Willis Stops Practice to Rally Offense
During one of the Miami Dolphins' final training camp practices of the summer, quarterback Malik Willis stopped the action and called the entire offense together. Left tackle Patrick Paul described the moment as a display of leadership, noting that the unit had started slowly. "I think it was just him showing his leadership," Paul said. "We're having a lull to start practice. So just him being a leader and bringing us all in to get us all on the same page, take a deep breath, play the next play, don't let it have a trickle effect and he did a great job with that."
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was impressed by Willis's decision, adding that a coach always wants the quarterback to be a leader. "When you go through a moment of adversity, you want someone who steps up," Slowik said. "Today wasn't the best practice."
A Rough Day for the Offense
Despite Willis's message, the offense had a difficult session. Willis threw two interceptions, and Dolphins on SI's Alain Poupart reported that the quarterback had perhaps his most inaccurate practice of camp, with multiple misfires, an interception by linebacker Jackson Woodard, and some ball-security issues. He also noted that the defense dominated the day.
The performance comes amid broader concerns about Miami's offense. Beyond the first Willis-led drive of the preseason, the unit has not performed well. At a recent joint practice with the Giants, the offense surrendered an estimated eight "sacks" and at least nine pressures. Slowik acknowledged the issue, saying, "Yeah, really, we just weren't on our assignments, you know what I mean? Which has kind of been a thing. I think as you go through camp, we have probably what's going to wind up being one of the younger offensive rosters in the NFL, and just the consistency of our assignments as a starting point is definitely something that we got to continue to improve upon."
Slowik gave the run blocking some credit but said protect must improve. "The run game was solid," he said. "But the pass game, especially protections, you know that can't happen. We will fix it."
Willis as a Leadership figure, but Still Unproven
The practice reaffirmed that while Willis earns raves for leadership, his on-field steadiness remains a work in progress. Willis started only six career games before signing a three-year, $67 million contract with unguaranteed money. The question is whether those impressive outings with Green Bay can translate to full-time success. As the Miami Herald's Omar Kelly writes, it's too early to tell if Willis will be the franchise quarterback, citing limited surrounding talent and the financial commitment.
Willis's lone preseason drive did produce the team's only touchdown, offering a glimpse of his potential. But the overall offensive struggles have clouded the picture.
Ahead: The Final Preseason Game
The Dolphins will close their preseason Friday, Aug. 28, against Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Jeff Hafley said it's possible starters could see playing time in that game, and the Falcons are expected to use their starters as they game-plan for Miami. Willis could get expanded time, facing his former franchise counterpart, Tua Tagovailoa, though the game's roster implications remain to be seen.