The Dolphins just wrapped their preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons with a brutal 17-12 loss at Hard Rock Stadium, officially sinking their exhibition record to a dismal 0-3 for 2026. This team has some serious problems, and it’s getting harder to ignore.
The Offense Is Just Stuck In Neutral
Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski couldn’t get anything going, combining for a pathetic 45.8% completion rate and only 158 yards through the air. That’s just not going to cut it. And on the ground? It was even worse. Running backs Carlos Washington Jr. and Coleman Bennett averaged an abysmal 2.3 yards per attempt, grinding out a combined 42 yards. You can’t win like that, period. When your ground game stalls out like that, it puts all the pressure on the young QBs, and they clearly couldn’t shoulder it.
Defense Held Strong, But Turnovers And Special Teams Bit Hard
The defense, bless their hearts, actually put in work. They mostly held Atlanta in check, letting them score on just three drives all night. Plus, they forced five three-and-outs and snatched the ball away three times. Holding the Falcons’ running backs to a meager 36 yards on 2.1 yards per carry? That’s legit. Defensive back Miles Battle even snagged an interception off Jack Strand in the fourth quarter. But man, turnovers were a killer. Three fumbles between both teams, including one from Atlanta’s Tua Tagovailoa, who returned and had a solid 7-of-8 for 95 yards and a 116.1 passer rating before that slip. Special teams were a mixed bag too. Kicker Riley Patterson nailed four of five field goals, but his one miss was blocked. Then there was a shanked punt that gave up a field goal, and a kickoff out of bounds. Just too many unforced errors for a team trying to prove itself.
With an 0-3 preseason showing like this, there’s a mountain of work ahead if the Dolphins want any shot at a respectable 2026 season. They’ll be busy this weekend, but it won’t be on the field, it’ll be cutting down that roster. You gotta wonder what kind of squad they’ll roll out when the games actually count.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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