With the 2026 NFL regular season just days away, it's time to start looking at storylines for the Miami Dolphins. The biggest is arguably how the team can kick off the Jeff Hafley era with a win.

A lot of people have already counted the Dolphins out, leading to linebacker Jordyn Brooks stating that the team has a strong "underdog mindset."

That said, here are five ways that Miami can get the win against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1.

The Raiders have announced that longtime veteran Kirk Cousins will get the start, which is not shocking considering Fernando Mendoza needs a bit more time to grow.

That said, the Dolphins have already begun game planning for Cousins, and one sure-fire way they can see results is to rattle the quarterback. 

Saying a team should get after the quarterback may be a bit obvious, but Cousins threw five interceptions in 2025 in 10 games.

If the Miami defense can get after Cousins and rattle him, he may be more prone to costly turnovers.

One of the aspects of Hafley's tutelage has been about process and fundamentals, which were seemingly forgotten during preseason. 

The Dolphins stacked up a staggering 22 penalties through three games. One of which led to Hafley sitting running back Ollie Gordon II, as the penalty stalled a drive.

Being disciplined is something this young Miami team will have to get a handle on. If they can limit their penalties, it could lead to some success on the field.

Again, protecting quarterback Malik Willis might sound like an obvious statement to make, but his ability to gun the ball downfield is something the team has not had in recent years. This is not a knock against Tua Tagovailoa, but Willis is an entirely different quarterback.

If the Dolphins' offensive line can hold and allow Willis to plant his feet, he may be able to show off some big-time magic with his young receiving corps. 

That, and Willis is also dangerous with his legs. When he sees an open field, he can make the Raiders' defense pay. 

One of the biggest issues that former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel had was abandoning the run game when things got tough. While every head coach must adjust based on what opposing defenses are giving up, Hafley needs to stick with the run game.

Achane has the kind of abilities that he can shoot the gap and turn something small into something big. He also has a strong ability to catch out of the backfield. 

Even if Achane is being stuffed initially, the offense needs to find new ways of helping him get open in space. 

Despite one of the biggest critiques of the Dolphins being the wide receiver room, there are some weapons who can emerge in Week 1. Rookies Caleb Douglas, Kevin Coleman Jr., and Chris Bell could show up in a major way.

The same goes for veteran Jalen Tolbert, and tight end Greg Dulcich. 

If Willis can spread the ball around, it can confuse the Raiders' defense in a major way. The silver lining to having a mysterious receiving corps is that nobody quite knows who to truly cover in this Miami offense.