The Dolphins’ first week offered a blunt lesson: when Miami gets pushed off script, the whole operation can start to wobble fast. Against the Las Vegas Raiders, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik didn’t lean nearly hard enough on the one player who can change the math, and the result was a frustrating showing against one of the softer opponents on the 2026 schedule.
That matters again this week, because the San Francisco 49ers come in with the same kind of vulnerability right where Miami can attack. Their interior defensive line is beatable, and that was only reinforced by what happened before their Week 1 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.
Starting defensive tackle Alfred Collins suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the season, leaving James Thompson Jr. (29.1), Gracen Halton (30.4), and C.J.
West (33.2) as the three lowest-graded defenders from that game, according to PFF. They’ll be part of the group trying to hold up against the Dolphins on Sunday.
For Miami, the answer should be obvious: get De'Von Achane rolling and keep him there. He’s the offense’s best player, and the clearest way to keep this game within reach is to feed him and work the middle of the field behind a massive offensive front.
The Raiders game showed what happens when that doesn’t happen. Miami ran the ball only 18 times, with five of those coming on quarterback scrambles, and that was tied for the third-fewest rushing attempts in Week 1.
The efficiency numbers weren’t much prettier. The Dolphins managed just 3.5 yards per carry on interior runs, while anything to the outside was a mess, averaging only 1.4 yards per rush.
Miami also snapped the ball only 50 times against Las Vegas, the fifth-lowest total in the league. That’s the other part of the problem: it’s not enough to say they need more carries.
They have to stay on the field, string together drives, and keep the chains moving.
There’s also a clear warning sign in what happens if the Dolphins fall behind and have to keep throwing to an inexperienced receiver group. That can turn ugly in a hurry, and this season may bring plenty of those moments. But that doesn’t change the approach they should take from the opening series.
The 49ers and Raiders are different teams, but the blueprint is similar enough for Miami to see the opportunity. Each has a weak interior line and each has a pass rusher who can wreck a plan on his own.
After dealing with Maxx Crosby in Week 1, the Dolphins now have to line up against Nick Bosa in Week 2. Bosa’s father, John Bosa, was a failed Dolphins first-round pick in 1987, which might give him a little extra edge against Miami.
Still, the central idea remains the same. The Dolphins’ best chance to steal a win or two in 2026 runs through the left side of their offensive line, where six-foot-seven, 325-pound Patrick Paul and six-foot-seven, 360-pound Kadyn Proctor are the kind of bodies that can set a tone.
Jon-Eric Sullivan clearly saw something there when he made Proctor his first-ever draft selection. If Miami wants to stay close, this one doesn’t need to be complicated.
Pound the rock, Bobby Slowik.
In Other News...
Dolphins Draft Outlook Got Real Ugly After Just One Game
A rough opening weekend has already pushed the Dolphins into an unexpected spot in the early draft conversation. After their loss to the Raiders, ESPNs Football Power Index now gives Miami the highest chance of landing a top-10 pick in next springs draft, a jarring development for a team that entered the season with much different expectations. The projections are bleak enough to make the conversation feel less like a slow-burn concern and more like an immediate reality check.
ESPNs simulations have Miami with a 38% shot at the No. 1 overall pick and an average draft position of 2.9, while the betting market is essentially treating this as a team in danger of finishing with only a handful of wins. The road ahead does little to ease the pressure, with matchups coming against the 49ers, Chiefs, Vikings and Bengals. For a club that still has plenty of football left, the bigger question now is whether the season can stabilize before the draft picture gets even uglier. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Run Defense Is Becoming A Bigger Problem Than Fans Expected
The run defense is starting to look like more than a one-game annoyance for the Dolphins after Las Vegas pushed the ball on the ground for 130 yards in the latest matchup. Ashton Jeanty did most of the damage, and the bigger concern for Miami was how often the Raiders were able to lean on their offensive line and keep the defense on its heels in the trenches.
Defensive coordinator Mike Hafley pointed to early tentative play and a few misalignments, though he did say the group settled in better after halftime. Even with that adjustment, Miami sits 23rd against the run, and the next stretch will go a long way in showing whether this was a bad afternoon or the start of a more stubborn problem. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Offense Already Faces Pressure To Prove Hafleys Identity Works
After the Dolphins season opener, Jeff Hafley made it clear where he wants this offense headed: on the ground. DeVon Achane handled 15 touches and Miami ran the ball 18 times in the first game of the 2026 season, a start that gave Hafley room to point back to his Boston College background, where his teams leaned heavily on the run and produced strong rushing numbers. For a team trying to establish a new identity, the early message was simple enough.
Now comes the harder part. Miami is heading into Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers with the rushing attack already under the microscope, and the gap between a stated commitment and a functioning identity can close quickly in this league. The Dolphins do not need a philosophy lecture as much as they need the kind of run game that can hold up against a quality opponent and make Hafleys preferred blueprint look less like a coaching talking point and more like something the offense can actually build around. [Read more 🡒]