Last Sunday’s 15-10 win over the New England Patriots was a step in the right direction, but at 2-3, the Miami Dolphins have plenty of work left to rebound from an early-season three-game losing streak.
The Dolphins tied the Arizona Cardinals with a league-high 118 penalties in 2022, Mike McDaniel’s first season as head coach. Though Miami dropped out of the top 10 last season with 105 penalties, through five weeks of this season, penalties have again become a defining part of their identity.
With the Dolphins on their third-string quarterback instead of Tua Tagovailoa, the 390 penalty yards this season are tougher to overcome without a high-powered passing attack. Miami is tied with the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns with 43 penalties this season. Only the Houston Texans (47), Seattle Seahawks (47), and Baltimore Ravens (44) have been penalized more.
“Just moving forward, no matter what the call is, we got to go execute and without the negatives bringing us back after we have some positive gains,” left tackle Terron Armstead said on Oct. 7. “So that’s going to be something that we continue to do, and the more we can do that, we can execute without the penalties, our offense will start to look a lot better.”
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The Dolphins average 4.7 yards per play and while penalties have impacted the No. 26-ranked offense, pre-snap problems have doomed the unit. Miami’s 21 pre-snap penalties rank second behind only Cleveland’s 23.
“There’s a lot of nuances in an offense, especially when you have a lot of motions, you have a lot of personnel,” Armstead explained. “You have quarterback changes so the cadence could be different; he might hold the cadence longer than others or he wants to operate faster than Tua [Tagovailoa] or maybe Skylar [Thompson].
“So the illegal formation, illegal shift, guys are taking their time getting set as opposed to [Tyler Huntley] being in more of a hurry – we got to get set off of him. So those small little details or nuances that nobody really pays attention to until it’s a problem.”
The Dolphins have been called for eight false starts, six illegal formations, and five illegal shifts. On average, teams have averaged 1.41 illegal formations and 0.84 illegal shifts per game through five weeks. Additionally, their nine offensive holding penalties rank among the league’s highest.
Tight end Jullian Hill has been responsible for a team-high seven penalties, including four pre-snap infractions. Three of Liam Eichenberg’s four penalties also came before the snap.
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The Dolphins offense, averaging a league-low 12 points per game, has struggled, but the outing against the Patriots showed improvement. Miami’s 15 points in New England matched its combined scoring output from the previous two weeks — a few special teams blunders were the difference from breaking 20 points in the outing.
The Dolphins were called for a season-high 11 penalties Week 3 against the Seahawks but the team set a season-low with just six penalties on the road in New England. Miami struggled significantly in the season’s first quarter but appears to be slowly trending in the right direction.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A three-vehicle crash in southwest Miami-Dade triggered a large emergency response Saturday night, leaving 10 people injured, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
MDFR units responded around 8:03 p.m. to the area of Southwest 28th Street and Southwest 107th Avenue after receiving reports of a massive crash.
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Officials said 13 units arrived on scene and found a total of 10 adult patients.
Three people were taken to a local hospital with injuries. One of the passengers, a woman, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
No additional details have been released.
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Pablo Hernandez
Pablo Hernandez is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Cuba and has lived in Miami, Florida since 2002.
It’s time for the 13th Detroit Lions OnSI mock draft roundup for the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Over the last week, the Lions have increasingly prioritized finding an EDGE to complement Aidan Hutchinson at No. 17 overall.
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Let’s take a look now at who the draft pundits have Lions general manager Brad Holmes selecting in the first round.
Offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
Mauigoa is presently being projected by the following:
Pro Football Network (Alec Elijah)
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EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Fla.)
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Mesidor is presently being mocked by the following:
A to Z Sports (Mike Payton; Lions trade down to No. 26 overall); NFL.com (Bucky Brooks); Pro Football Focus (Jordan Plocher);CBS Sports (Garrett Podell)
As Plocher pens, “The Lions are finally able to add a consistent pass-rush threat opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Only one time since Hutchinson has been in Detroit has another Lions defender topped 50 hurries in a season, and that was Al-Quadin Muhammad in 2025 (53), but he left in free agency.
Mesidor was one of the most productive pass rushers in college football in 2025, amassing 13 sacks, four quarterback hits and 50 hurries on 445 pass-rush snaps. He finished the 2025 season with a 94.2 PFF pass-rushing grade against true pass sets, the second-best mark in the draft class.”
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EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)
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Bain is presently being selected by the following:
FOX Sports (Joel Klatt)
As Klatt pens, “I think the Lions could really use another pass rusher, even if they already have Aidan Hutchinson. Putting Bain with Hutchinson would give Detroit two members on the All-Motor Team. They would wear offensive tackles out. How would opposing teams shift their protections? One of them would get a one-on-one matchup that they would win.”
Offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, Utah
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Lomu is presently being selected by the following:
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Pro Football Network (Jacob Infante);Pro Football Network (T.J. Randall)
As Infante explains, “Few expected the level of regression the Detroit Lions experienced in 2025. After the release of long-time starting left tackle Taylor Decker, they find themselves with a big hole along an offensive line that already took a step back after key departures the previous offseason.
Caleb Lomu is a smooth, polished left tackle who didn’t allow a single sack in 382 pass-blocking reps during the 2025 regular season. His hand timing, balance, and range in pass protection make him a top offensive tackle prospect and a worthy first-round selection in this 2026 NFL Mock Draft.”
Offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, Georgia
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Freeling is currently being mocked by the following:
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Detroit Lions On SI (Christian Booher); FOX Sports (Ben Arthur); Sports Illustrated (Daniel Flick)
As Flick writes, “The Lions released starting left tackle Taylor Decker and now need a replacement in the draft. Freeling, who’s risen from unheralded to likely first-round pick, is an athletic mover with plenty of bend and agility. He needs to keep getting stronger, but Freeling could be a tremendous blindside blocker at the next level.”
Offensive tackle Blake Miller, Clemson
Miller is presently being mocked by the following:
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The Detroit News (Nolan Bianchi); NFL.com (Mike Band);The Draft Network (Jaime Eisner)
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As Eisner opines, “The Taylor Decker era is over in Detroit and a new left tackle is needed. Enter Blake Miller, a name that is rising up draft boards as we inch closer to April. Miller has a phenomenal college resume with good size and a ton of power. He’s played mostly right tackle, but he should have no issues moving over to the left side if needed or sticking at right tackle with Penei Sewell moving over. Miller and Sewell can form a formidable bookend tandem in Detroit.”
Offensive tackle Spencer Fano, Utah
Fano is presently being selected by the following:
CBS Sports (Pete Prisco)
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Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
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Proctor is presently being selected by the following:
ESPN (Field Yates); NFL.com (Charles Davis); USA Today (Google Gemini); CBS Sports (Josh Edwards); WalterFootball (Charlie Campbell)
As Yates opines, “Left tackle is a sizable need for Detroit with the departure of Taylor Decker after 10 seasons. Proctor is a sizable answer to the problem — literally — at 6-7, 352 pounds. He has power when he gets his hands on defenders in the running game as well.
Proctor’s tape had up-and-down moments during his final college season, as sometimes his foot quickness was overmatched by edge rushers. But the upside is immense for the 20-year-old left tackle, who started all 40 games he appeared in at Alabama.”
As tens of thousands of electronic music fans descend on downtown Miami for the Ultra Music Festival this weekend, some residents living near Bayfront Park say the celebration comes at a cost they bear year after year.
Visitors from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the three-day festival. While organizers and city leaders tout the economic and cultural impact of the event, nearby residents say road closures, limited park access, and high noise levels disrupt daily life in an area that has grown increasingly residential.
“It’s kind of stressful, and it’s definitely an imposition,” said Laura Okamura, who lives along Biscayne Boulevard near the festival grounds. “The people who suffer the most are the people who live at 50 Biscayne.”
Newer residential towers now surround Bayfront Park, a shift neighbors say city leaders and festival organizers must account for as Ultra negotiates its next contract with Miami.
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A Miami commissioner visited residents to hear their concerns
District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo visited Okamura’s building Friday night to hear concerns from residents firsthand. He said a public meeting scheduled for April 2 will allow surrounding neighbors to voice their grievances as the city considers the festival’s future.
“It seems doable,” Pardo said. “People really like this event. People in this building, people on the street, enjoy the event, but they also want to be heard. And they want to be sure their basic needs are met.”
Noise remains one of the biggest issues for nearby residents. Colby Leider, a sound engineer, said early-evening readings near the festival hovered between 80 and 85 decibels. Historically, neighbors say volumes increase as the night goes on.
“Eighty-five is a very important number in human hearing,” Leider said. “It’s the level above which exposure begins to potentially cause hearing loss.”
Residents say they want stricter noise controls and traffic mitigation plans written into Ultra’s new agreement with the city. They stress they are not pushing to cancel the festival, but want accommodations that reflect how downtown Miami has changed since Ultra began in the city.
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“It’s about understanding how a neighborhood has grown and how an event that has existed for 26 years can harmonize over time,” Pardo said.
Okamura echoed that sentiment, saying neighbors are asking festival organizers to act responsibly. “We are not asking Ultra not to have the concert,” she said. “We are asking them to be a good neighbor. This is our home. This is where we live.”
Representatives from Ultra Music Festival and the Bayfront Park Management Trust are expected to attend the April 2 meeting at 6 p.m. to discuss potential changes to the festival’s contract with the city. The meeting will take place at Live Arts Lab Theater, building 1, room 1101. Ultra Music Festival runs through the weekend at Bayfront Park, with road closures and traffic expected throughout downtown Miami.
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