Malik Willis didn’t just give Dolphins fans something to watch in his Miami debut. He gave them a clean, confident opening act at the exact moment Tua Tagovailoa’s new chapter in Atlanta got off to a rough start.
Willis, signed by Miami to a three-year deal in free agency, looked sharp Friday, Aug. 14, against the Washington Commanders. On his lone possession, he helped steer a 16-play, 91-yard touchdown march and finished 4 of 5 for 43 yards.
The highlight was a 28-yard completion to rookie Caleb Douglas, a grab that required a little juggling before it stuck. He also added two carries for 9 yards, showing the kind of mobility Miami was betting on when it brought him in.
Coach Jeff Hafley liked what he saw. "Extremely composed, very accurate, just the leadership in the huddle," Hafley said.
"Very clean, very, very clean. And that's a really, really good first step."
That stood in sharp contrast to Tagovailoa’s first outing with the Falcons. Playing against the Denver Broncos, he had a much tougher assignment, but the results were still ugly.
He fumbled the second snap of the game and finished 3 of 5 for 22 yards. His completions all went to Kyle Pitts, including a 6-yard out on third-and-14.
A clip of Tagovailoa and Michael Penix on the bench quickly made the rounds overnight, feeding the sense that Atlanta’s quarterback situation doesn’t exactly feel settled.
Tagovailoa said afterward that his play was "definitely not up to standard, not even up to par."
The comparison lands hard because of how much baggage followed Tagovailoa into this offseason. Dolphins fans backed him from the start after he went No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he spent six seasons in South Florida dealing with injuries, especially the concussions that became such a constant talking point around his career. He also had a strong run in Miami, helping power one of the league’s most explosive offenses over a two-year stretch that included playoff appearances and a Pro Bowl 2023 season in which he led the NFL in passing yards.
But the ending turned fast. After signing an extension worth over $200 million before the 2024 season, he was limited to 11 games that year.
In the next season, he was benched after a career-worst 15 interceptions. Miami then moved on after 2025, cutting him even with nearly $100 million in dead money.
Willis is now the reset button, at least for the moment. And while it’s only one preseason game, Miami’s first look at him was encouraging enough to make the old quarterback debate feel a little lopsided for a night.
The Falcons are expected to contend in the NFC South, while the Dolphins are widely forecast to be in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Still, after one preseason game, the vibes were better in Miami.
Willis will keep building toward the regular season, and Tagovailoa is set to return to his old stomping grounds to close out the preseason Aug. 28. Over the next two weeks, both quarterbacks will get another chance to change the story.
In Other News...
Dolphins Face A Bigger Passing-Game Question After Preseason Swing
The Dolphins got a useful look at themselves against Washington in a joint practice and preseason game, but the bigger takeaway was how quickly the matchup turned into a test of depth and decision-making. Both teams held several starters out or limited, and Miami jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before the night settled into the kind of evaluation-heavy football that usually tells coaches more about roster spots than the scoreboard.
Washington announced 26 players, including key starters, would not play, which only added to the uncertainty around what either side was really showing. Still, the game carried a reminder that the passing game can change fast when the quarterback rotation shifts, and the Dolphins left with another layer to sort through as they keep assessing how their offense looks once the preseason reps start getting handed around. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Leave First Preseason Test With Two Concerns Fans Noticed
The Dolphins first preseason test offered a little of everything, starting with a crisp opening drive that ended in a touchdown before the offense settled into a much shakier rhythm. Malik Willis got Miami moving early, but the backups had a harder time sustaining anything consistent, and the passing game never found much traction after that opening burst. Even in a loss to Washington, there were enough encouraging individual moments up front and on the defensive side to suggest some parts of the roster are trending the right way.
Still, the 20-7 result left two issues hanging over the night for Miami observers. The quarterback play behind the first unit was uneven, with completions hard to come by and interceptions adding to the frustration, while the run defense also gave up too much ground and paid for it in the end zone. For a team trying to sort out depth and identity before the games count, those are the kinds of preseason problems that tend to linger until the next chance to clean them up. [Read more 🡒]