What Dolphins OC, QB coach are saying about Willis, attempt to fix pass offense

Miami Dolphins admin October 23, 2026 0 Comments

What Dolphins OC, QB coach are saying about Willis, attempt to fix pass offense

The Dolphins’ passing game is ailing, and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik used the two weeks between games to meet with quarterback Malik Willis and coach Jeff Hafley to discuss how to fix it.

Miami ranks 31st in the league in passing yards per game (153.6) and 32nd and last in touchdown passes (two).

“I took a lot of time to reflect on myself” during the bye week, Slowik said. “How do we take the pass game to the next level? We need to be way more consistent.

“Between me and Haff, me and Malik, [we’ve been] talking through a lot of different things and thoughts. I don’t think anyone thinks the pass game is where we want it to be. I’ve got to coach this better.”

Too often this season, Willis has tried to force the ball downfield, sometimes into double coverage, instead of taking the easy check down to an open back, tight end or receiver.

Slowik was asked Thursday if he has implored Willis to take more check downs.

“In general, we need to stack more completions,” he said. “There are a lot of different parts of that. Check downs are one of them. But you don’t just want to be throwing check downs when [the first option on the play] is wide open for an explosive.”

Slowik said there’s a bigger problem that’s holding back the offense.

“Too often, when you watch our pass game, I don’t think everyone sees the game through the same lens,” he said. “I have to find a way to coach this where we are seeing the game the same way. I don’t think all 11 are seeing the game the same way…. It’s easy to talk about the quarterback. But there are guys out there who need to help him.”

The Dolphins hope receiver Caleb Douglas can offer some of that help; after missing three games with an ankle injury, he resumed practicing on a limited basis this week. His status for Sunday’s game at the Jets (1 p.m., CBS) is uncertain.

“His competitiveness really showed,” Slowik said of Douglas. “He’s a huge target, can win one on ones, beat man coverage. He and Malik see the game the same way.”

QB coach weighs in

New quarterbacks coach Bush Hamdan, speaking to reporters for the first time since the regular season started, seemed determined not to say anything critical about Willis, who has the lowest passer rating among starting quarterbacks.

Asked how Willis is going through progressions on passing plays, Hamdan said: “It’s a development. Just being real with you, the confidence I have in him is still through the roof. He has shown flashes of having that elite stuff. Just has got to [master] the consistency part of it. On third downs, he’s put us in a lot of good positions. [Defenses] have to make sure there’s an extra player for him if he decides to run. We want to keep building on that.”

Asked if he needs to take more check downs, Hamdan responded in a way that did not answer the question.

Hamdan said Willis has been dealing with multiple injuries. He has been listed on the injury report with a thumb ailment this week and a toe injury in Week 2. Willis has practiced fully this week and is expected to play on Sunday.

Asked about Willis’ feel for pass rushers (and the clock that quarterbacks must have in their head), Hamdan said: “He’s probably figuring out it’s more of a thing. Malik is a big time feel player. We all want this to be a straight line of perfect development. I keep going back to his athleticism. At times, it’s a superpower.”

FYI: Hamdan said that No. 2 quarterback Kyle McCord “is extremely sharp.”

This and that

▪ Slowik, on why Chris Bell hasn’t caught a pass in the past two games: “It’s not lack of effort for anyone involved. A few times we’ve just missed him. A few times, coverage just hasn’t worked out.”

Slowik said even though Bell didn’t have a reception, “he took a big step in accountability” and being where he’s supposed to be and doing what he’s supposed to do on every play.

▪ Cornerback JuJu Brents continues to impress the coaching staff.

Defensive coordinator Sean Duggan raved about “the way he’s worked” and his mentality that “when the ball is in the air that my guy is not going to catch it. And it shows up in the run game. He’s a big, physical corner. He’s starting to understand the scheme, different releases. His competitiveness in the run and pass game shows up.”

Duggan said the distance he travels to defend the run is “uncommon.”

▪ After spending four weeks on injured reserve, is defensive lineman Kenneth Grant in good enough condition to play more snaps after logging 16 in his season debut against Cincinnati?

Duggan said that’s more of a question for Grant but “he looks good. He worked really hard getting back. When you get more comfortable playing football, you should be able to take more” snaps.

▪ Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, on the team signing kicker Zayne Gonzalez to the practice squad, after the Dolphins released him in August with an injury settlement: “I was really pleased how he was hitting the ball [in the summer]. His heart rate is the same all the time, whether it’s an extra point or a game-winner. He’s a seasoned pro.”

▪ Though Hafley said the Dolphins unsuccessfully attempted to kick the ball out of the end zone against Cincinnati, Tabor noted the “downside of kicking it out of the end zone” is the ball is placed on the 35-yard line and “you’re within a first down and a half of [being] in four down territory.”

▪ Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (illness) and cornerback Reese Taylor (quadriceps) were the only Dolphins on the 53-man roster who did not practice Thursday. Douglas, running back Jaylen Wright (foot), safety Kyle Louis (knee), tight end Will Kacmarek (hamstring), long snapper Tucker Addington (shoulder) and defensive end Robert Beal (hamstring) were limited.

Kacmarek said he’s good to go for Sunday’s game.

This story was originally published October 22, 2026 at 5:45 PM.