# Mike Florio: Florio says that despite the Dolphins' difficult cap situation, the foundation Malik Willis showed in the preseason opener gives Miami a chance to surprise people as early as this season.

**Claimed:** Aug 15, 2026
**Pundit:** Mike Florio — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mike-florio
**Outlet:** NBC Sports — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/nbc-sports
**How it reached us:** published in writing
**Original:** https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/malik-willis-draws-positive-reviews-from-jeff-hafley-devon-achane

One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.

Nothing to score yet: this grades once the result is in.

> But the signs are there of a new foundation that will give the Dolphins a chance to surprise people, as soon as this season.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Miami Dolphins to beat expectations**
  - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Miami Dolphins
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/dolphins

## What others said about the same people

- Alain Poupart on Carlos Washington: Poupart expects rookie guard Kadyn Proctor to clear concussion protocol and play against Detroit, sees Ollie Gordon II continuing as the Dolphins' workhorse back, and thinks practice squad back Carlos Washington Jr. could be elevated for the Lions game. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8f436e4c-b47e-41c6-9c95-ad8a2e6a32f0 (scored 0)
- Nick Brinkerhoff on Miami Dolphins: Predicts a 23-20 Dolphins win over the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a38cb982-14c3-4bea-bf0f-f61b43e1535a (scored 100)
- Mike Kadlick on Miami Dolphins: Picks the Dolphins to beat the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/23a2739f-abc5-4aea-9665-cebe61f324c5 (scored 100)
- Alain Poupart on Miami Dolphins: Picks the Dolphins to upset the Jets 24-20, citing New York's run-defense problems against a Miami ground game led by Ollie Gordon II and Malik Willis. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0737798d-0dca-47e8-926d-d78d3f3f095a (scored 97.62)
- Alain Poupart on Miami Dolphins: Picks the Jets to beat the Dolphins 19-17, while predicting Miami will get its win over New York in the rematch five weeks later. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9911cc3c-511b-46b0-b379-e65b36a962bf (scored 100)
- Jourdan Rodrigue on Miami Dolphins: Roderick picked the Vikings to smash the Colts, the Dolphins to win their first game of the season against the Jets, and the Saints to upset the Steelers in Paris. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b45ad24a-5924-47e4-b85c-68b9fa738ef4 (scored 100)

## More surprise team calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Nick Wright on Houston Texans: Wright expects the 49ers to handle Dallas, the Lions to beat New England, the Packers to beat Minnesota and the Chiefs to win in Atlanta, while naming the Texans again as the league's second-half surge team, picking Joe Burrow for MVP and saying Kansas City still makes the playoffs. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/62cf7f07-a58c-4d8a-bc3f-4501125a29b9 (not settled)
- Dan Orlovsky on Houston Texans: Named Houston and Detroit as the underrated teams in each conference, said the Texans could reach 11-6 and the playoffs, and predicted CJ Stroud's next contract will start with a seven annually, with Caleb Williams getting even more afterward. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/01e49745-6d62-434d-a884-17a1fa4a0cca (not settled)
- Bill Simmons on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Simmons named the Houston Texans as the AFC's second-half surge team and, reluctantly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC's, arguing both clubs sitting at or below.500 will make a run down the stretch. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a2fe7493-43ef-4157-b6c3-82a3e9c0f906 (not settled)
- Danny Kelly on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kelly argued the Buccaneers are the one NFC South club capable of a second-half surge, citing a soft remaining schedule and the league's top defensive EPA. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/13d3230a-fd04-4c32-86f7-7faaa5718bb8 (not settled)
- Logan Lazarczyk on Houston Texans: Lazarczyk argues the Raiders can still contend for the AFC's final wild-card spot, naming the Bills, Broncos, Jaguars, Steelers, Chiefs and Bengals as locks for the top six seeds, calling Houston a sleeper, and predicting Las Vegas can beat the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals down the stretch. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5f5d533e-b292-487f-b387-5d154ce687b8 (not settled)
- Jordan Dajani on Pittsburgh Steelers: Halfway through the season, Dajani sorts the playoff field into contenders and pretenders: they suggest Joe Burrow could win MVP this year, and while they dismiss Pittsburgh as a true Super Bowl threat, they expect the Steelers to be a playoff team and a possible sleeper. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3cf5c7f7-905d-4de9-ba67-9ff97a7f6a34 (not settled)

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Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages.

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