The Dolphins’ 24-10 loss to the Chiefs came with a few obvious snap-count storylines, and the biggest one was the running back picture after De’Von Achane went down on Miami’s fifth offensive play. With Jaylen Wright inactive because of injury and Achane leaving early, Ollie Gordon II suddenly became the only other active running back on game day, and his workload ballooned to 61 of Miami’s 73 offensive snaps.
That was a massive jump for Gordon, who had never topped 22 offensive snaps before Sunday, a mark he set against the Washington Commanders in Madrid last season. Through the first two games this year, he had logged only 15 offensive snaps total.
Miami’s injury list also included Caleb Douglas and Robert Beal Jr., while Kyle McCord was once again the only active player who did not see the field. For the second straight week, the Dolphins’ starting lineup featured six rookies, down from seven in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers. Chris Bell stepped in for Douglas at wide receiver and joined DJ Herman, Kadyn Proctor, Jacob Rodriguez, Chris Johnson and Michael Taaffe in the opening group.
Bell’s night was one of the more encouraging notes for Miami. After being on the injury report all week with knee issues, he handled 52 snaps in his third NFL game, and he appeared to get through the game cleanly after dealing with a torn ACL.
Kevin Coleman Jr. also got a long look, even if the production never really followed. The rookie wideout played 45 snaps, which was two more than he had totaled across the previous two games combined, but he finished with just one catch for 3 yards on four targets.
Jalen Tolbert was active for the first time this season, but his role was tiny. He played only 12 offensive snaps, fewer than special teams regular Ryan Miller, and he was not targeted.
At tight end, Justin Joly also made his season debut, but his work was confined to special teams, just like rookie Seydou Traore. Greg Dulcich continued to handle most of the offensive snaps there, with Will Kacmarek also getting a healthy share.
On defense, Miami was on the field for 52 snaps for the second game in a row, and five players never came off it: Michael Taaffe, Chris Johnson, Dante Trader Jr., Jacob Rodriguez and Jordyn Brooks. Taaffe and Trader playing every defensive snap meant Zayne Anderson did not play a defensive snap at all, with his role limited to special teams. After his reduced usage in Week 2 compared to the opener, this looked like a clear sign that the safety rotation has been settled, at least for now.
There was also a notable setup in the secondary. Julius Wood started at slot corner, while Johnson opened outside alongside Jason Marshall Jr.
Johnson later slid inside for some snaps, while Wood played only nine defensive snaps and added 11 on special teams. Marshall and JuJu Brents were nearly even in cornerback usage, with Brents at 36 snaps and Marshall at 35.
Up front, Clelin Ferrell appeared for the third time after another practice squad elevation, but his usage suggested the Dolphins may not be planning to sign him to the active roster just to get him back on the field again. He played only eight defensive snaps, did not appear on special teams, and was easily the least-used of Miami’s four active edge defenders. Chop Robinson logged 37 snaps in his return, Josh Uche had 36 and Malik Herring played 19.
Inside, Zach Sieler once again soaked up the most work, while Jordan Phillips played more than Zeek Biggers this time, 35 snaps to 25. Keith Cooper Jr., who turned heads in camp, remained a rare sight and played only four defensive snaps against Kansas City.
A full 10 non-specialists ended up contributing only on special teams: Liam Anderson, Zayne Anderson, Seydou Traore, Andre Jones Jr., Jackson Woodard, Jaylin Simpson, Jarrett Kingston, Andrew Meyer, Reece Taylor and Joly. Traore led that group with 21 special teams snaps, and Jones followed with 14 after being signed off the Buffalo Bills practice squad last week.
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For the Dolphins, the concern is not just the record but how quickly a season can start to feel like it is slipping away when so many pieces are not quite holding together. The same theme runs through the leagues other winless starts, with different teams blamed for different reasons, but Miamis challenge is more familiar than dramatic: getting healthy, getting cleaner and finding a level of play that keeps the losses from piling up any further. [Read more 🡒]