Miami Dolphins' loss to Raiders reminds us everyone better buckle up
· Yahoo Sports
LAS VEGAS — The game being played inside Allegiant Stadium was the same one being played right down the street on the Las Vegas Strip.
You win a little, the house wins twice as much.
Visit afrikasportnews.co.za for more information.
It’s that way in the casinos — helps explain how they stay in business — and it was that way on the opening Sunday of NFL action, when the young Miami Dolphins made some plays but the Las Vegas Raiders made twice as many in a 27-13 victory.
Buy Miami Dolphins tickets on StubHub
Where does this leave the Dolphins and coach Jeff Hafley? With plenty to build on, plenty more to correct.
And with concrete evidence to point to after a summer of warning everybody that with rookies, there are going to be ups and downs, so everybody had better buckle up.
New quarterback Malik Willis had his moments, especially when throwing to rookie receiver Caleb Douglas, but his overall performance wasn’t close to what it needs to be for him to be anointed the longterm solution to this team’s quarterback problem.
The defense recorded two takeaways, one shy of its stated per-game goal, but had no answers for running back Ashton Jeanty even though it was clear the Raiders would rely on his legs given the absence of the unit’s top playmaker, tight end Brock Bowers.
Completing the trifecta, Miami’s special teams gave up two kickoff returns of 45 or more yards, but fired back with a 79-yarder of its own by Jaylen Wright. Fitting of how the day went, Wright’s return netted the Dolphins zero points.
Miami’s youth only goes so far in explaining what happened. Two veterans who must show up for the Dolphins to have any hope in 2026 were stuck in neutral against the Raiders. Running back De’Von Achane, the team’s reigning MVP and a man gunning for the rushing title, had 11 carries for 36 yards. Edge defender Chop Robinson had one tackle.
Put it together and you have a Dolphins team that fell behind 17-3, scored 10 consecutive points, then allowed 10 straight. Yeah, that bumpy a ride.
Malik Willis knows he has to play better
Willis’ takeaway?
“I got to play better,” he said. “We got to play better as a unit, and we got to continue to get better as a whole team. I mean, there's a lot of young guys who will learn from this. Obviously, they haven't been in this position before. This is the first time a lot of those guys are out here playing in a real NFL game. So, like I said, hate to lose, But if we learn something from it, maybe it'll help us down the road.”
Learning on the fly, these Dolphins must, with the youngest roster in the NFL heading west for a week in California before playing the veteran San Francisco 49ers. With the Chiefs, Vikings and Bengals right behind them, any of the local sports books will tell you it adds up to an 0-5 record entering the bye, especially since the Raiders represented the easiest assignment of the early going.
Those upcoming teams won’t require help to beat Miami, which was generous on this day. The Dolphins were already down 7-0 in the second quarter when safety Zayne Anderson made a nifty pass break-up on third down. At least cornerback JuJu Brents thought it was nifty. His celebration drew a late flag for taunting.
“Seven points right there,” Hafley said.
Actually, it ended up costing the Dolphins only a field goal, but on a day when mistakes and bad breaks seemed magnified, give Hafley a pass on that one. Already in this game, a fourth-and-1 run by Connor Heyward was stuffed by Willie Gay and Anderson, except after a lengthy review, the call was overturned. That’s the break that handed Las Vegas seven points. The taunting violation, Hafley suspects, might cost Brents a fine.
Willis went 15-of-27 for 220 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for a tepid passer rating of 66.9 and was sacked five times, often after holding onto the ball too long.
“You can blame the sacks on me,” Willis said. “A sack is a quarterback’s sack and I’m going to take the O-line out for that.”
Willis clearly has something going with Douglas, who caught five passes for 94 yards. And, when he couldn’t find Douglas or anyone else in the third quarter, he showed everyone the quickness he’s known for on a 14-yard touchdown run.
“I thought he really made some great plays with his legs and threw some really good passes,” Hafley said.
There’s more than that to build upon. Rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez led the Dolphins with 14 tackles and Chris Johnson added 11, which could be a concern given he’s a cornerback. Michael Taaffe and Dante Trader Jr. made interceptions.
On the other hand …
The Dolphins were penalized eight times for 61 yards. Offensive linemen Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer were called for holding penalties on consecutive plays.
Consistency when the Dolphins least wanted it.
Hal Habib covers the Miami Dolphins for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' loss to Raiders reminds us everyone better buckle up
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.