RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Aug 14, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas (7) celebrates after making a catch during the first half against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Miami Dolphins lost their preseason opener on Friday, dropping to the Commanders 20-7. There were some highlights for the Dolphins during the game, especially early when the team’s starters were on the field, but there were a lot of lowlights as well. Miami’s lack of depth was exposed. For a young team trying to reset their roster, the rollercoaster execution should not come as a surprise.
It gives us a time-honored NFL preseason tradition: overreactions. Undrafted rookies become future Hall of Famers, veteran free agents are declared wastes of money, and teams jump around preseason power rankings. Never mind some teams work on specific aspects of their game, some teams used starters while others did not, and there is no real game planning for the first week of play. It is time to overreact to every little thing.
Tyler DeSena at Miami Dolphins on SI had a little fun with the overreactions. He opened his article taking a look at the greatest wide receiver to ever grace a football field, Dolphins rookie Caleb Douglas:
What’s Caleb Douglas’ gold jacket size? Rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas, who has been a star in training camp so far, made the play of the night for the Dolphins. After stepping out of bounds prior to catching a previous Malik Willis pass, he made up for it by making an acrobatic one-handed snag. Clearly, he’s headed to the Hall of Fame.
Realistically, Douglas’ mix of size and athleticism gives Miami something they’ve lacked in their receiver room. He isn’t the speedster archetype of a Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle, but his 6-4 frame gives Malik Willis a large target to go get 50-50 balls like we saw Friday night.
You can check out the rest of that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
Five Instant Overreactions from Dolphins Preseason Opener: Douglas, Johnson, and More – Tyler DeSena, Miami Dolphins on SI Dolphins football is back, which means it’s time to get a little irrational.
Dolphins vs. Commanders recap and reactions
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Dolphins show impressive physicality in Washington loss, fulfilling a major goal – Chris Perkins, South Florida Sun Sentinel The Dolphins passed their first test under coach Jeff Hafley last week at Washington — they were physical in Wednesday’s joint practice against the Commanders and they stayed that way in Friday’s preseason opener, especially in the trenches.
Miami Dolphins’ Jeff Hafley: Quinn Ewers was off, but so were others – Hal Habib, The Palm Beach Post Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley criticized, but also defended backup quarterback Quinn Ewers. Ewers finished the game with one completion for 27 yards and one interception. Hafley highlighted several positives from the game, including the team’s physicality and the play of running back De’Von Achane.
Dolphins preseason opener thoughts, postscripts: What data reveals on offense – Barry Jackson, Miami Herald While no grand conclusions should be drawn from any preseason opener, Miami’s 20-7 loss at Washington offered some helpful hints. A look, by position, at what was gleaned on offense on Friday night:
Ten takeaways from Dolphins third week of training camp, preseason opener – Omar Kelly, Miami Herald Opportunity is present, but often fleeting in the NFL. In the midst of a franchise rebuild, the Miami Dolphins are embarking on a fresh start when it comes to the team’s talent base. But after three weeks of training camp, and Friday night’s 20-7 preseason loss to the Washington Commanders, it’s evident that many players aren’t seizing their chance.
Five Instant Overreactions from Dolphins Preseason Opener: Douglas, Johnson, and More – Tyler DeSena, Miami Dolphins on SI Dolphins football is back, which means it’s time to get a little irrational.
Dolphins preseason opener thoughts, postscripts: What data reveals on offense – Barry Jackson, Miami Herald While no grand conclusions should be drawn from any preseason opener, Miami’s 20-7 loss at Washington offered some helpful hints. A look, by position, at what was gleaned on offense on Friday night:
Miami Dolphins overreaction Saturday: Malik Willis is QB of future? – Joe Schad, The Palm Beach Post The Miami Dolphins lost their preseason opener 20-7 to the Washington Commanders. Quarterback Malik Willis showed promise, but it is too early to name him the quarterback of the future. While the offensive line looked solid, Washington did not play its top defensive players.
Dolphins’ Hafley addresses Ewers, Gordon penalty and more in Saturday briefing – Barry Jackson, Miami Herald The Dolphins’ backup quarterback play was abysmal on Friday, but Jeff Hafley said Quinn Ewers wasn’t to blame on two plays that could have produced big gains.
Grades From Miami Dolphins Preseason Opener: RBs, DBs, Lead the Way – Jacob Westendorf, Miami Dolphins on SI The Miami Dolphins took to the field for the first time in 2026, and we are grading the performance of every position group on the roster.
Dolphins not looking for another No. 2 QB at this point – Chris Perkins, South Florida Sun Sentinel Dolphins backup quarterback Quinn Ewers didn’t have a good game in Friday’s 20-7 loss at Washington in the preseason opener. He was 1 for 8 for 27 yards and one interception. But coach Jeff Hafley said Saturday afternoon that he’s not thinking about bringing in competition for Ewers’ No. 2 job behind starter Malik Willis.
Dolphins’ Hafley addresses Ewers, Gordon penalty and more in Saturday briefing – Barry Jackson, Miami Herald The Dolphins’ backup quarterback play was abysmal on Friday, but Jeff Hafley sai...
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