The Miami Dolphins will open the Jeff Hafley era Sunday in Las Vegas against the Raiders with six rookies listed as starters on the team’s first depth chart of the season. Hafley has spent the past seven months laying a foundation and establishing a culture as he prepares for his first game as the team’s head coach.
The Dolphins have the youngest roster in the NFL, according to the source, and several rookies are expected to make their NFL debuts. The game will give Miami its first opportunity to evaluate the young team in an NFL matchup under Hafley’s direction.
Hafley stresses preparation
Hafley said teams have limited tendencies to study early in the season, making preparation and execution especially important. He emphasized that the Dolphins must rely on their rules, fundamentals and techniques from training camp.
“Week 1, 2 and 3, there’s not a lot of tendencies, right?… it’s a big challenge. I think early in the season, it’s got to be about yourself and that’s my message to the team. It’s got to be about using our rules. It’s got to be about the fundamentals and techniques that we’ve talked about all training camp because we don’t know what it’s going to look like,” Hafley said.
Quarterback Malik Willis also discussed the value of practice, walkthroughs and mental repetitions. He said those experiences help players recognize what to do when similar situations arise during the game.
“Go through a week of practice, and good or bad, make mistakes or successful every time, it doesn’t matter. I think just getting those reps and being able to go through it on the field and in the walkthroughs and all those mental reps, I think that’s what’s important, just having that in your mind to continue to grow. When an opportunity comes and when you face that situation in the game, you have had it, you have a rep on it, you know what to do,” Willis said.
Rookies prepare for NFL debuts
Cornerback Chris Johnson, wide receiver Caleb Douglas and guard/tackle Kaydn Proctor are among the Miami rookies preparing for their first NFL appearances. Johnson said pregame nerves can be a sign that a player is ready.
“I feel like that’s a part of the game. Like I get butterflies before every game, and I feel like that’s how I know I’m prepared to play. If I’m not nervous, I feel like I either haven’t studied enough or I’m just not confident enough if I don’t feel nervous,” Johnson said.
Douglas said he is focused on the opportunity to contribute as a rookie. Proctor said the emotions surrounding his first NFL game will likely be significant.
“Really just the opportunity. Being able to play as a rookie and being able to contribute as much as I can, it’s going to be a good one out there,” Douglas said.
“I feel like they’ll be high. First NFL game, I know it, but like I said, just being where my feet are and once we get there, we’ll see how it goes. I’ll probably cry a little bit. We’ll see,” Proctor said.
Miami prepares for Maxx Crosby
The Raiders will be without All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers, who will miss Sunday with a knee injury. Miami will still have to account for defensive end Maxx Crosby, whom the source describes as one of the NFL’s best sack artists of the last seven years.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said Crosby’s impact requires attention from every player on the field. Slowik said Miami must limit the defensive end’s influence while understanding that an elite pass rusher will make plays.
“The guy’s an unbelievable player. He just plays with his hair on fire. It’s so fun to watch his film. I mean, it really is. He’s everywhere… As a pass rusher, he’s a very efficient pass rusher… And for us and how we have to approach him, like that has to be at the forefront of our mind. Everybody on the field, it doesn’t matter what position you are, you need to know where 98 is at all times. And there’s things that we have to help try to negate his effect on the game – the reality is when it’s an elite player, you’re only going to negate it so much. And then when he gets you, he gets you and we got to get back up and we got to go play the next play. But we got to limit the amount of times that he’s affecting the game,” Slowik said.
Center Aaron Brewer said the Dolphins must respect Crosby without allowing the matchup to change their approach. He pointed to confidence in preparation, technique and effort as the team’s formula against an elite player.
“You have to acknowledge a great player when he’s a great player. He’s one of the elite rushers in the league, so you got to respect his game but also don’t make it bigger than it is. He’s still a player in this league and you a player. And so when it comes to that, have confidence in your training and what you know, your technique and your effort. Don’t do nothing more than what you’ve been doing, so I feel like that’s the recipe when you’re going against an elite player,” Brewer said.
FSB Take
The Miami Dolphins’ first game under Jeff Hafley will test a young roster immediately, with six rookies listed as starters and several more expected to make their NFL debuts. Miami’s preparation will be central against Maxx Crosby, while the absence of Brock Bowers changes the challenge presented by the Raiders. The matchup will also provide the first game setting for the culture and foundation Hafley has worked to establish over the past seven months.
Source: Original report