The Miami Dolphins had a frustrating start to the 2025 season, losing 33-8 to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. That resulted in a players-only meeting earlier this week, which included linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who is in his sixth season in the NFL and his second season in Miami.
“Just stay locked in,” Brooks told reporters. “Losing the way we did in Week 1, it can be discouraging. Outside noise, people talking, fans talking, family talking, whoever; everybody talking. Just kind of making sure that everybody is together. When you lose like that, it’s easy for people to get discouraged and start questioning maybe yourself, or others. Making sure we’re all locked back in and making sure that the belief is still there. You lose belief, you don’t have nothing, so making sure that everybody is still on the same page and (we) come back next week stronger.”
On the road, the Dolphins struggled on both sides of the ball. The defense allowed Colts quarterback Daniel Jones to complete 22 of his 29 passes, including one touchdown through the air. Jones added two rushing touchdowns, and the Colts had 156 rushing yards on the day. Offensively, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Through the first half of play, the Dolphins had just 43 yards of offense.
The Dolphins have their home opener in Week 2 against their AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots.
What Dolphins need to do vs. Patriots
If Miami is going to turn things around, it starts with Tagovailoa playing better. The Dolphins made a significant investment in their quarterback when they handed him a big contract extension last year, and it’s up to him to get his playmakers involved. Aside from Tyreek Hill’s 21-yard reception, the speedy wide receiver had three catches for 19 yards. Jaylen Waddle had just 30 receiving yards on the day. Both receivers got banged up in the game against the Colts, but when they are on the field, especially together, there’s no reason why their production shouldn’t be better. Of course, the offensive line has to be better in protecting Tagovailoa, and the Dolphins did add former first-round pick Cole Strange this week, but the Dolphins need more from their big investments at the skill positions.
Defensively, it’s not just what the Dolphins gave up in Indianapolis, but it’s how easy it looked for Jones, who is coming off some bad years with the New York Giants. The Dolphins’ defense was actually solid last season, ranking in the top 10 in points allowed during the regular season and top five in yards allowed per game. It’s a different story through the first game this season, as they were in the bottom five of the league in both categories. Miami doesn’t have to be near the top every week, but it should not be any lower than middle-of-the-pack, and that was not the case against the Colts.
(Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)