5 Things I Think I Think About the Miami Dolphins After Week 5

Welp, another week, another loss. Sure, a seven-point loss to the Bengals isn’t particularly encouraging (though let’s be honest, that score was closer than a lot of us might have predicted). But there were still a few developments worth discussing. Some are positive. Some are frustrating. A few are both. Here are five things I think I think after Week 5.

The defense is better than people give it credit for.

When you’re 0-5 and coming off a four-touchdown torching by Joe Burrow, nobody wants to hear about defensive rankings. But hear me out: This unit is statistically better than people might think.

The Dolphins enter Week 6 ranked 15th in passing defense, 16th in rush defense, and 17th in total defense. They’re also tied for sixth in yards allowed per carry (3.7).

Now, before we start organizing a ticker tape parade down Flagler Street, this unit has obvious problems too. They’re 24th in points allowed, 27th in takeaways, and near the bottom of the league in third-down defense. Also, amazingly, they’ve played only one game in which they managed to record at least one sack. The lack of defensive pressure is a serious problem. But considering how young this roster is, the defense has at least shown signs that it can be part of the foundation moving forward.

Could Ollie Gordon be the answer at running back?

OK, pitchforks down, people. I’m not saying Ollie Gordon is better than De’Von Achane. But: Is it possible he’s a better fit for the offense right now? Let’s go to the box score:

It’s obviously a small sample size, but the Gordon fisherman has 236 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns on 47 attempts (5.0 yards per carry). Achane was averaging 3.7 yards per carry on 34 carries, with 49 receiving yards, and no touchdowns.

How could this be?

One possibility: Achane is a lightning bolt who thrives on speed, angles and getting to the edge. That style of running works best with perimeter and second-level blocking upfield. Gordon is a 225-pound bowling ball* who wants to lower his shoulder and get north-south. If you told me Gordon’s physical style is easier and less complicated for this young offensive line to block for, I’d believe it.

It’s something to think about.

*I say “225-pound bowling ball” with love. I’m a huge Ollie Gordon fan.

There are just so many self-inflicted wounds.

The Dolphins don’t need opponents to make life difficult. They’re doing a pretty good job of that themselves.

The special teams disaster continued with an 81-yard return against Cincinnati to start off the game. Three plays later the Bengals are in the end zone. Next play, Jaylen Wright muffs the kickoff (which he recovers and returns, but that’s not the point — it Takes No Talent to catch a kickoff!). Later, we get a 25-yard penalty for kicking the ball short of the landing zone. The landing zone is 20 yards long by 53 1/2 yards wide. That’s over 1,000 square yards! How much bigger do we need to make the landing zone for Riley Patterson to kick into it?! And this is just the first quarter — I’m not even getting into strip sacks or missed extra points later in the game.

For every takeaway the Dolphins defense has secured this season, the offense has given away two. Add in penalties (7 in the Bengals game!), missed assignments and blown coverages, and it’s hard for any rebuilding team to overcome that kind of weekly damage.

I know, this is part of the growth process for a very young team. Suffice it to say, Miami is making things much harder than they need to be.

OK, fine, let’s talk about Malik Willis.

The numbers aren’t pretty. On the season, Willis is 24th in the league in completions, 32nd in completion percentage, 25th in passing yards, 29th in passing touchdowns, 33rd in yards per attempt (reminder, there are still only 32 teams) and 31st in passer rating. Even when you factor in his good (but could be better) rushing performance, that’s still not great.

That said, I have no interest in benching him.

This season is about evaluation. Willis is a relatively inexperienced quarterback playing behind a young offensive line, without De’Von Achane and top receiver Caleb Douglas. It’s clear the offense is not clicking, some of which falls on Willis, but that includes rookie receivers not being where they’re supposed to be.

None of that excuses what was easily Willis’ worst game of the season. Against the Bengals he missed open receivers, passed over check-down options, took (another) unnecessary sack by running out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage and turned the ball over three times. Perhaps most concerning, this was the third straight game in which he’s put the ball on the ground.

The part that worries me isn’t the bad game as much as the repeated mistakes. That’s why I’d keep playing him. The Dolphins need to find out exactly what they have over the next 12 games, if Willis can be someone to build around. But if the same issues continue, the conversation won’t be whether Miami drafts a quarterback in 2027. It’ll be how early.

The Dolphins may actually have a foundation to build on.

Putting the quarterback position aside: Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like an identity to this team is starting to emerge:

• A defense that’s quietly been pretty good, even with Kenny Grant missing the season’s first month. And that’s largely without any sort of pass rush to speak of, which speaks well of how good they’ll be in the future.
• Ollie Gordon emerging as a legitimate contributor. Before the last two games, it was fair to wonder whether Ollie Gordon had a future as a meaningful NFL contributor. These past two games have shown that maybe the Dolphins have someone to build around with Achane in the running back room.
• Young players across the roster getting meaningful snaps. Maybe that’s the most exciting part — what the future might hold for the team. The combined record of the Dolphins’ first five opponents is 20-6, and you can make the argument that playing against tough competition only accelerates this young team’s growth.

Sure, it’s an 0-5 team. But they’re playing good teams close, they’re getting meaningful snaps for young players, and they’re finding more than a few pieces worth building around. That’s not a winning season, but maybe it’s the beginning of a foundation.