Miami Dolphins EDGE Josh Uche said the team is embracing a next-play mentality while preparing for its home opener against Kansas City. Uche spoke during a postgame media availability Sept. 21, 2026, and addressed the defense’s progress, the edge-rush group’s need for greater impact and the development of young players.
“It’s the next play mentality, you know what I mean? Next play mentality. That’s the most important play to be made, next game, next moment.” Uche said. He added that the team could not control what happened in the past and needed to focus on the next play and next moment.
Edge group seeking a greater impact
Uche said the edge-rush group needed to produce more collectively after Chop Robinson’s absence from the game discussed in the transcript. He identified stronger execution of each player’s responsibility and more pressure on the quarterback as priorities for the position group.
“We got to make more plays as a group collectively. We got to do our one-eleventh more and we just got to affect the quarterback more.” Uche said.
Uche said the group was working on techniques and efficiency within the position room. Those adjustments are intended to help the edge rushers become more effective as they prepare for the next game.
“If there’s not a W on the win column, then I didn’t do my job well enough.” Uche said, explaining that he measured his performance by whether the team won rather than by individual performance ratings.
Run defense offers a model for improvement
Uche credited the Miami Dolphins’ improved run defense to a sharper defensive emphasis and attention to specific areas that needed work. He said coaches highlighted those issues, while players met early and returned to the drawing board together.
Uche said the same process could help the pass rush improve. The defense’s work on its run defense provided an example of how focused coaching and player accountability could produce progress from one game to the next.
“Just locking in and highlighting those things that we need to be better at, the coaches putting an emphasis on it and us going back to the drawing boards. Meeting early as a defense, just the guys and just focusing on those things, and once we go back and do the same thing with the pass rush, I’m sure we’ll see an improvement there too.” Uche said.
Young players responding to coaching
Uche said young players were responding to coaching and applying improvements from the first game to the second game. He pointed to the run defense’s progress as evidence that players were buying in, following team leaders and understanding the corrections needed.
He said the defense was identifying what needed to improve both up front and on the back end. The next step was to bring those corrections together across the run and pass defenses.
“Next play, next man, next team, next moment. You know what I mean? It’s all about us.” Uche said.
Uche has respect for Kansas City connections
Uche said he had spent half a season with Kansas City and expressed respect for Coach Reid, Coach Spags and Coach Cullen. He said that respect would not distract him from preparing for the Miami Dolphins’ next game.
“I’m excited to play these guys.” Uche said. He also said the team’s attention needed to remain on its game plan, execution and individual responsibility rather than on the opponent’s reputation.
Uche discussed pursuing Christian McCaffrey from behind on a play near the goal line. He acknowledged McCaffrey’s elusiveness and multiple moves but said the immediate objective was clear.
“The biggest thing is just getting him to the ground.” Uche said.
FSB Take
Uche’s message gives the Miami Dolphins a defined defensive focus for the home opener against Kansas City: maintain the physicality and effort from the second game while improving the edge group’s collective pass rush. He said the run defense improved after the team emphasized its weaknesses, met early and applied coaching corrections. The same process now must help the edge rushers affect the quarterback more.
Source: Original report