The Miami Dolphins entered their second preseason game against the New York Giants with several key starters held out after a physical joint practice between the teams. That gave Miami’s younger players and roster hopefuls an important opportunity at Hard Rock Stadium as the coaching staff continued evaluating the depth chart.
Instead, the Dolphins struggled throughout Saturday’s game. New York secured a 26-3 victory, while the Dolphins had possession for only 19 minutes. Miami also struggled to sustain drives and finished with just three points.
The result came at an important point in the preseason, with the Dolphins continuing to assess players competing for roster spots. Rookie receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. and recently signed linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. were among those who provided some positive moments, while several mistakes made the evaluation more difficult.
Jeff Hafley Calls Out Dolphins’ Execution After Giants Loss
GettyMiami Dolphins Head coach Jeff Hafley
Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported that Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley was disappointed with the team’s execution after the loss, particularly with the mistakes made by players expected to provide depth during the regular season.
“The details aren’t good enough right now,” Hafley said. “That’s some guys that we are going to count on for depth. I told them at halftime these are important moments. I want to see who we can count on as we go toward the 53.”
Miami repeatedly hurt itself with penalties, turnovers and special teams mistakes. The Dolphins had two holding penalties and a fumble in the first half, along with a shanked punt. The second half brought four more penalties, a fumbled snap and a muffed punt.
Jaylen Wright lost a fumble in the first quarter, while Charlie Heck was penalized for holding on a play that erased a strong Ollie Gordon II run. Bradley Pinion later shanked a punt for only 15 yards, and Tahj Washington muffed a punt inside the 10-yard line late in the game.
Hafley also said protection issues, dropped passes and poor decisions made it difficult to properly evaluate the quarterback play. Cam Miller completed 6 of 11 passes for 60 yards and added 18 rushing yards before Mark Gronowski took over after halftime.
“Those are self-inflicted,” Hafley said. “That’s what’s disappointing. We’re not where we need to be.”
The Dolphins’ lack of execution was reflected in the final statistics. Hafley said he liked the team’s effort but stressed that the details must improve.
Kevin Coleman Jr. and Stephen Dix Jr. Give Miami Positive Signs
Kevin Coleman Jr. was one of the few Dolphins offensive players to produce consistently. The rookie receiver finished with two receptions for 32 yards on five targets, with his 32 receiving yards exceeding the total of every other Miami player.
Coleman’s biggest play came on a 30-yard catch from Miller along the right sideline. He had also made an impression during the joint practice against the Giants earlier in the week.
“He made some nice catches. He was competitive. I love the way he played,” Hafley said. “We wanted to get him the football.”
Stephen Dix Jr. provided another encouraging moment after joining Miami just one day before the game. The undrafted linebacker played the entire second half despite having almost no time to learn the Dolphins’ defensive system.
“We had to tell him the call and tell him what to do every single play,” Hafley said. “We had to play like two calls in the second half, which I had never had to do in my life.”
Dix spent the 2025 season at Arkansas, starting 10 of 12 games and recording 79 tackles, four tackles for loss and one sack. His immediate involvement gave him an opportunity to show that he could adapt quickly despite arriving just before the game.
Miami also received productive efforts from Willie Gay Jr., who led the Dolphins with eight tackles, while Jackson Woodard recovered a Giants fumble in the red zone. Hafley said he liked the physicality of the defense and the way the running backs competed.
The Dolphins will finish the preseason against the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 28. With roster decisions approaching, Saturday’s performance gave Hafley more information about which depth players can be trusted and which areas still need improvement.
Jeff Hafley Puts Dolphins Depth On Notice After 26-3 Defeat