The Phinsider
In this weekly column, I outline three reasons why the Dolphins won or lost their previous game, and provide a short preview for next week’s game.
New season, same old Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins kicked off their 2025 NFL season with an embarrassing 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. Here’s three reasons why the Dolphins fell flat in their season opener.
Reason 1: Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
You can’t win football games by turning the ball over, and the Dolphins did exactly that on Sunday. Two interceptions and one fumble in the first half set the tone for the rest of the game, and allowed to Colts to scamper to a 20-0 lead at halftime.
I’ll keep this short and sweet, since it’s quite simple. You want to win football games? Maybe stop turning the ball over.
Reason 2: Ace Ventura : The Case Of The Missing Cheetah and Penguin
Miami’s star receivers, Tyreek “Cheetah” Hill and Jaylen “Penguin” Waddle, were nowhere to be seen on Sunday. The pair combined for just 8 catches for 70 yards, and zero touchdowns.
Hill’s attitude towards the Dolphins has been well documented, but plenty of receivers show up every Sunday with bad attitudes, and still ball out. But in 2025, Tyreek Hill is simply not that good anymore. In fact, it’s been over a year since he last caught a pass over 30 yards. Against the Colts, Hill looked slow, lazy, and flat-out average.
As for Waddle, he showed some flashes of brilliance that we’re used to from him, but seemingly went down with an injury every time he caught the ball.
The duo were considered among the league’s best in 2022 and 2023, but have failed to replicate their success since. If they can’t get their act together going forward, the Dolphins are going to have a long, long season.
Reason 3: Defense Wins Games, Not Just Championships
Forgot a Super Bowl, forget the playoffs. The Dolphins just need to win a game right now, and you can’t do that with a defensive showing as bad as they put out on Sunday.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones looked like Lamar Jackson out there, rushing for two scores and throwing for another against a weak Miami defense. Yes, that’s the same Daniel Jones who was cast aside by the New York Giants last season, destined to be a career backup.
The Dolphins gave up 418 yards to a very average Colts offense, and forced zero turnovers. The secondary played noticeably poor, but that’s something we all knew going into the season anyways. The Dolphins defense just didn’t force the issue on Sunday, and it’s no surprise they’re flying home with a negative-25 point differential.
Game Preview:
Next week, the Miami Dolphins host the 0-1 New England Patriots at home, who are coming off a tough 13-20 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is 0-1 against the Dolphins in his career, losing 15-34 in Week 11...
