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Following the second preseason game, in which the Miami Dolphins' depth looked completely outmatched in every way against the New York Giants, the team bounced back in a big way against the Atlanta Falcons.

Miami continued to fight until the end of the game despite losing yet again with a final score of 17-12. However, players on both sides of the ball made plays.

With the final game in the books, here is what we learned in the third and final Dolphins preseason matchup.

Chris Bell Makes Debut

One of the bigger storylines for the Dolphins has been the debut of rookie receiver Chris Bell. The rookie receiver tore his ACL in the 2025 season and started training camp on the PUP list. 

After working his way back over the summer, Bell was removed from the list and then, shortly thereafter, rejoined the 11-on-11 drills in practice. 

After it was teased that the rookie could make his debut, he did just that and made up for some lost time.

Bell finished the day with 22 yards on two receptions, though he was targeted five times. He dropped a couple of passes, one of which was due to a big hit from a Falcons defender, giving the rookie the best of both worlds in terms of his debut.

Despite what could have been a solid day minus the drops, Bell's clear physicality and abilities were on full display. 

Dolphins QB Room is Rough

The Dolphins may need to explore bringing in a veteran passer or what for one of the other 31 teams to cut a solid option to boost the backup situation.

Cam Miller started the game and continued to show a rough performance. He ended the day with 71 yards on 7-for-16 attempts. 

The issue is Miller holds the ball for far too long, and that led to some costly mistakes.

Mark Gronowski took over and brought in 97 yards on 4-for-8 attempts, along with 28 rushing yards, but he may only be a practice squad option.

Quinn Ewers continues to be hurt and has not taken the field much to have a real read on where he is in his development.

Defense is Further Along

Miami's defense may be the unit to bank some wins on in 2026, as they have played with some significant heart during preseason. Even with backups, the focus on getting after the ball by head coach Jeff Hafley has made its mark.

The Dolphins pulled off two drive-stopping fumbles, along with a late-game interception by Myles Battle. 

The run-stop defense was the highlight of the third preseason game, as the team only surrendered 38 yards on the ground. That pales in comparison to the 236 passing yards given up, but the Miami defensive line was very active.

Tough Decisions Are Ahead

Hafley will have his hands full with cutting this roster from 90 to 53, and more so, potentially using the cut-down day to heavily improve the backend roster. 

Interestingly, there may be some players who have pushed their way onto the roster, including wide receiver Jalen Reagor.

Reagor finished the day with one catch for 17 yards, but also tacked on 96 yards during three kickoff returns. Finding a solid return man will be integral for the Dolphins, and Reagor may have locked in a roster spot for that reason alone.

Special Teams May Need a Boost

Special teams coach Chris Tabor was clearly upset at the performance of his unit, as punter Bradley Pinion made some costly mistakes, including kicking some punts out of bounds, leading to good field positions.

Additionally, one kick from Riley Patterson was blocked, which is never a good sight. The Dolphins may need to explore a punter who can compete with Pinion before the start of the regular season. 

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