The Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears kicked off their 2025 preseason with a thrilling 24-24 tie on Sunday afternoon. Here are five way-too-early overreactions/takeaways after rewatching the All-22. Enjoy!
Ollie Gordon II should be Miami’s RB2, IMHO.
I started writing this before Alexander Mattison suffered a season-ending injury, and the Dolphins brought in two veteran running backs; yet, I still stand by this. Ollie Gordon’s film in college was quite impressive, especially in 2023, when he led the league in rushing yards (1732) and touchdowns (21), but many weren’t sure how things would translate to the NFL game (Hence his 6th-round draft status). Well, with limited reps against Chicago’s backups, he looked like the perfect complementary back to De’Von Achane and the answer to Miami’s short-yard problems. In total, he carried the ball six times for 30 yards and scored on a nearly extinct GOAL LINE RUSHING TOUCHDOWN.
Most impressive, however, was his ability to come down with a critical catch with a defender draped on his shoulders, only to break free — like he does so often — and gallop for 39 yards. Couple his play with how timid Jaylen Wright looked at times, and I can’t help but think he has every ability to finish the year as RB2 — and IMO, probably should be as of writing this.
#RunOllieGordonRun
The Dolphins have a plethora of young pass-rushers, many of whom won’t truly be unleashed until the season starts, but one player that stood out all throughout Sunday’s game vs. the Bears was former Carolina Panthers’ EDGE Derrick McLendon.
McLendon spent last summer with the Carolina Panthers before signing a one-year deal with Miami this offseason. Against the Bears, the 24-year-old pass-rusher recorded three tackles and a sack, which came on a critical play down at the goal line. Couple that with the rave reviews he continues to get in practice, and this man may not only make the roster, but be a situational player for Anthony Weaver’s defense.
Which is why, despite having to Google his name a few weeks ago, I’m here to say that this man is the second coming of Cameron Wake, an undrafted acorn that’s going to take the league by storm. No, he probably won’t get a gold jacket — but I also don’t think this is another Quinton Bell situation, either.
I think Derrick McLendon will find himself on the roster if he continues to play at this level.
Jack Jones might be Miami’s best cornerback, and that’s not good.
Everyone knew Miami was going to trade Jalen Ramsey this season — Chris Grier admitted such. And yet, the team still relied on the in-house options at cornerback until they couldn’t anymore, and now they’re paying the ultimate price.
CB1 Kader Kohou…
Artie Burns…
Jason Maitre… (I’m adding everyone!)
Ashtyn Davis (Yes, I know he’s a safety)
You get the picture — lots of injuries to the secondary, and as things currently sit, guys like Storm Duck, Ethan Bonner, and Kendall Sheffield are going to have to step up big this season. The same can be said for newcomer Jack Jones, who was once highly coveted by the New England Patriots and widely considered to be among the league’s top young cornerbacks. Things spiraled shortly after, but he’s looking to redeem himself in Miami. After Sunday’s game vs. Chicago and all the camp hype, I had to ask myself — is Jones realistically the best cornerback on the roster?
The fact that it’s even debatable — for a guy who just arrived a few weeks ago — is the problem. And with guys like Rasul Douglas and Asante Samuel Jr. still unsigned, I can’t help but wonder if the plan isn’t to bring in one of those guys once the season nears. If not, even with the help of Miami’s #elite front-7 and Minkah Fitzpatrick in the backend, the Dolphins’ secondary could be the team’s Achilles heel, much like the offensive line on the other side of the ball.
If Miami loses one of its starting five offensive linemen, this season is COOKED!
Miami seems to have finally found a solid offensive line. Center Aaron Brewer is a perfect fit for McDaniel’s offense, and rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea and starting left tackle Patrick Paul looked good in limited action vs. the Bears. Add in a healthy James Daniels and Austin Jackson on the right, and Miami’s starting five might be the best we’ve had in years. Unfortunately, it’s the inevitable injury that could throw a stick into the spokes of Miami’s season.
After all, we’ve seen the Liam Eichenberg experience before, and that’s something we don’t need to see again (He’s also hurt). And if Sunday was any indication, Miami is in a world of trouble if they have to rely on some of the other guys, like *Germain Ifedi, Larry Borom, Jackson Carmen, or Ryan Hayes, to take on valuable reps. And I don’t even want to think about what would happen at the center position if Brewer were to go down, despite Andrew Meyer’s surprising play at camp (Yes, I know he’s also hurt), things could come crashing down like a mistimed Jenga piece.
And that’s not something general manager Chris Grier or HC Mike McDaniel can have happen this season.
#InButchBarryWeTrust
(*Note: I wrote this before Germain Ifedi was placed on injured reserve and the Dolphins signed Yodny Cajuste.)
The Dolphins still don’t have a QB2 they can rely on in Tua Tagovailoa’s Absence.
Earlier this year, I wrote an article about which free agents I’d target this offseason, and I must admit, Zach Wilson was at the top of my list at the quarterback position. Now, at the time, my thought process was that he’d be the perfect QB3 to groom behind Tua Tagovailoa, with hopes that he could reach the potential many experts saw at BYU, someday. Low-risk, high-reward type of stuff. But then he signed as QB2, before veterans like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, and I started to think Miami was higher on Wilson than even I imagined.
Then, Miami drafted Quinn Ewers in the 6th round of the NFL draft. Maybe I was enamored by some of Ewers’ performances in meaningful games or the pinpoint throws I saw him make at Texas, but I was fine with how the room was shaping up. Wilson this year, Ewers, the backup of the future with potential… what could possibly go wrong?
The answer to that question is everything that happened in Chicago.
Ewers looked the part of a rookie playing in his first NFL game ever. He was playing with guys who couldn’t get separation, in an offense that he was still learning. I get that he wasn’t perfect, and I hope we can see him build confidence and become a viable backup someday, but it was what I saw from the veteran Wilson that truly made me feel queasy. Sure, the #elite arm strength is there, but for some reason, he refuses to use it. Yes, he ripped one to Erik Ezukanma between four Bears’ defenders, and we saw it at times, but when he needed it most? #NotGood
When Miami needed it most, Wilson showed off a water pistol, throwing balls into the dirt or missing an open defender. Worst of all was his inability to sense pressure. Yes, this is a timing offense, and he wasn’t playing with the starters — no one was — but there were times when it truly looked like his controller died — a statue in the pocket, with no sense of where the pass-rush is.
I don’t know what the Dolphins could have done differently. Some wanted Marcus Mariota or another veteran, but would it have moved the needle? I don’t know, what I do know is under head coach Mike McDaniel, the backup quarterbacks have been #notgood, and it appears to be much of the same in one of the most important seasons in recent memory.
BONUS: Malik Washington is the second coming of Jarvis Landry, and Tahj Washington has the goods.
This one is self-explanatory.
What were your biggest takeaways from Sunday’s matchup vs. the Bears? Do you agree with any of these way-too-early overreactions? Which has you feeling most queasy, the offensive line or the secondary? Let us know in the comments section below!
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