Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis can’t afford many more games like the one he played in Week 5
Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis found tough sledding for a second consecutive week. His 2026 audition can’t afford many more showings like this one.
Too little, too late for Week 5. Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis took the snap and looked right, with a free rusher bearing down on him. Willis flushed right — as he had for much of the day against Cincinnati. Only this time, Willis stiff-armed the blitzer, broke contain, and laced a touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr.
It was a sensational play — with his encore performance on the ensuing 2-point conversion echoing the touchdown. But the performance from Willis up to that point in the day was uninspiring, to say the least. And, on the heels of an uneventful passing performance against the Minnesota Vikings, the tide needs to change. Willis must now hope to use that spark, and what happened after in a 31-24 loss, as a springboard for after the bye. Because his 2026 audition to be the quarterback of the future in Miami needs it.
Miami Dolphins QB Malik Willis endured some major missed opportunities in Week 5 against Bengals
Assessing the limitations around the Miami Dolphins’ offense through the first five weeks of the season is a challenging exercise. But Sunday’s defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals doesn’t require much imagination. Willis forced several throws into tight coverage. What’s worse? A number of them were late and into the middle of the field. And then, a late self-inflicted fumble slammed the door shut on any chance of a miracle.
One of the big talking points for general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan when speaking about the evaluation of Willis at the start of the season was protecting the football. Willis did not do that in Week 5. And, at times, he did so at the expense of easy completions underneath. A double-whammy.
And so with five games down, Willis must now take the bye week and apply some hard lessons. I don’t think anyone is expecting Willis to light the world on fire this season. But making good decisions and operating the offense efficiently absolutely must be on the table. You can’t beat yourself. Not if you want to convince this franchise that you’re the man for the job long-term. Especially when that was one of the few things at the top of the season that was publicly stated as a measuring stick 0f performance.
Not let’s see what Willis can cook up for a response. It should tell us a lot.
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