Four Winners And Four Losers in Dolphins Week 3 Loss

One home opener later, the Miami Dolphins find themselves among a handful of teams without a win in 2026. Take it how you will, but there were some positives to come out of their 24-10 loss to Kansas City.

Compared to the two prior losses where the Dolphins began to collapse in the third quarter, Miami hung around far longer than many would have predicted. Defensively, they faced the red-hot Chiefs offense and bent, but didn't break.

With that said, the result is still another loss for the Dolphins. Even worse might be the impending loss of De'Von Achane for an extended period of time, as Miami will look to get itself situated before a road trip up to Minnesota on October 4.

The month of September was brutal. But can it get any worse in October?

THE WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM WEEK 3

Loser - RB Ollie Gordon II

This admittedly feels like an unfair ruling to give out to Gordon, who had to leave the game due to cramps in the third quarter but did return in the fourth.

He was given the keys to the offense following Achane's exit from the game and started hot with some solid runs and an exquisite reception in the first half, including scoring Miami's first touchdown at home this season.

However, Gordon could not carry the momentum through the entirety of the game. The Dolphins fed him the ball 17 times, but he only recorded 41 yards — granted, hard-earned yards, but no explosive plays. On special teams, Gordon made the mistake of taking the ball out of the end zone on the kickoff of Miami's opening drive and didn't field another kick the rest of the game.

It's looking likely that Achane won't be returning for the Dolphins any time soon, so the run game will likely be headlined by Gordon for the time being. While he has served as a semi-reliable backup, his performance against Kansas City doesn't inspire confidence in him as the main option.

Winner - OL Kadyn Proctor

You're going to see many rookies headline the winners of this game for Miami, and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's decision to select Proctor over everyone else that Dolphins fans had their eye on continues to pay off.

Another game, another solid performance from the first-round pick, with his first major highlight to boot — a big man tackle on Chiefs DB Jaden Hicks to open the way for Gordon to score Miami's only touchdown of the game.

He didn't commit any penalties, did a solid job creating gaps for Achane and Gordon, and was part of an offensive line performance that kept Malik Willis from being sacked all game.

Call it an unfair comparison all you want. But considering how disastrous Reuben Bain's season has gone so far for Tampa Bay (mainly due to injuries), Proctor has been well worth the first-round pick by Miami and has the makings of a cornerstone member of the offensive line for seasons to come.

Loser - WR Kevin Coleman Jr.

With the injury to Caleb Douglas drastically changing how Miami's passing offense approached this game, it meant more opportunities for a guy like Coleman. But between him and Chris Bell, both rookie receivers who suited up for this game, Coleman was left behind.

He was targeted four times in this game and recorded a single reception for 3 yards. Even with the offense changing pieces around mid-game due to the Achane injury, using Coleman in the offense was mainly an afterthought.

The opportunities for Coleman to get snaps right now are rare, but this was the game where he could prove he's a reliable receiver to fall back on amid injuries to the group. But the opportunity never came anyway.

Winner - LB Jacob Rodriguez

On the defensive side of the ball, Rodriguez and the Miami defense faced a future Hall of Famer in Patrick Mahomes and didn't blink. The second-round pick had another solid game with six total tackles (four of which were solo), three tackles for loss, and a pass deflection.

But, much like Proctor, he landed his signature highlight of the season — an interception off a deflection two minutes before halftime, killing an opportunity for Kansas City to add on to their lead entering the second half.

As a rookie, Rodriguez was given the difficult task of being an anchor of the defense and has done nothing but impress. The Chiefs were one of the toughest offenses that Miami will face this season, and only limiting them to 24 points is undeniably impressive.

Loser - DE Chop Robinson

This has to be the most unfortunate placement on this list, but after sustaining a concussion ahead of Miami's game against San Francisco, Robinson returned to action and did better than his performance against Las Vegas, which isn't saying much.

Now, what people will take away from Robinson is the hit he delivered on Mahomes late in the third quarter, which drew a roughing the passer penalty. People have expressed frustration with the ruling, but the NFL rulebook is clear that defenders can't fall on quarterbacks with their whole body, which is what Robinson appeared to do, even if he technically let go of Mahomes on the way down.

That said, there was also defensive holding called on the play. Kansas City would go on to score a field goal on the same drive. At the end of the day, Robinson and Miami's pass rush had another subpar performance, failing to sack Mahomes and giving him more than enough time to throw for 246 yards and two touchdowns.

Winner - WR Chris Bell

Bell suited up after being on the injury report during the week and was the biggest contributor at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Four receptions for 67 yards on seven targets is a solid stat line for the rookie, who once again showcased his speed and acceleration.

No play showcased it better than his 44-yard pic-up, flying by DB Nohl Williams at the line of scrimmage, then safety Alohi Gilman in the middle of the field. What we've seen so far is very promising, and as long as he can stay healthy, it feels like he can quickly get better.

Loser - CB Chris Johnson

Johnson had a busy day with eight tackles, but that's usually not a good thing for a cornerback. However, he especially struggled when he was matched up against Travis Kelce, including his touchdown in the fourth quarter, when he and Josh Uche were honing in on Kelce, who still broke away for a wide-open reception in the end zone.

And, yes, it's a lot to ask for the first-round pick, but there were rookies who still managed to excel against the Chiefs, and Johnson was not one of them. If you want to consider this spot to better represent most, if not all of the Dolphins' secondary, then go ahead.

Winner - TE Greg Dulcich

As far as weapons for Willis to throw to, Dulcich stepped in and proved reliable with five receptions for 55 yards, including a 42-yard snag in double coverage to start the second half. It's not an incredible stat line, but it's what the offense needed amidst the injuries they went into this game with.

In the offseason, it looked like Dulcich had the makings of being one of Willis' best weapons on offense, but we haven't seen it blossom so far. Dulcich, however, gave us a glimpse of how useful he could be to this offense, and maybe this could be the catalyst for getting him more involved as a real weapon for Willis.

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