Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington said the offense must learn from its mistakes, finish drives and continue building after two games. Speaking during a postgame media availability on Sept. 21, Washington said the locker room remains focused on improvement with 15 games remaining.
“We have 15 more games to go, there’s only been two games. So I think the whole locker room as a collective is like, let’s just keep going. Let’s keep pushing forward. Let’s learn from our mistakes. Let’s see what we put on tape on Sundays and let’s grow from it,” Washington said.
Finishing drives remains the priority
Washington said the Miami Dolphins offense maintained possession, moved the ball downfield and showed positive elements in both the run and pass games. He said those signs give the unit areas to build on as it reviews game film and works to improve its execution.
The primary issue, Washington said, is completing drives after moving the ball. He emphasized that the offense must continue pushing while cleaning up the areas that prevented it from producing more complete possessions.
“I think our offense did a wonderful job of just maintaining the ball, keeping the ball, pushing past and getting down the field,” Washington said. “We got a lot of good things going in the run game, some good things in the pass game that we’ll just continue to clean up. But I think on the offensive side of the ball, we’re just continuously pushing. We just got to finish.”
Washington points to the offensive line
Washington described the offensive linemen as the heartbeat of the Miami Dolphins offense. He said the team will rely on the running game and the work of the players up front as it develops its overall approach.
Washington also credited De’Von as a player the offense leans on. He said the running and passing games can feed off one another as the offense continues to improve.
“I think our guys up front, we hone in on those guys, we lean on those guys to do their job and be right. They’re kind of the heartbeat of our offense,” Washington said.
Washington and Malik Willis build scramble-drill chemistry
Washington said he and quarterback Malik Willis have practiced scramble drills extensively. He said those repetitions have included unsuccessful plays that helped them learn, making the successful game situation an example of their developing communication.
Washington credited Willis with making a play under pressure and said their practice work helped him respond as the play extended. The receiver said the two have continued building chemistry through those situations.
“I think that’s 2 (Malik Willis) making a great play, getting out of trouble, finding a way out of there, peeling out to the left. I’m kind of just communicating with him. We’ve practiced scramble drill 100 times so I mean that’s just us connecting there. He just made a great play,” Washington said.
Miami Dolphins focusing on themselves
Washington said the next opponent should be viewed as a faceless opponent. He said the Miami Dolphins need to focus on correcting the previous game, improving in every facet and handling their individual responsibilities.
That approach keeps the team focused on its own preparation rather than the opponent’s profile. Washington said the Dolphins must continue improving as they move through the season.
“Faceless opponent for sure,” Washington said. “I think right now, especially on our journey, we need to focus on ourselves. We need to focus on cleaning up what we did from the last game, getting better at each facet of our game, and everybody just doing their one-eleventh.”
FSB Take
Washington identified three priorities for the Miami Dolphins offense: maintain possession, finish drives and build from the offensive line and running game. His comments also pointed to the value of continued preparation with Malik Willis as the two develop their scramble-drill chemistry.
Washington expressed hope that fans attend the Miami Dolphins’ home opener at Hard Rock Stadium. For the offense, the next test will be turning the positive elements he described into finished drives.
Source: Original report