Dolphins Offense Stalls Early in 0-4 Start, Showing Growing Pains

The Miami Dolphins' offensive struggles have continued into the early part of the NFL season, with the team failing to score more than 13 points in each of their first four games. This marks the third instance since 2002 that a team has experienced such a scoring drought in its opening four contests, with the 2004 and 2019 Dolphins being the other two.

Miami's points per game this season are as follows: 13 against Las Vegas, 13 against San Francisco, 10 against Kansas City, and 10 in their most recent 15-10 loss at Minnesota. This offensive inefficiency has contributed to an 0-4 start for the team.

First-year coach Jeff Hafley expressed his dissatisfaction with the current performance, stating, “We’ll get there. And don’t get me wrong, guys. I’m not happy. I want to win the game and I think you can sense that, right? Am I proud in certain aspects? Yeah. Am I disappointed? For sure. Do I need to do better? Yeah. Do we all? For sure. We had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, and that needs to be the next step.”

Against the Vikings, the Dolphins recorded 85 passing yards, their lowest total in a game since managing 55 yards on December 10, 2010. While a 68-yard touchdown pass by Malik Willis was nullified due to an out-of-bounds receiver, the team's margin for error remains slim.

"You hate the feeling of continuing to get better without actually gaining wins on the win column,” said Willis. “But as we see, we’re going out there and competing. ... There's no question that the guys are getting better. We’re getting better as a team and as a unit. And I think we've just got to continue to grow and learn.”

Adding to the team's challenges, leading rusher De'Von Achane has been lost for the season due to a torn ACL. The Dolphins are also the only team in the NFL to not hold a lead for any duration this season. The team is averaging an NFL-worst 11.5 points per game.

Amidst the struggles, rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez provided a bright spot, recording 18 tackles against Minnesota, the most by a Miami rookie since the stat began being tracked in 1994. The defense, overall, had its most effective outing of the season, preventing the Vikings from scoring a touchdown in the second half. Despite this, tight end T.J. Hockenson had a strong performance, catching all 13 passes thrown his way for 119 yards.

Coach Hafley praised Rodriguez's performance, noting, “For him to lead our defense in a place like this and give up 15 points, I think that’s really, really hard and it’s really impressive. He just keeps getting better and better, but it doesn’t surprise me because that’s the way he works and prepares.”

The Dolphins' defense has shown improvement in recent quarters, allowing only one touchdown in 16 possessions to the Chiefs and Vikings combined since the early part of their Week 3 game against Kansas City. However, the offense's inability to sustain drives, evidenced by a 2-for-9 success rate on third downs and only 37 plays run against Minnesota, has put a strain on the defense.

Running back Ollie Gordon scored Miami's lone touchdown against the Vikings, contributing 100 yards on nine carries. With Achane sidelined, increased production from Gordon and other backs is anticipated.

The Dolphins' first four opponents currently hold a combined 15-1 record, with Minnesota, San Francisco, and Kansas City all starting 4-0. The Raiders hold a 3-1 record.

Miami will return home to face Cincinnati, who holds a 2-2 record, on Sunday. This game precedes a bye week for both teams.