle and wasn’t consistent enough. As a first impression, it’s clear there’s a lot to work with, but it’s also clear we’re a long way from being able to declare the Dolphins have their franchise quarterback.”
Willis went 15-for-27 with 220 passing yards and an interception. Miami’s quarterback added 39 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown as he led the team in rushing yards.
Dolphins Coach Issues Strong Message After Raiders Loss