Malik Willis got real on how the New England defense kept him and the Miami offense in check following the Dolphins' 24-19 loss to the Patriots on Sunday evening.

Willis is halfway through the fifth season of his NFL career, his first with the Dolphins. This marks his first year as a full-time starter, being a key leader in Miami's rebuilding offense.

Miami is going through a brutal start to the season, finally getting their first win after beating the New York Jets. However, they returned to the loss column after falling to the Patriots. Willis reflected on the loss after the game, per reporter Joe Schad. He gave props to the New England defense for playing more man-to-man coverage than zone coverage, limiting the options Miami had on offense.

“I think they did a good job. All credit to the defense, all credit to the Patriots. We just got to continue to figure out what we're going to do as far as adjustments go, as far as how we want to attack different schemes,” Willis said.

How Malik Willis, Dolphins played against Patriots

Malik Willis and the Dolphins have a lot of work to do in their rebuild. Learning how to manage adjustments from opponents like what the Patriots did to them will be one of those lessons.

Miami initially had the upper hand over New England, taking a 13-3 lead at halftime. However, the Patriots roared back with a 21-6 display in the last 30 minutes of regulation.

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Willis had a decent display leading Miami's offense before New England contained him in the second half. He completed 21 out of 32 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.

Ollie Gordon II was the standout in the run game, racking up 19 carries for 69 yards. Kevin Coleman Jr. led receivers with 46 yards and a touchdown on three catches. Greg Dulcih and Caleb Douglas both had four receptions for 43 yards, while Malik Washington caught five passes for 40 yards and a touchdown.

The Dolphins look to bounce back in their next home matchup. They host the Detroit Lions as kickoff commences on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. ET.