MIAMI — The Dolphins will open the Jeff Hafley era Sunday in Las Vegas with quarterback Malik Willis and a pair of rookie third-round wide receivers making their first starts, a wholesale offensive makeover for a franchise entering its 61st season.
Hafley and Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak will each make their NFL head coaching debuts at 4:25 p.m. ET, a matchup defined by how much neither sideline knows about the other. Willis and Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins will also start for the first time with their new teams.
“I think early in the season, it’s got to be about yourself and that’s my message to the team,” Hafley said. “It’s got to be about using our rules. It’s got to be about the fundamentals and techniques that we’ve talked about all training camp because we don’t know what it’s going to look like.”
Rookie wide receivers Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell, both third-round picks, will start on the perimeter and give Miami a size upgrade in a revamped receiving corps. Hafley expressed full confidence in the young pass-catchers. “We believe those guys deserve to start and we’re going to start them,” Hafley said. “I just want them to go play free, play as fast as they can, as physical as they can, clear mind, fast feet, and let it rip.”
The Dolphins’ offensive identity may still run through Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane, who expects defenses to load the box against him — and sees that as an opportunity for the rookies. “It just gives opportunities for our young receivers, or whoever’s out there, to make plays,” Achane said. “This is a team game. I can’t just go out there and win by myself. So, when teams do stack the box, we can still try to run the ball, but if we have to adjust, it just gives opportunities for receivers to make plays.”
Miami caught a break when Las Vegas lost All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers to a knee injury. Bowers posted 1,194 receiving yards as a rookie in 2024 and added 680 yards and seven touchdowns last season in just 12 games — only 16 yards behind team leader Tre Tucker’s 696 receiving yards. His absence strips the Raiders of their most dangerous weapon.
The Raiders’ defense, which finished 25th in points allowed at 25.4 per game last season, added linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, defensive end Kwity Paye and nickel back Taron Johnson this offseason. The unit’s anchor remains five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby, who has compiled 69.5 sacks over a seven-year career. “He’s one of the elite defenders in the league that plays with a relentless motor,” Hafley said. “You better know where he is. But then there’s times when we’re going to use our rules and play football, and then there’s times when he’s a guy that you better game plan around because he’s another guy that can wreck a game and we’ve all seen him do that.”
Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, the 107th season of NFL football.