Grading the Dolphins: Surprise Groups with High Marks?

During a season already riddled with obstacles, moving pieces and uncertainty, even a two-score loss can offer some hope to cling on.

Throughout the Miami Dolphins’ 24-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the physical, resilient identity new head coach Jeff Hafley hopes to establish began to take shape.

While staying within one score until the final three minutes against a team widely viewed among the league’s best, Miami repeatedly punched back after crucial mistakes instead of letting them snowball.

The Dolphins ran 18 more offensive plays than the Chiefs and controlled the ball for 34:21, nearly nine minutes longer than Kansas City. Yet Miami was narrowly outgained 334-329, as the Chiefs averaged 6.8 yards per play compared to the Dolphins’ 4.9.

Miami converted 8 of 16 third downs but went 0-for-3 on fourth down, including a failed fourth-and-5 near midfield with less than six minutes remaining and the Dolphins trailing by seven. Miami also committed two turnovers and scored a touchdown on just one of its two trips to the red zone.

Here’s how each position group graded out in Miami’s Week 3 loss:

GRADING THE DOLPHINS BY POSITION FOR THE KC GAME

Quarterback: C-

Every reason the Miami Dolphins took a chance on Malik Willis was on display Sunday.

There was the arm talent, like when Willis split Cover 2 and ripped a 42-yard pass to Greg Dulcich on a bender between the safeties. 

It wasn’t a bad read or a reckless throw. Willis anticipated Dulcich slightly flattening his route after crossing the first safety, as he’s taught to do, and put the ball where only his tight end could make the play.

There was also his athleticism. On third down with 7:57 the fourth quarter, Willis used his legs to escape pressure and make a linebacker miss to extend the drive after the play broke down.

But Miami also continued to see why this is the first consistent starting opportunity Willis has been able to pin down in years.

His ball security cost the Dolphins when he left the ball exposed and L’Jarius Sneed punched it free. 

Then, on fourth-and-1 with 2:00 left in the fourth quarter, Willis threw an interception after rushing through his progression, never noticing the linebacker that shot toward Ollie Gordon II in the flat and never coming back to Malik Washington, who had settled beyond the first-down marker on a snag route.

On another fourth down, this time fourth-and-5 with six minutes remaining, Willis threw underneath to Kevin Coleman Jr. short of the sticks. The decision effectively ended Miami’s last real chance to answer, and Kansas City turned the ensuing possession into a touchdown that stretched the lead to 24-10.

There were also misses that didn’t end in turnovers but still left points on the field, including underthrowing a wide-open Kevin Coleman Jr. with 7:28 left in the third quarter that could have gone for a touchdown, and a goal-line slant to Greg Dulcich that also had a chance to score had Willis thrown it to him.

Willis finished 20-of-36 for 210 yards with no touchdowns, one interception and a fumble, while adding 56 rushing yards on nine carries. His 61.1 passer rating was his lowest through three starts this season.

Running Back: D

De’Von Achane’s afternoon was cut short by his season-ending knee injury, leaving Miami to lean more heavily on Ollie Gordon II.

Gordon II found the end zone on a goal-line touchdown run with 3:27 remaining in the first quarter, sprung by a strong pull from rookie guard Kadyn Proctor. Outside of that, though, he struggled to get going, averaging just 2.4 yards per carry and rarely finding enough space to build momentum before contact.

He did make an impressive play through the air, though. On third-and-10, Gordon left his feet and fully extended to secure a pass on an angle route toward midfield before turning upfield for an 18 yard gain.

Overall, Gordon finished with 17 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown while catching all three of his targets for 14 yards. With Jaylen Wright inactive because of a stinger, Miami’s only other option at running back came in the form of receiver Malik Washington, who carried twice for 5 yards.

Miami’s run game never consistently forced Kansas City to adjust, and with Achane unavailable for most of the afternoon, the offense lost its most explosive option.

Wide Receivers: C-

The game finally brought Dolphins fans a moment they had been waiting for.

Rookie Chris Bell had become a mysterious figure in Miami’s receiver room, missing most of training camp while working back from injury and showing only brief flashes through the first two games.

With fellow rookie and third-round pick Caleb Douglas sidelined by an ankle injury, Bell finally got an extended opportunity and took advantage of it.

 He caught four of seven targets for a team-high 67 yards, including a 44-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter that showed the size and explosiveness Miami envisioned when it drafted him. Bell used his dangerous combination of size and speed to push vertically, get into Chiefs cornerback Nohl Williams’ hip pocket and then break inside on a deep slant.

Malik Washington also remained involved, catching five passes for 56 yards on a game-high 10 targets.

Kevin Coleman Jr. recorded the first catch of his NFL career and nearly added his first touchdown. Coleman broke wide open up the seam, but Willis underthrew him, forcing the rookie to slow down and taking away what could have been a scoring play.

We knew explosive plays would be limited in such an unproven receiver room, but Bell finally gave Miami a longer glimpse of what he can provide when those opportunities come.

Tight Ends: B-

Speaking of long-awaited moments, tight end Greg Dulcich was finally able to build off the strong stretch he put together late last season when he emerged as one of Miami’s most heavily targeted pass catchers.

His best play came on a 42-yard reception in the third quarter. Dulcich split the coverage down the seam, adjusted to Willis’ throw and then bullied Chiefs safety Jaden Hicks at the catch point to secure the ball downfield.

Overall, Dulcich caught five of seven targets for 55 yards, nearly doubling his receiving production from the first two games combined.

Rookie tight end Will Kacmarek also turned in his best blocking performance as a pro, finishing with a career-high 72.9 Pro Football Focus grade along with a 69.4 run-blocking grade.

