Miami Dolphins news: Reactions and overreactions to preseason loss to Commanders

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

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 said Quinn Ewers wasn’t to blame on two plays that could have produced big gains.

Dolphins 2026 Preseason Opener Snap Count Observations: Interesting LB Usage – Alain Poupart
The full rundown of who didn’t play and who played more than expected during the 20-7 loss against the Washington Commanders

Four Winners And Four Losers in Dolphins Preseason Opener – Jake Gibson, Miami Dolphins on SI
With the preseason opener in the books, there were some players who made strong impressions, and others who clearly struggled

Preseason Game 1: Quick Recap – Chris Early, Aqua and Orange Review
Welcome back to Aqua And Orange Review. Football is finally back and the 2026 Miami Dolphins saw their first action in a preseason contest against the Washington Commanders. Preseason football has no bearings on standings and results matter less than the process, execution, and development. Every team is looking to see how players are developing and acclimating to the system.

Miami Dolphins’ Jeff Hafley: ‘People are so quick to judge’ rookies – Hal Habib, The Palm Beach Post
Hafley emphasized that one preseason game does not define a player’s career. He stated that some players who struggle as rookies go on to become All-Pros.

Dolphins trip to Washington nostalgic for assistant coach Ladell Betts – David Furones, South Florida Sun Sentinel
The Miami Dolphins’ preseason trip to the greater Washington, D.C. area is especially meaningful for one assistant coach who made his name as a professional football player in the region. Dolphins running backs coach Ladell Betts, who was hired this offseason on coach Jeff Hafley’s first staff in Miami, played eight seasons in Washington, from 2002 through 2009.

Report: As Dolphins consultant, Aikman faces MNF broadcast restrictions – South Florida Sun Sentinel
ESPN analyst Troy Aikman will face some restrictions in the lead-up to “Monday Night Football” broadcasts this season after he took a role as a Miami Dolphins consultant earlier this year, an NFL spokesman told Front Office Sports.

Malik Willis’ first start looks even better next to Tua Tagovailoa’s – Dan Rorabaugh, USA Today Network
Malik Willis gave fans reason to cheer during his Miami Dolphins debut. And any thoughts of buyer’s remorse evaporated when compared with Tua Tagovailoa’s first game as an Atlanta Falcon.

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