The Miami Dolphins are halfway through a season that has been rough on the scoreboard but full of signs that the rebuild is already turning up a few real pieces. At 1-7 with nine games left, Miami is leaning on a roster loaded with rookies and younger players, and the first half has given the team enough standout performances to hand out some midseason hardware.
If there’s one name that jumps out immediately on offense, it’s Caleb Douglas. The third-round wideout has become Miami’s top threat on the perimeter, even after missing three games with injury.
He still ranks third on the team in targets and catches, second in receiving yards, and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns. His 296 receiving yards are the most in team history for a player’s first five NFL games, though the missed time likely keeps him from threatening Jaylen Waddle’s 1,105-yard rookie mark.
Douglas has flashed real burst and forced defenses to adjust, even if the drops remain part of the story - including a costly one on fourth down against the Detroit Lions that would have moved the chains during Miami’s comeback push. Kadyn Proctor earns the honorable mention here.
On the other side of the ball, Jacob Rodriguez has made the easiest case of the bunch. The linebacker has been everywhere for Miami, and everywhere in the league stat sheet too.
He sits seventh in tackles with 79 in eight games, already has a sack and an interception, and has handled the defensive play-calling duties all season. That kind of workload has made him look like a building block from the start.
Michael Taaffe gets the honorable mention.
The Dolphins’ offensive player of the first half is Ollie Gordon II, and that’s a big leap from where he started. He was supposed to be a depth piece and a change-of-pace back behind De’Von Achane, but Achane’s injury opened the door and Gordon kicked it down.
He’s 16th in the league with 463 rushing yards, and after managing just three carries for seven yards in Weeks 1 and 2, he took over in Week 3 and never really gave the job back. Since becoming the starter, he’s averaging 83 yards per game, a pace that would rank seventh in the league.
Greg Dulcich is the honorable mention.
Jordyn Brooks gets the nod as defensive player of the first half, giving Miami a linebacker pairing that has done plenty of the heavy lifting. With Jacob Rodriguez working the middle and Brooks on the weak side, the Dolphins have a steady force on the second level.
Brooks has 75 tackles, which ranks 13th in the league, and has been the reliable presence around which the rest of the defense has operated. Zach Sieler is the honorable mention.
For breakout player, Malik Washington gets the spotlight. The attention has mostly gone to the rookies - especially Douglas and Chris Bell - and even Kevin Coleman Jr. gets mentioned plenty despite being fourth on the depth chart.
But Washington has quietly put together a strong season after stepping out from the shadows of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He leads the team in targets, receptions, and yards, and he’s doing it while filling the kind of versatile role Miami needs.
He’s taken on the Hill role in the offense, moving around the formation, working in motion, and even lining up in the backfield. Douglas may eventually pass him in yards, but Washington has become the dependable do-it-all option.
Chris Johnson is the honorable mention.
The best play of the first half comes with two winners. The first is Bradley Pinion’s 46-yard fake punt pass to Kaytron Allen against the Lions, a perfectly timed call that caught Detroit flat-footed and converted a 4th-and-3.
The second is Malik Willis’ quarterback sneak on 4th-and-1 against the Jets, which may not have been as flashy but carried far more weight. With Miami leading 28-25 and two minutes left, the Dolphins went for it from the Jets’ 49-yard line, knowing a failure could have opened the door to a tying field goal.
Willis lined up in the tush-push look behind center Aaron Brewer, with DJ Herman and Ollie Gordon shoving from behind, and he powered through for the two-yard gain that helped secure Miami’s first win of the season.
Josh Uche gets the free agent addition honor for his work on the edge. The Dolphins’ pass rush has been uneven, but Uche has provided a solid veteran presence and a strong complement to Chop Robinson.
He has 34 tackles, three sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. In a season built around one-year contracts and short-term fixes, Uche has done enough to put himself in line for a possible extension after the year.
Malik Willis is the honorable mention.
And then there’s the midseason MVP: Chop Robinson. It’s a choice that will spark debate, but the case is straightforward enough.
The defense has carried Miami, and Robinson has been the spark. His four sacks rank 29th in the league, but the numbers don’t capture how often he’s in the backfield disrupting plays.
He’s been inconsistent, just like the rest of the pass rush, and he still needs to clean up the moments when he sells out for the quarterback and loses the edge against the run. Even so, Robinson has made his presence felt, and in a season like this, that matters.
In Other News...
Chop Robinson Is Giving Dolphins Fans A Very Intriguing Problem
Chop Robinson has already turned a limited sample into one of the more interesting development stories on Miamis defense. The Dolphins edge rusher has been productive when he gets after the quarterback, piling up 30 total pressures on 166 pass rushes and showing the kind of burst that can change a game even without a huge workload.
The wrinkle for Miami is simple: there have not been many chances to unleash him. Because opponents have thrown so little against the Dolphins this season, Robinsons opportunities have been capped, but the production is loud enough to make you wonder what it could look like if his role grows. For a defense always looking for more disruption off the edge, that is the kind of problem worth having. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Put A Frustrating Problem At The Center Of Their Lions Loss
Penalties ended up sitting at the center of Miamis loss to the Lions, and head coach Jeff Hafley made it clear afterward that the Dolphins made life harder on themselves than Detroit did. The flags repeatedly put the offense behind the chains and chipped away at any chance to settle into a rhythm, turning a competitive game into one where Miami kept having to dig out of avoidable mistakes.
Hafleys frustration was rooted in how familiar the problem felt, because the Dolphins have seen this kind of self-inflicted damage before and know it can wreck a game plan fast. With the margin in the AFC so thin, the message coming out of the loss was less about one bad night and more about a habit Miami cannot afford to let linger if it wants to stay on track. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Should Be Careful Judging Malik Willis Right Now
Malik Willis remains the Dolphins starting quarterback for the 2023 season, even as some fans have pushed for a change. The bigger picture around his first year in Miami is less about a quick verdict and more about the circumstances he has been asked to navigate, from a weak supporting cast to the general uncertainty that comes with a team still trying to sort out its long-term direction.
Miamis front office is clearly treating Willis as a possible answer beyond this season, but that does not mean the evaluation is finished or simple. With injuries and roster questions hanging over the offense, the Dolphins are left weighing what they have seen against what they still need to see, all while knowing the next turn could come through the draft, free agency, or a different answer altogether. [Read more 🡒]