The Dolphins Are Showing Physicality

The Dolphins Are Showing Physicality

When was the last time the Miami Dolphins were labeled for their physicality?

The 1972 “No-Name Defense” under Don Shula?

The “Killer B’s” defense that made it to the 1984 Super Bowl?

It has been a long time since we had a head coach who is building his roster with big, strong offensive and defensive linemen who can take control of the trenches.

In 2026, Coach Jeff Hafley inherited some physical players on both sides of the line of scrimmage, the result of former GM Chris Grier’s final couple of drafts.

Players such as Jonah Savaiinaea, Patrick Paul, Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips, and Zeek Biggers began to form the nucleus of a more physical team.

These players were complemented by Hafley’s and GM Sullivan’s 2026 draft picks, beginning with massive offensive lineman Kayden Proctor.

We didn’t see much from the starters against the New York Giants, and the result was ugly.

Yet the physical play did show up at times, even with the backups.

The physical play resulted in some holding penalties that coaches will correct with the players, but the effort was there.

And one trait the players exhibited, albeit with poor results, was toughness.

A trait that Coach Hafley is certainly instilling in this new culture, a far cry from the “happy-go-lucky” party culture of our former coach.

Yes, we did not win, and many times could not compete, but as a fan, I saw the effort and the will.

Most of the 2026 roster is made up of rookies and veterans trying to prove themselves on one-year contracts, so we are a young, inexperienced team with “prove it” players, but with a will to give it their all.

The Dolphins sucked against the Giants in their second preseason game, but the fans who attended still enjoyed the pre-game parties, the camaraderie, and the feeling of being at Hard Rock Stadium to see their favorite team play in person.

It never gets old, despite the result.