Four Winners And Four Losers In Dolphins Loss at Las Vegas

With Week 1 in the books, the Miami Dolphins will look to rebound after falling against the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 27-13.

To some, this was considered one of the most winnable games on the schedule. Despite that, Miami lost by two touchdowns and was blanked in the first and fourth quarters.

Some groups, like the offensive line and secondary, will be under fire for their performance against the Raiders; in the defense's case, they faced an offense missing one of their best playmakers, Brock Bowers. Some performances, like Malik Willis's, are too mixed for this winners-and-losers list.

Loser - LB Chop Robinson

Where was Chop in this game?

From what we've been able to determine, he was indeed on the field. But he didn't record a single tackle until the fourth quarter, when he managed a paltry assist.

He has begun his third season in the NFL, the one that could determine his long-term outlook with the Dolphins, and didn't do a single thing to convince anyone to keep him around.

The only reason he might not be seriously ridiculed is that he was just one part of a nonexistent pass rush for Miami that didn't sack 38-year old Kirk Cousins a single time and barely pressured him.

Winner - LB Jacob Rodriguez

To get a rookie out of the draft and immediately have him be the workhorse of a unit is rare, but Rodriguez looks to be just that for the defense, with 14 total tackles, including five solo. That's the most of any player on defense for the Dolphins or Raiders in this game.

In addition, he managed five run stops with only one missed tackle. As far as rookie defenders go in the NFL, his debut performance should be considered one of the best. Above all else, his poise as the leader of the defense should not go unnoticed this early in his NFL career.

Loser - CB Chris Johnson

To be fair, there are some positives to take away from Johnson in his debut performance. He was active, not afraid to seamlessly switch between the inside and outside of the field. He clocked in 11 tackles (five solo), one TFL, and two pass deflections.

The problem is that he was relentlessly picked on in this game. He looked slow at times, especially when contesting Jeanty, being flat-out beaten by him in the middle of the field when Jeanty scored his first touchdown of the game.

There is upside in his game, but maybe Miami should consider keeping him either on the outside or in the slot exclusively. If the Raiders were able to successfully pick on Johnson, it'll be interesting to see what teams like Kansas City or Buffalo can get away with.

Winner - WR Caleb Douglas

In one of the widest open receiver rooms in football, Douglas has grabbed the opportunity by the throat. He recorded 94 yards on five receptions, the most of any receiver for either team — more than double the Raiders' leading receiver, who also happened to be Jeanty. (45)

He made key plays when the Dolphins needed it the most, including a 25-yard gain on second-and-26, which helped set up a 41-yard field goal. He did the same thing right before halftime, a 30-yard reception that set Miami up in the red zone for a chip-shot field goal right before halftime.

However, he did fall victim to an interception as Treydan Stukes beat him on a deep shot in double coverage in the third quarter. After that play, Willis didn't seem to target Douglas as often, spreading the ball around to receivers like Malik Washington. However, no receiver in this game showed as much potential for Miami as Douglas.

Loser - OT Austin Jackson

There's a major caveat that Jackson had to deal with for most of this game: Maxx Crosby.

Excuses aside, Jackson did not do well in one-on-one pass protection, with Patrick Paul not doing much better on the other side. Call it revenge if you want, after the "hothead" comment made by Paul earlier this week, but Crosby was able to get by both linemen in this game for 1.5 sacks.

Willis might claim that a sack is a QB stat, but the offensive line did not do him many favors with his five sacks at the hands of Las Vegas. Aside from that, their ineffective run blocking helped contribute to a mediocre performance from De'Von Achane and the running game.

This is another situation where this spot represents the offensive line as a whole, not just Jackson. But if the best thing that came out of this game for Jackson was that he's still healthy, that's a really bad sign.

Winner - S Michael Taaffe

Another player making his regular season debut, Taaffe left a lasting impression as a threat on defense who will always be around the football.

With four tackles and a pass deflection, the real story is his interception off Kirk Cousins right out of halftime. It gave the Dolphins excellent field position, leading to their only touchdown of the game. He became the ninth player in franchise history to record an interception in his NFL debut, and the first since Travis Daniels in 2005.

While it ultimately didn't count, Taaffe was also able to peanut-punch the ball out of Michael Mayer's hands for a fumble, though the play was reviewed and he was down by contact before it happened, but barely.

Loser - K Riley Patterson

Considering the preseason that Patterson had, seeing him on this list is disappointing. He was able to make a 41-yard field goal in the first half, but couldn't do it again late in the third quarter. To add salt to the wound, this was the result following their best play on special teams — a 79-yard kick return by Jaylen Wright.

This turned out to be the closest Miami got to scoring points the rest of the game, with their fourth-quarter offense consisting of a pair of punts, a turnover on downs, and a fumble. It felt like the Dolphins had an automatic weapon at kicker leading up to this game, but now there might be lingering doubts.

At least he recorded more tackles than Chop did.

Winner - LB Jordyn Brooks

Brooks looks like he hasn't missed a beat following his All-Pro season in 2025. He clocked out with nine tackles and one of two QB hits, the other coming from Jordan Phillips.

Out of all players on defense, Brooks was the most physical, landing a clean but powerful hit on Cousins right before he stepped out of bounds early in the game. Another time, Brooks caused one of only a few throw-aways by Cousins when he pressured him up the middle.

The first punt of the game for Las Vegas occurred in the fourth quarter, but it was thanks to Brooks landing a clutch solo tackle against Jeanty. The linebacker room for Miami had a lot of ups and downs, but Brooks and Rodriguez have the potential to be a dangerous long-term duo this season.

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