Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) reacts against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Rich Storry-Imagn Images
The Miami Dolphins reached the bye week having won three of their last four games, but they still have plenty of work to do to salvage the season after their 1–6 start.
Miami entered the year with holes across the roster, and a mix of slow starts only amplified their early struggles, which included three 20-point losses over the first two months.
The Dolphins, now riding a two-game winning streak and sitting at 4–7, are finally starting to find a rhythm. However, they’ll need more from these five players if they want to stay relevant over the final six weeks.
The Dolphins are one of nine teams to average fewer than two sacks per game this season, even though rushing the passer was projected to be one of the team’s greatest strengths.
Robinson, a 2024 first-round pick, hasn’t taken down a quarterback since sacking Drake Maye in Miami’s 33-27 loss against the New England Patriots in Week 2. He’s averaging just one quarterback pressure per game and has yet to log a quarterback hit, according to Pro Football Focus.
Against the Washington Commanders in Week 11, Robinson played more than 25 defensive snaps for the first time since Week 1, and finished with two pressures and one tackle across 37 snaps. His lightning-quick first step continues to stand out, but it needs to start disrupting opposing offenses.
There was optimism that Robinson could emerge as a consistent pass rusher after recording 6.5 sacks as a rookie, but he’s struggled to carve out a definitive role in Anthony Weaver’s defense. Despite the rocky start, he should continue to have plenty of opportunities to prove himself after Jaelan Phillips was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Wright didn’t make his season debut until Oct. 19 because of a knee injury suffered in late August. He has averaged 3.3 yards on his 15 carries since returning.
Coach Mike McDaniel’s offense was at its best in 2023, ranking first with an average of 5 yards per rush attempt and second with an average of 6.4 yards per play. The combination of Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane each touched the ball over 125 times.
Wright was projected to take over Mostert’s role after the franchise traded a future third-round pick to draft him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, but he has only logged 87 touches across his 19 appearances.
Miami has found success running the football this season, and Achane ranks third in the NFL with 900 rushing yards. That said, he also had fewer than 63 rushing yards in four of five games while the Dolphins started the season 1-4.
The offense needs more playmakers, and McDaniel already has shown he can successfully feature two running backs. Achane will undoubtedly remain the primary running back, but Wright needs to prove he can handle a larger workload after appearing in four games and logging just 31 offensive snaps through 11 weeks.
Speaking of trading picks to get your guy, the Dolphins traded third- and fourth-round picks to move up in the second round and select Savaiinaea, who has started every game at left guard this season.
While some say availability is the best ability, Savaiinaea has struggled as a rookie. He’s been beaten for 24 quarterback hurries and four sacks, and he ranks last out of 125 qualifying guards in terms of PFF grade (28.8).
On the bright side, Savaiinaea entered the bye week on a strong note after a solid performance against the Commanders. He surrendered just one pressure and wasn’t penalized while playing 53 snaps.
Keep in mind, Savaiinaea was thrown into the fire as a 21-year-old rookie battling in the trenches. It’s been a rough start, but ending the year with a few promising performances would go a long way in showing he could develop into a starting-caliber guard on the left side next to Patrick Paul.
Now in his eighth season, Sieler has 30 tackles and one sack through 11 games. He had 39 tackles and six sacks through 11 games last season, and 36 and five sacks through 11 games in 2023.
Sieler’s struggles are surprising given how steady he’s been since joining the Dolphins in 2019. This is his first season without Christian Wilkins or Calais Campbell beside him, but he’s also made uncharacteristic mistakes of his own and already has matched his career high with three penalties.
Even though defensive tackle was a weakness entering the year, Sieler was expected to be a stabilizing presence while a trio of rookies (Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers) adjusted to playing against NFL-caliber offensive linemen.
The Dolphins won’t be moving on from Sieler after one down year — especially after agreeing to a three-year contract extension before the season began. However, a strong finish would go a long way in showing he is still someone Miami can lean on in 2026.
Westbrook-Ikhine was one of two free agent acquisitions (along with James Daniels) to sign a multi-year contract with the Dolphins this offseason, but he hasn’t had much of an impact in his first season in South Florida.
While he’s an impactful blocker in McDaniel’s run-first scheme, he’s been targeted just 19 times and has 11 receptions for 89 yards. Westbrook-Ikhine was an effective downfield threat during his time with the Tennessee Titans, but his 8.1 yards per reception this season is the lowest of his career after averaging at least 12.5 yards per reception in each of the previous four years.
Second-year receiver Malik Washington has absorbed some of the passing volume in Tyreek Hill’s absence with 33 receptions for 234 yards and two touchdowns. That said, he’s better as an underneath option and averages just 7.1 yards per catch.
Hill hasn’t played since Week 4 after suffering a season-ending knee injury, but still ranks fourth among Dolphins pass catchers with 29 targets and 21 receptions. Waddle has stepped up as the top receiving option and currently ranks tenth in the NFL with 722 receiving yards, but Miami needs other receivers to get involved.
Westbrook-Ikhine has never caught more than 38 passes in a season, but Miami doesn’t need him to be an every-down threat. However, he does have the skillset to win downfield, and it only takes a few deep throws to improve a passing attack that currently ranks 21st with an average of 6.7 yards per pass attempt.