Dolphins hope bye week comes with fruitful ‘evaluation’ that can lead to wins

Miami Dolphins admin October 12, 2026 0 Comments

Dolphins hope bye week comes with fruitful ‘evaluation’ that can lead to wins

The Miami Dolphins are 0-5.

Their passing offense has looked putrid the past two weeks. Their linebacker corps got decimated in pass coverage against the Cincinnati Bengals. And arguably their best player won’t be ready until 2027.

The good news: a bye awaits them in Week 6, one where the team can recalibrate and reassess in order to get a win soon.

“We need the time to get healthy,” coach Jeff Hafley said Sunday, alluding to the injuries to right guard Jonah Savaiinaea and cornerback JuJu Brents. “We got pretty beat up out there today. A lot of guys, give them credit, they came back and finished out the game. And then two, I think it will be a good time for us to look hard and evaluate the players, evaluate the scheme, evaluate how we’re coaching, evaluate what certain guys can do, and take a hard look and then come back and go back to work.”

It’s not all bad in Fin-land. In the absence of De’Von Achane, the running back who tore his ACL in Week 3, Ollie Gordon II has stepped up. Since Achane’s injury, the former Oklahoma State tailback has produced 221 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries.

“I am extremely proud of how Ollie has played, how hard he’s run, and the job that he’s done, and I think he’s taken a big step in his career,” Hafley said after Gordon carried the ball 18 times for 88 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 31-24 loss to the Bengals. “We’re going to need him to continue to do that. And again, with that, I give the offensive line credit. I thought they did a really good job blocking a really good front.

Gordon even had a moment of passion on the sideline after one of his rushes landed the Dolphins on the Bengals’ 1-yard line, yet Miami had to settle for a field goal. The 22-year-old was visibly frustrated and began to yell at his teammates.

“I just got to keep my composure more,” Gordon said. “It’s just one of those things where you can’t be out there exerting energy like that.”

Another positive: the rookies have shown flashes. That list goes from first-round picks offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor and cornerback Chris Johnson to Day 2 guys such as linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, tight end Will Kacmarek as well as wide receivers Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell. Even safety Michael Taaffe, a fifth-round pick, has shown promise as a starter. Not only do they all play hard, the rookies are helping to establish an identity of toughness.

The bottom line — and as much as fans might not want to hear this — is that this could be much, much worse.

Miami could be 0-5 and getting blown out. Keep in mind, the last three opponents — the Minnesota Vikings, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals — have a combined record of 12-2 and their average margin of victory has been roughly nine points.

“I want to see more consistency,” Hafley said. “I want to see better execution. I want to see the same fight. I want to see the same energy. I want to see the same connection. We need to execute better. And that’s all of us. That’s not me just talking about the players. That’s everybody.”

The Dolphins will come out the bye and face the New York Jets, a divisional team that they have recently beat pretty handily and likely one of their easier match ups for the rest of the season. That said, the Dolphins will have to play a lot better — looking at you, Mr. Malik Willis and the special teamers — for the team to even have a chance.

“You are inspired by the fight that we put on tape and you are let down by the results,” Willis said. “That’s what we got to figure out over the bye weekend. How we can start faster? How can we attack these execution mishaps? Like there are opps in that game that we just leave out on the field that turn into disastrous plays. We got to figure out — if we’re going to mess up, let’s not make it disastrous.”

This story was originally published October 12, 2026 at 1:21 PM with the headline “Dolphins hope bye week comes with fruitful ‘evaluation’ that can lead to wins.”