Offensive Line: C

The offensive line kept Malik Willis upright for most of the afternoon, but Kansas City still found ways to make him uncomfortable.

 Miami didn’t allow a sack, though the Chiefs generated 10 pressures, including nine hurries.

Aaron Brewer was the group’s most consistent performer, earning a team-best 73.6 overall PFF grade among the starting linemen and a 76.4 run-blocking grade.

Patrick Paul continues to build on a consistent start to the season, holding up well in protection by allowing just one pressure across 46 pass-blocking snaps while earning a 77.9 pass-blocking grade.

Rookie Kadyn Proctor had one of the unit’s best moments when he pulled across the formation and helped spring Ollie Gordon II’s first-quarter touchdown, but his overall performance remained uneven. He surrendered two pressures and finished with a 57.3 overall grade.

The biggest issues came on the right side. Jonah Savaiinaea allowed two pressures, while Austin Jackson surrendered a team-high four hurries and finished with a 48.4 pass-blocking grade.

Defensive line: C+

For the first time this season, Kenneth Walker III was held under 100 rushing yards, finishing with 70 yards on 18 carries after topping 100 in each of Kansas City’s first two games. 

Jordan Phillips led the way up front with a 78.5 run-defense grade while finishing with two tackles. Josh Uche also continued to look like Miami’s most underrated offseason addition, recording two tackles and four pressures, including two quarterback hits.

In his first game back from a concussion suffered before Week 2, Chop Robinson also made an impact as a pass rusher. Backed up at its own 5-yard line in the third quarter, Kansas City was bailed out when Robinson’s hit forced an incompletion but drew a questionable roughing-the-passer call after he landed on Mahomes on a play where Zach Sieler also was flagged for defensive holding.

On Kansas City’s first touchdown run, Miami was completely dominated at the line of scrimmage. Malik Herring was spun around at the point of attack, while center Creed Humphrey washed Phillips down the line to open the lane for Walker’s 10-yard score.

Linebackers: C

Along with finishing with a team-high 10 tackles, Jordyn Brooks nearly gave Miami its first sack of the season, corraling Patrick Mahomes 9 yards behind the line of scrimmage before Michael Taaffe was called for illegal contact after bear-hugging Travis Kelce on a crosser at the goal line.

Don’t let Brooks’ 38.9 coverage grade, his worst since Week 11 of last season, tell the entire story. PFF mysteriously charged him with both Kelce’s 48-yard catch and Kenneth Walker III’s 5-yard shovel-pass touchdown, despite Brooks appearing to have hook-to-curl responsibility on the former and perimeter responsibility on the latter. 

Meanwhile, rookie Jacob Rodriguez continued to build his Defensive Rookie of the Year case, finishing with six tackles, three tackles for loss and an acrobatic interception with two minutes remaining in the first half after Dante Trader deflected Mahomes’ pass. 

Willie Gay IV was tested on another deep corner route, this time by Noah Gray for 24 yards. Gay stayed tight in coverage and didn’t bite on the inside fake, but failed to get his head around. 

The completion moved Kansas City to Miami’s 8-yard line and helped set up the 34-yard field goal that stretched the lead to 17-10 with 11:38 remaining.

Defensive Backs: C+

For the second week in a row, the Dolphins allowed a quarterback to complete over 80% of his passes.

Understandably, facing Kyle Shanahan’s offense one week and a future Hall of Famer in Patrick Mahomes the next is a baptism by fire for a young secondary, but Miami’s defensive backs still showed some encouraging signs.

Rookie Michael Taaffe continues to show the instincts and physical willingness to be a strong run defender. He came downhill to stuff Kenneth Walker III on third-and-1 in the second quarter and met him strongly at the line of scrimmage again in the third.

But Taaffe also got another welcome-to-the-NFL moment when Miami asked him to match up with Travis Kelce. In the red zone, Taaffe was a bit too patient as he sat while Kelce pushed vertically up the seam and couldn’t react quickly enough when the future Hall of Famer broke to the corner for the game-sealing touchdown with 3:01 remaining.

Rookie Chris Johnson Jr., meanwhile, turned in his best coverage performance yet, not allowing a catch or even being targeted once while finishing with five tackles and a tackle for loss.

Special Teams: B+

After a disastrous performance in San Francisco, Miami’s special teams were steady against Kansas City.

Riley Patterson converted his only field-goal attempt, a 37-yarder that pulled Miami within 14-10 in the third quarter, while Bradley Pinion placed both of his punts inside the 20 and didn’t allow either to be returned. 

The more interesting development came in the return game.

As Malik Washington’s offensive responsibilities continue to expand, rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. received his first extended opportunity as a kick returner and flashed some speed and decisiveness, returning two kicks for 59 yards, including a 39-yarder.

At Missouri, he earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after taking a punt 67 yards for a touchdown in a 31-17 win over Arkansas.

Washington still handled two returns of his own for 55 yards, while Ollie Gordon II added a 20-yard return. Miami finished with 134 kickoff return yards on five attempts.

Overall: C

Getting excited about a loss would be a step too far, but this game offered Miami its clearest reasons to be optimistic.

Defensively, the Dolphins have promising first and second-year pieces at every level, from Jordan Phillips up front to Jacob Rodriguez at linebacker and Chris Johnson Jr. and Michael Taaffe in the secondary, all of whom made impact plays Sunday. 

Offensively, Miami’s ability to sustain long drives and control possession, even in losses, remains encouraging. But those stretches won’t mean much until the Dolphins learn how to finish them and stop allowing one careless mistake to erase several minutes of hard-fought football.