Dolphins QB Malik Willis already seems to have mastered this essential skill
The New York Giants’ pass rush consistently had Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis running for his life Thursday.
But when it came down to it, Willis led the offense to a field goal in the final situational period of the day.
That Willis managed to end Thursday’s joint practice with the Giants on a high note should bode well for the season. It also showcases the resilience necessary to be a franchise quarterback, a good sign for the first-time starter.
“It made me happy that the boys responded, but at the same time, I feel like it doesn’t matter what happened before that, it’s all about to play you in right now,” Willis said. “Every play is separate. Obviously when it comes to [the] two-minute [drill], that’s the only time you can really look at it as a drive because it is consistent. As far as doing that, I’m glad we got three. It started off rough, but we picked it back up and understood what we were trying to do and what we were trying to get accomplished.”
As with any joint practice, there were a fair share of ups and downs. The Dolphins struggled to get their rushing attack going save for what would’ve been a 70-yard touchdown from tailback De’Von Achane and a pair runs more than 10 yards from Ollie Gordon II. New York’s talented slate of edge rushers — namely Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux — took advantage of the Dolphins’ lackluster play at right tackle while Giants defensive lineman Chauncey Golston got the better of guard Jonah Savaiinaea.
Willis, however, managed to stay cool when subsequently asked about his offensive line’s struggles with pass protection.
“It’s hard to kind of tell when your eyes downfield,” Willis said. “I just hear the whistle. But I think those guys have a great front and all due respect to them, but we’ll figure out what we were doing wrong when we get to watch the film.”
Willis’ ability to end on a positive note went as far back as Tuesday’s practice. Throughout the day, Willis seemingly made a point to push the ball down the field, a move that ultimately resulted in a bunch of incompletions.
That all changed in the final situational period. Down by seven with 50 seconds left, the Willis-led offense started at the opponent’s 45-yard line. The drive didn’t start positively as the Willis’ first two passes fell to the ground.
Then came two catches — the first to wide receiver AJ Henning for 20 yards followed by a 15-yarder to fellow wideout Malik Washington. Another incompletion to Washington came soon after.
What happened next even surprised coach Jeff Hafley.
“We sent him pressure at him Tuesday in a situation, and I was like, ‘All right, we got him. They’re not going to block him,’” Hafley recalled. “For the first time I saw him, he kind of baited it because it was to his blind side. He kind of baited him, saw him and then spun out and ran and threw a touchdown. And I was angry because I’m the one who made the call. But I was really happy because I looked at him and kind of smirked. I was like, ‘I got no answer for that.’”
Added Hafley: “I just think it was a cool moment because we should have got him again, and he used his talent and said, ‘You know what? I’m not just going to sit back here. I’m going to be a little creative, set somebody up, run around him and go score.’”
A lot is made about how football players must have short-term memory to excel yet such a skill can rarely be seen in real time. Luckily, Willis appears to have it, much to the delight of his teammates.
“That’s literally the response you have to have in the game,” center Aaron Brewer said. “No disrespect to them, they are some great pass rushers. The guys they have over there. So I expect them to win some and us to win some as well. But in an NFL game, you’re not going to win every single rep. And with Malik, some of the pressure he got, he was able to maneuver and get around moving a little bit. And that’s what we know Malik is as an athlete, as a quarterback. He’s mobile, he can move. So him being able to do that and keep his composure, that just shows what we need when the season comes around.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2026 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Dolphins QB Malik Willis already seems to have mastered this essential skill."
