MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins lost to the New York Giants on Saturday, 26-3, in the second preseason game of the year.
Head coach Jeff Hafley said Sunday that the game will serve as a valuable learning tool as the team works to finalize its 53-man roster.
WATCH BELOW: Dolphins coach breaks down preseason loss, eyes Atlanta
Hafley spoke to reporters, saying the priority now is identifying which players the team can rely on as the regular season nears.
"The most important part right now is finding out which guys we can count on moving forward," Hafley said.
The coach acknowledged the difficulty of the loss but pointed to film review as a key resource.
"As hard as (Saturday) was as a competitor, and it's like it doesn't sit right that how the game was. That film is invaluable and will help us moving forward, and that is a positive because we have to figure it out and who this 53 (-man roster) is going to be," Hafley said.
Hafley emphasized that preseason games are less about wins and losses and more about player evaluation.
"It's why preseason games, to play all these guys, is really, really important," Hafley said.
When asked about the performance of rookies against the Giants, Hafley said a few stood out but acknowledged there is significant work ahead.
"There were some mental mistakes. There were some physical mistakes. A lot of those guys got a lot of time for the first time together, and certainly the outcome wasn't what we wanted," Hafley said.
Looking ahead to this week, Hafley said practice will shift toward more situational football, with less scripting and more independent thinking from players. Improving offensive consistency is also a focus.
"That has a lot to do with finding out the depth of the team, and then getting these guys to play together more and more," Hafley said.
The Dolphins will have another opportunity to evaluate the roster when they face the Atlanta Falcons in their final preseason game on Friday at 7 p.m. Watch all the action on WPTV!
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