{"id":1000622,"date":"2026-09-14T14:03:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/1000622\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T14:03:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:03:23","slug":"three-silver-linings-from-the-miami-dolphins-27-13-defeat-to-the-las-vegas-raiders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/1000622\/","title":{"rendered":"Three silver linings from the Miami Dolphins’ 27-13 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMiami Dolphins<\/a><\/p>\n

The Miami Dolphins fell to the Las Vegas Raiders 27-13 \u2014\u00a0but it wasn\u2019t ALL bad on Sunday afternoon. <\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSep 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas (7) runs with the ball in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Look, I get it. No one likes moral victories. Miami Dolphins<\/a> head coach Jeff Hafley made that plenty clear when speaking after Miami\u2019s 27-13<\/a> defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders last night. <\/p>\n

\u201cNo one is sitting in there feeling good right now, and I\u2019m certainly not feeling good right now,\u201d said Hafley. But the reality of such a young football team is that moral victories are going to be a central focus in some weeks throughout the course of this season. That includes Week 1. So what were the biggest developments for the Miami Dolphins beyond the scoreboard? Here are three silver linings \u2014 and it\u2019s no surprise they all feature rookie players making plays. <\/p>\n

Three silver linings for the Miami Dolphins in Week 1<\/p>\n

\"\"Sep 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas (7) runs with the ball in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Rookie WR Caleb Douglas ties a franchise record for receiving yards in first game<\/p>\n

Douglas\u2019 94 receiving yards ties a franchise record for the most in a player\u2019s debut, per the Miami Dolphins\u2019 team release after the game. He\u2019s tied with none other than Tyreek Hill for that mark, which Hill posted back in 2022 against the New England Patriots. Given how controversial the Douglas pick was back in April, it\u2019s a nice development for Miami\u2019s wide receiver room. <\/p>\n

Douglas has splashed all summer long. He\u2019s officially translated that into his play on the field with several explosive plays downfield. Credit where it\u2019s due. Now do it again. <\/p>\n

Rookie LB Jacob Rodriguez logs most tackles in a game for a Miami Dolphins rookie since Zach Thomas<\/p>\n

The Jacob Rodriguez transition to MIKE linebacker and green-dot player got plenty of attention ahead of Week 1. He proceeded to, per the team\u2019s postgame release, post the most tackles in a game for any Dolphins rookie defender since Zach Thomas logged 16 tackles back in September of 1996. I have a feeling that this won\u2019t be Rodriguez\u2019s only big tackle performance this season. What\u2019s more? Rodriguez\u2019s tackles weren\u2019t hollow \u2014 as many big tackle marks are. NFL Next Gen Stats has Rodriguez as the NFL\u2019s \u2018stop\u2019 leader. <\/p>\n

Dolphins rookie LB Jacob Rodriguez currently leads the NFL in “stops” with 10, per @NextGenStats<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A “stop” is defined as a tackle that results in a negative EPA for the offense.<\/p>\n

10 of 14 tackles were considered stops. pic.twitter.com\/f10BeC3p5Q<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Matt Infante (@MattInfante) September 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s young safety room make some impact plays<\/p>\n

Second-year pro Dante Trader Jr. logged an interception poaching a route across the middle of the field. Rookie safety Michael Taaffe logged an interception of his own to start the second half. Even journeyman safety Zayne Anderson logged a major hit for a PBU \u2014 that promptly was wiped out by a controversial taunting penalty from CB JuJu Brents. <\/p>\n

In all, Raiders QB Kirk Cousins was 1 for 7 for 21 yards and two interceptions on passes that traveled 10+ air-yards downfield against the Dolphins. That\u2019s something to build on. <\/p>\n

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Miami Dolphins News<\/p>\n