The Miami Dolphins were winless going into Sunday’s Week 7 of the NFL season but it was much worse than that for the once storied franchise because coach Jeff Hafley’s team had not held a lead all season.
The Dolphins had run 293 offensive snaps and not enjoyed an advantage at any point in any of them. But …
BREAKING: The Dolphins took a 7-0 lead on the New York Jets on Sunday.
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The Dolphins had been the only team in the Super Bowl era to fail to hold a lead through their first five losses of the season.
As they say in Miami, no bueno.
But the Dolphins took the opening kickoff on a sunny, cool day at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and marched 76 yards in seven plays to take their first lead of the season on a 7 yard pass from quarterback Malik Willis to rookie receiver Caleb Douglas.
Good for the Dolphins. It can be argued as improvement.
Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) tackles New York Jets fullback Andrew Beck (47) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
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But in reality, this all suggests bad things about the Dolphins and the Jets in the macro sense, my friends.
The Dolphins are vying to be the NFL’s worst team. They traded or released multiple high-priced starters before the regular season to make the 2026 season something of a reset.
They’re not calling it a tank but it definitely is a strategic step back. Again.
(The Dolphins did similar in 2019).
So everyone understood this was going to be a rough season for the Dolphins. But this rough? Not offering fans even one moment of solace from the struggles of the year by letting them enjoy even one lead until Sunday?
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn instructs staff as he watches play against the Miami Dolphins in the first half of an NFL football game. The game was in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sept. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Anyway, this also says something about the Jets.
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They’re not a ton better than the Dolphins. They entered Sunday’s game with a disappointing 2-4 record and the only thing keeping them out of the cellar in the AFC East was, well, the Dolphins.
And this is where we tell you the Jets tied the game on their first possession of the game to erase Miami’s lead and feel-good moment.
But guess what?
The Dolphins responded immediately by retaking the lead on their next possession.
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Malik Willis #2 of the Miami Dolphins holds the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Oct. 4, 2026. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The Dolphins now have led a game twice this season! Parade time in South Florida.
This game is not exactly a playoff preview. It’s actually a chase to the one of the top picks in next April’s NFL draft – a slot determined by worst-teams picking earliest.
So, the context of this game is what the old-timers used to colloquially call a battle of piss ants.
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