Dolphins Show Flashes of Promise Despite Loss to Colts

Dolphins Show Flashes of Promise Despite Loss to Colts

There were flashes of good, but unfortunately for the Dolphins, the bad plays dominated.

Kyle McCord was acceptable for his first NFL start, but acceptable is simply not good enough.

Then again, the Dolphins will have at least the next three games to make a proper evaluation, as Malik Willis will remain on injured reserve.

Despite the Colts’ top two receivers being traded at the deadline—Keenan Allen and Josh Downs—the Dolphins’ secondary was shredded by big plays in the first half, something the Colts had not previously been known for.

In addition, the Colts’ running backs, Jonathan Taylor and Seth McGowan, had too many holes to run through, which kept the Dolphins’ defense on its heels.

The disastrous first play of the second half exhibited McCord’s inexperience and essentially sealed the game for the Colts.

On the positive side of the ledger, the Dolphins’ young defense continues to show promise heading into 2027 and beyond. General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and Coach Jeff Hafley have proven to be masters at recognizing talent through the draft, and hopefully their success in 2026 will continue into the 2027 draft.

Rookie defensive players such as Jacob Rodriguez, Chris Johnson, Kyle Louis, and Michael Taaffe have shown they belong in the NFL.

On offense, Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas, Will Kacmarek, and Kadyn Proctor have shown great potential, and an extremely optimistic future awaits them.

A final few comments.

Zane Gonzalez‘s two missed field goals and an extra point were the difference in the game.

Gonzalez needs to go, like now.

He blew the game single-handedly.

Another positive is that the Dolphins kept fighting in the second half and remained in the game.

Even with the Dolphins’ eighth loss of the season, there are still many positives to build on and plenty of optimism going forward.

No one expected the 2026 season to be anything except what it is shaping up to be, but the future looks bright despite the record.