A Gordon/Gay play time issue. And Dolphins news, snap counts, grades by position
Despite the Dolphins’ 0-2 start, two of the team’s best players in training camp continue to receive very few snaps.
Linebacker Willie Gay Jr., who was Miami’s defensive standout during the first three weeks of camp, has played just three defensive snaps in two games. All of those snaps came in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 33-27 loss to New England, and he made the most of them, with two tackles, including one for loss.
Three days earlier, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said: “I’ve got to find a way to get Willie on the field. I told him that [last Monday]. He has earned the right to get on the field. He’s impactful.”
Gay is Jordyn Brooks’ primary backup, and the Dolphins don’t want to take Brooks off the field. But the Dolphins have said Gay also can be used at other positions.
Meanwhile, running back Ollie Gordon II has had just three rushing attempts in two games despite excellent work in preseason, when he averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
On Sunday, he played just seven snaps on offense, rushing once for 8 yards and catching one pass for 5 yards. He had an excellent block on an 18-yard run by Malik Washington but had a costly illegal motion penalty on Miami’s penultimate possession, which ended with a Tua Tagovailoa interception.
Coach Mike McDaniel has said previously that Gordon must grow in situations when he doesn’t have the ball.
Some notes by position from Sunday’s game:
Quarterback
With his 17th 300-yard passing game, Tagovailoa surpassed Ryan Tannehill for second place on the team’s all-time list, well behind Dan Marino’s 67 (including playoffs)… Tagovailoa’s 198 passing yards in the second half were the sixth most of his career.
Tagovailoa has thrown a touchdown pass in 17 consecutive games, the NFL’s second-longest active streak behind Lamar Jackson’s 26.
Running back
De’Von Achane played 53 of 57 snaps on offense, and the receiver, Washington, lined up in the backfield on a few plays. Fullback Alec Ingold played 20 snaps on offense.
Achane’s 92 receiving yards were the most by a Dolphins running back since Lamar Miller had 97 against Buffalo in a November 2015 game.
His 29-yard TD reception was his 25th touchdown in 30 games; since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, he’s the 30th player and second Dolphin (joining Karim Abdul-Jabbar) to score at least 25 touchdowns in his first 30 NFL games.
And there’s this: Achane, Chuck Foreman and Kareem Hunt are the only NFL players since 1970 to produce at least 10 rushing touchdowns and at least 10 receiving touchdowns in their first 30 games.
Also, his 2,693 yards from scrimmage (1,792 rushing, 901 receiving) are the most ever by a Dolphin in their first 30 games.
Wide receiver
Hill played 48 of the Dolphins’ 57 offensive snaps, while Jaylen Waddle played 47, Malik Washington 35, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 16 and Dee Eskridge 4.
Pro Football Focus said Hill was Miami’s best player on offense on Sunday. PFF rated Westbrook-Ikhine second and Waddle fourth, with Achane third.
Hill’s 47-yard reception on Sunday was his longest since an 80-yard TD catch-and-run against Jacksonville in Week 1 last season.
Tight end
Julian Hill played 29 snaps and Tanner Conner 26; neither had a catch. Through two games, the Dolphins have just two receptions (for 20 yards) from a tight end, both by Conner in the opening loss to Indianapolis.
Among 16 players who logged offensive snaps on Sunday, PFF rated Hill 14th and Conner 15th.
Darren Waller is expected to miss a third consecutive game because of a hip injury, according to WSVN’s Josh Moser via his weekly segment with Waller’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
Offensive line
PFF rated rookie left guard Jonah Savaiinaea worst among all Dolphins players on offense Sunday. He allowed four quarterback pressures and had poor PFF grades as a run blocker.
Larry Borom, filling in for Austin Jackson at right tackle, was rated Miami’s worst run blocker and permitted two sacks.
Left tackle Patrick Paul and right guard Kion Smith also allowed sacks.
PFF rated center Aaron Brewer as Miami’s best run blocker on Sunday.
Defensive line
Zach Sieler played 45 of Miami’s 60 defensive snaps, and PFF rated him 16th among Miami’s 20 defenders.
Rookie Jordan Phillips (who was filling in for the injured Benito Jones) played 40 snaps and rookie first-rounder Kenneth Grant 37. PFF rated them sixth and seventh, respectively, among the 20 players on defense. Phillips had three tackles and Grant had two tackles and a pass deflection; neither had a tackle for loss.
Matthew Butler played 15 snaps and Zeek Biggers six.
Linebacker
At inside linebacker, Brooks played all 60 defensive snaps, and PFF rated him Miami’s second-best player on defense, behind only Butler. In pass coverage, Brooks allowed all three targets to be caught for 66 yards, but PFF said he compensated for that with strong run defense.
Dodson played 59 snaps and PFF rated him Miami’s second-worst defender on Sunday, ahead of only cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. Dodson had a game-high nine tackles but missed two tackles and was repeatedly victimized in pass coverage, allowing six completions in seven targets for 67 yards.
Gay played the three snaps on defense and K.J. Britt one.
At outside linebacker, Jaelan Phillips played 40 of the 60 defensive snaps, while Bradley Chubb played 38, Chop Robinson 24 and Matthew Judon 20. PFF rated Phillips the best of that group (sixth).
Robinson and Chubb each had a sack, but PFF rated them Miami’s worst run defenders on Sunday. Chubb left the game briefly with a second-half knee injury but said Monday that he’s fine.
Safety
Minkah Fitzpatrick played all 60 defensive snaps, and PFF called him Miami’s fifth-best player on defense.
Ifeatu Melifonwu played 35 snaps (and allowed a TD catch) before leaving with a calf injury, rookie Dante Trader Jr. played 20 and Ashtyn Davis played 14. PFF rated Trader and Melifonwu 17th and 18th among Dolphins defenders, ahead of only Dodson and Marshall.
The Dolphins played three safeties on several plays.
Cornerback
Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas played all 60 snaps, with Douglas permitted just one catch in two targets for 6 yards.
Jones allowed a 16-yard TD catch by Kayshon Boutte, but Jones had good coverage on the play, allowing Boutte just 0.3 yards of separation, per Next Gen Stats. Overall, Jones allowed two completions in three targets for 24 yards.
Marshall, who played 23 defensive snaps, allowed the only target against him to be caught, for 14 yards.
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 11:14 AM.
