Jonah Savaiinaea’s move back to right guard was supposed to be a key piece of the Miami Dolphins’ 2026 roster rebuild, and it’s already paying off on the field. But if you ask Savaiinaea, the position switch isn’t the reason his game has taken a step forward.
According to Miami Herald reporter Barry Jackson, the second-year lineman said the change from left guard to the side he played at Arizona has had “zero impact” on his improvement. That matters because Savaiinaea has yet to allow a sack this season after leading all guards in sacks allowed last year.
Instead, he pointed to a mix of things that have helped him settle in: more game experience, a boost in confidence, advice from offensive line coach Zach Yenser and a sharper focus on keeping defenders from beating him inside.
“Most of my beats, when I got beat, were [on] the inside” last season, he said. “My plan this year is to not get beat inside.
That’s the minor change I’ve put into my game this year. There are a lot of good rushers out there who know how I’m setting.
It’s minor improvements like not getting anywhere with my first step.”
Savaiinaea also discussed Yenser’s influence and said the game has started to slow down for him.
For the Dolphins, the encouraging part is simple: 33 NFL guards have allowed sacks this season, according to a prominent metrics site, and Savaiinaea is not one of them.
Elsewhere in the Dolphins world, the Week 4 loss to the Vikings kept the team winless, but there were still a few individual performances worth sorting through. Jake Gibson’s “Four Winners And Four Losers From Week 4 Dolphins Loss” noted that the losses are getting closer and there were some redeeming performances, even if Miami’s record remains unchanged.
Tyler Carmona’s Week 4 report card came to the same basic place from a different angle, grading each unit in the 15-10 loss to Minnesota and highlighting a defense that delivered while the offense found another way to come up short.
The former Dolphins notes included a rough one for Durham Smythe, now with the Ravens, after he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Baltimore’s win over the Titans. Smythe limped off the field Sunday and was quickly ruled out after grabbing at his calf and struggling to walk under his own power.
There was also no shortage of Bengals coverage tied to Miami’s next opponent, including updates on Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins ahead of Bengals vs. Dolphins, plus film and analysis pieces on Barrett Carter, Demetrius Knight, Dexter Lawrence, the Bengals’ under-center offense, Joe Burrow’s comments on throwing more, and a look at the team’s recent slide.
On the Dolphins side, Jacob Rodriguez was nominated again for Rookie of the Week after an 18-tackle performance, Chop Robinson was highlighted for his pressure production in Week 4, and a few other Dolphins thoughts and reactions rounded out the day’s conversation.
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Dolphins May Be Running Out Of Time With Austin Jackson
Austin Jacksons grip on the Dolphins starting right tackle job has become a real storyline through the first month of the 2026 season. After four weeks of allowing multiple pressures, sacks and penalties, the veteran has put Miami in a familiar spot for an offense trying to stabilize the edge while carrying bigger expectations everywhere else.
The Dolphins have already started looking around for answers, with veteran Caedan Wallace and rookies Melvin Priestly and Dodji Dahoue getting a closer look as the staff searches for better play. There is also consideration being given to positional changes involving Kadyn Proctor, a sign that Miami is willing to keep testing options while it pushes a youth-and-development approach and tries to find a cleaner solution at right tackle. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Fans Wont Love This Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Buzz
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Bleacher Report floated a possible framework involving Miami sending a 2027 third-round pick to Jacksonville, a kind of deal that would speak to how aggressively the Dolphins may need to think if they want to change the feel of this season. For the Jaguars, moving a player with Thomass talent would not be easy to sell, and his inconsistency only adds another layer to a conversation that is likely to linger until someone actually makes the call. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Are Still Waiting To See If Hafley Is Right
With the Dolphins stuck at 0-4 to open the 2026 season, Jeff Hafley spent his latest media availability leaning into the longer view. The head coach said he still believes in the players and in the process, framing the early slide as something the team can work through with trust, development and a steadier response to adversity. Miami has heard that kind of message before, but at this point the margin for patience is starting to shrink.
Now the focus shifts quickly to Cincinnati, where the Dolphins will try to show that Hafleys confidence is rooted in something more concrete than hope. The Bengals offer the next chance to prove the team can turn practice-room progress into results, and for a fan base waiting to see signs of a real course correction, this game feels like more than just another date on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]