Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice

By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 2:29 PM ET

Joint practices have revealed some problems for the Miami Dolphins with a few weeks to go before the regular season.

Tua Tagovailoa started against the Chicago Bears in Sunday's preseason game, wanting to show improvement after having a bad showing during the Dolphins' joint practice in Chicago on Friday.

Tagovailoa did play better, going 5-of-6 passing for 27 yards and led the Dolphins to the Chicago 1-yard line before the offense was stopped on downs.

A few days later, Tagovailoa and the offense had another poor performance at their joint practice with the Detroit Lions.

Per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, Miami couldn't score in the red zone against a motivated Lions defense during Wednesday's practice.

"Dolphins offense just ran 16 or so plays in the red zone vs. the Lions and didn’t score until the final play (between the second units)," Pouncy posted on X. "Miami’s first-team offense didn’t score in the 7-8 plays vs. Detroit’s first-team defense. It was ugly. Lions’ D is having a day."

Dolphins offense just ran 16 or so plays in the red zone vs. the Lions and didn’t score until the final play (between the second units). Miami’s first-team offense didn’t score in the 7-8 plays vs. Detroit’s first-team defense. It was ugly.

Lions’ D is having a day.
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) August 13, 2025

Pouncy's observation of the Lions manhandling the Dolphins was universal among beat reporters covering the Lions and Dolphins, with The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner calling it the most "lopsided" practice he'd witnessed covering the NFL.

Last week, Omar Kelly of the Miami Sun Sentinel said Miami folded when the Bears defense began to whip on the offense.

The accusations of the Dolphins being a soft team are going to continue until they decide to fight back in joint practices or against opponents in the regular season.

When healthy, the Lions have a fierce defense. So Detroit having the edge isn't a surprise, though not being able to score during 16 plays in the red zone is a concern.

Miami doesn't appear to have found an identity, and that could spell doom for the season if it doesn't get it figured out before Week 1.

Jordan Sigler

Jordan Sigler is a sports writer with a decade of experience as a journalist, including his time as a breaking news/day cops reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. His sports coverage across the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, and college football world has also been featured at ChiCitySports, Gridiron Heroics, Pro Football Network, and Athlon Sports. Based in Austin, Texas, Jordan graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas Tech University in 2014

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