I’d be okay with removing the confession thing as long as it’s reference underneath the sand can be handled in a way that is not jarring. Cutting abruptly to Poe leading the way with the flashlight is.
You would have to cut from Poe in the rear to Poe up front. The change didn’t bother me. Just showed he hurried up. But you could always put another scene in the middle to show more passage of time.