I guess the Dolphins’ bye week came at just the right time!
On Sunday, on the road against the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins earned their first victory of the year — the first victory of head coach Jeff Hafley’s tenure with the team — by downing their AFC East rivals by a score of 28-25.
After a hot start allowed Miami to take a 21-7 halftime lead, the team cooled on both offense and defense in the second half, but held on by the skin of their teeth — sealing the victory with a 4th and 1 tush-push
by quarterback Malik Willis with less than two minutes on the clock.
No, it wasn’t a perfect game from the Dolphins, but the squad did enough to earn the hard-fought win — and maybe enough to convince a frustrated fanbase that patience is the right approach when it comes to letting Miami’s new regime build a successful organization after being forced to tear it down to the screws this past offseason.
GOOD
Malik Willis has best game in Dolphins uniform
For the first time this season, Dolphins fans have a legitimate reason to feel encouraged about quarterback Malik Willis.
Willis completed 14 of 21 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns without having a turnover. He also added 37 rushing yards and a touchdown with his legs, giving Miami’s offense another dimension that has largely been missing this year. Not a bad afternoon for a guy who entered the game with plenty of fans questioning his ability to lead this offense.
Miami scored touchdowns on their first two offensive drives, with Willis connecting with rookie receiver Caleb Douglas for a 7 yard touchdown in the first quarter before the Dolphins extended their lead with a rushing touchdown from Ollie Gordon II on the next drive.
Willis then capped a 91 yard scoring drive late in the first half by scrambling into the end zone for a two yard touchdown. Miami’s lone second-half touchdown game on a short throw to Douglas who would make a man miss before taking the rock to the house for a 63 yard score.
There is still plenty of work to do, and one good performance against the Jets doesn’t suddenly anoint Willis the organization’s savior at quarterback, but he deserves credit for delivering a win in this one. For a team that has spent the first several weeks looking for something to build on, Willis finally gave Miami a performance worth celebrating.
BAD
Dolphins pass defense has rough afternoon
The Dolphins have enough problems without helping opposing offenses discover their next star receiver. Unfortunately, Miami’s pass defense apparently decided to give Jets’ rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. a helping hand on Sunday.
Cooper finished the game with 5 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown, averaging a whopping 23 yards per catch. That’s the kind of production offensive coordinators dream about from their receivers, and the kind defensive coordinators spend the week trying to prevent.
Cooper wasn’t the only New York pass catcher to find success either. Tight end Mason Taylor added 5 receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns, while their running backs contributed nine catches for 79 yards.
Quarterback Geno Smith completed 23 of 30 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Although Smith also threw an interception — good work, Michael Taaffe — his 77% completion rate illustrates just how comfortable New York was moving the football through the air all day long.
Miami won the game, so nobody needs to spend the evening writing a eulogy for the entire secondary (fair self-burn), but allowing that kind of production against a subpar offense is concerning. If Miami wants to build on Sunday’s victory, their pass defense needs to do a much better job limiting explosive plays and preventing opposing receivers from turning routine opportunities into game-changing moments.
UGLY
Poor second-half nearly costs Miami game
The Dolphins entered the locker room at halftime with a comfortable two touchdown lead.
Then the second half happened.
Miami was outscored 18-7 after halftime, allowing the Jets to turn what should have been a relatively stress-free afternoon into a 28-25 nail-biter. New York kept chipping away at the lead, and Miami struggled to maintain the offensive momentum it had established during the opening half of play.
Douglas’ 63 yard touchdown reception helped Miami push its advantage to 28-17, but even that explosive play wasn’t enough to make the final minutes peaceful. The Jets continued to fight, and Miami’s inability to put the game away left the door open for a comeback.
The box score tells the story of two very different halves. Miami had 231 yards of offense by halftime, but the second-half struggles — just 129 more offensive yards during the final two quarters — prevented the Dolphins from building on that production and putting the game beyond reach.
The defense deserves some criticism here too. After allowing just 114 yards to the Jets’ offense in the first-half, Miami gave up 263 second-half yards to Geno Smith and company. No bueno, muchacho.
We can credit the Dolphins for hanging on and getting the win. Winning a close game requires making plays when they matter, and Miami did enough to survive. But Sunday’s game was also a reminder that a two touchdown lead isn’t necessarily safe when your offense stops moving the football and your defense starts giving up explosive plays.
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The Dolphins have plenty of reasons to celebrate their first victory of 2026. They also have plenty of film to review before next week’s game. Still, they are no longer winless on the season, and head coach Jeff Hafley can finally breathe a sigh of relief in that regard. Do you think they can continue to build momentum with a victory against the visiting New England Patriots next week? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @MBrave13. Fins up!
