Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis said the team must improve its situational awareness, ball security and execution after reviewing film from its Sept. 16 game. Willis said the group needs to make better decisions in critical situations and execute at every position.
He identified the interception as the clearest play on which he became too focused on pushing the ball downfield. Willis said the Dolphins were trying to fight back after falling behind, but the circumstances did not change the need to make sound decisions and give the team a chance to succeed.
Willis Details Decision-Making and Sack Avoidance
Willis described avoiding sacks as a combination of factors rather than one specific adjustment. He pointed to progressions, checkdown opportunities, movement and coverage recognition while explaining that film review helped identify mistakes that could be corrected.
“It’s all easily fixable stuff,” Willis said. He also said quarterback pressure response depends on feel and an understanding of the coverage instead of a fixed amount of time to release the ball.
“There’s no such thing as a clock, there’s just what it is,” Willis said. He added that pass rushers can win quickly or slowly, making it important for him to read what is happening in coverage and trust his teammates to get open and the offensive line to perform.
Winning Matters More Than Rushing Statistics
Willis dismissed the idea that he is focused on competing with Lamar Jackson for rushing statistics. After being told he was one yard behind Jackson in season rushing yards, Willis said his priority was winning games.
“I’m more trying to win games,” Willis said. He said the team should work toward its broader goal rather than place its emphasis on individual numbers.
Rookies Continue to Develop
Willis said Caleb Douglas has benefited from the time he has spent with the Miami Dolphins since organized team activities. He said Douglas has received needed repetitions and continues to develop while learning as a rookie.
“He’s had a long road. He’s been with us since OTAs,” Willis said. Willis also acknowledged that Douglas, like Willis in a new offense, still has more to learn as the team continues building its offensive operation.
The quarterback said rookies should be held accountable while also being allowed to learn from their first live-game experience. He said players faced situations and pressure they had not previously encountered, and he recognized some of those mistakes from his own rookie experience.
Running Game Remains Central to Offense
Willis said the Miami Dolphins need to execute better in the running game, including against the Niners defense. He emphasized that every position must perform its assignment and that the offense must find ways to gain what is available when a play does not develop as intended.
“The running game is important to everything,” Willis said. He described the running game as the starting point for the offense, with play-action passing developing from that foundation and dropback passing serving a situational role.
Willis credited Bobby Slowik’s offensive scheme while saying the players must execute it more effectively. He also discussed Kadyn Proctor’s regular-season debut and said Proctor played with great edge but needs to continue cleaning up his play.
“I think he played with great edge and we just got to continue to clean stuff up,” Willis said. Willis added that Proctor is willing to learn and wants to keep improving.
Team Bonding Continues During Trip
Willis said the team spent time together at the hotel during the trip. He described the players as spending time together and enjoying themselves away from the field.
That team-bonding discussion came as Willis addressed the corrections the Miami Dolphins identified through film review. His comments connected the team environment with the need for better ball security, situational awareness and offensive execution.
FSB Take
Willis’ message centered on correction rather than statistics. He tied the Miami Dolphins’ next steps to ball security, situational awareness, running-game execution and trust in the offense while also highlighting the development of Caleb Douglas and Kadyn Proctor.
Source: Original report