Malik Willis just reminded us why he’s the perfect quarterback for Jeff Hafley’s Miami Dolphins reset
The Miami Dolphins’ joint practice approach is simple: focus on the basics.
Jeff Hafley’s joint practice philosophy for the Miami Dolphins has drawn some attention over the past two weeks. With practices against the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants over the last eight days, Hafley has been crystal clear on his approach.
“I’m not looking to see if we can outsmart a coaching staff in a preseason practice.” It has led to a whole bunch of discussion about process over results. And, as you’ve probably noticed, that’s not an easy concept for many. But after the team’s latest joint practice this morning, Hafley’s message got echoed by his most important player. Quarterback Malik Willis touched on the value of their time on the practice field.
Malik Willis chimes in on Jeff Hafley’s joint practice strategy for the 2026 Miami Dolphins
“We’re out here to go out and execute and beat the defense. It may not always go hand in hand. Sometimes execution doesn’t lead to beating the defense, and sometimes you got to take what comes with it. I mean, they are getting paid a lot of money too and they’re professionals as well. You just got to make sure we’re doing the right things for the right reasons, not just for the results.”
— Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis
The Dolphins sound pretty satisfied with the basics from Thursday’s practice. Did they run some plays into imperfect looks from New York? Yes, absolutely. But as anyone who has been asked has said: adjusting those plays in a practice settings is…not the point of practice. It’s about trying to execute as best as possible against all different kinds of looks. And when a real game rolls around, they’ll try their best to make those adjustments then.
Willis and the rest of the Miami Dolphins spent Thursday’s joint practice trying to do the right things for the right reasons in their plays — while not being wrapped up too specifically in the result of an individual play. Just how Jeff Hafley wants it.
The most powerful thing in football isn’t some supercharged play or a perfect script. It’s a collection of people that are on the same page. And the latest from Malik Willis shows that the Dolphins have that working for them this season.
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