MIAMI GARDENS - The Miami Dolphins return to Hard Rock Stadium for their first home game of the 2026 season sitting 0-2, with three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs waiting across the field.
The Dolphins have not played at home since a Dec. 28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, following a two-game West Coast swing. Head Coach Jeff Hafley acknowledged the challenge Mahomes presents but said his team is ready. “Very difficult to prepare for, but I think we’re all excited for the challenge,” Hafley said. “I have a ton of respect for how he’s come back from his injury and seems to have not missed a step. He’s still running around, he’s still keeping plays alive, he’s still running the ball. He hasn’t missed a beat. He’s in total command at the line of scrimmage. He’s changing protections. He’s doing the stuff that he’s always done.”
Mahomes is not operating alone. Kansas City’s prized free-agent signing, Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker, leads the NFL with 23 broken tackles, per Pro Football Focus, and has accumulated 243 yards after initial contact - 86 yards more than any other player in the league.
Miami’s best answer may be ball control. In the first half of last week’s game at San Francisco, the Dolphins ran 28 plays in opposing territory and held the 49ers to just two first-half possessions. Two of those three opening-half drives lasted 12 or more plays, though they produced only six combined points - a red-zone efficiency problem the team must fix. Quarterback Malik Willis found wide receiver Ryan Miller for a 77-yard touchdown strike in the second half, giving Willis a passer rating of 103.0, the fifth time he has topped 100.0 in eight career starts. Willis said the formula is straightforward. “We want to score touchdowns, but at the same time, we just got to continue to drive and get the ball and get points,” he said. “And that’s how you do it. And our defense will continue to do what they’re doing. They’ll keep getting better as well. They got a lot of young guys over there. And we’ll just continue to play complementary football.”
Miami will be without rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas, who exited Sunday’s game with an injury, limiting Willis’ options. Veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks has taken on the role of steadying a young roster through the rough start. “I think the best way that I can inspire this team right now is to keep pushing,” Brooks said. “I think personally I haven’t had the start of the season that I wanted and as a leader people look to you, see how you react in those moments when you’re not having the games that you want, you’re not having the success that you want individually. I think the best way I can inspire them is to continue to show up and be who I am, work hard, practice hard and keep pushing and know that it’s light at the end of the tunnel and things will get better as long as you keep working.”
Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium is scheduled for this week, with the Dolphins looking to avoid falling to 0-3 against one of the AFC’s premier franchises.