The Miami Dolphins are headed into a 2026 season that looks built for patience, not polish. With the salary cap, roster, coaching staff, and front office all being reset in the same year, the expectations are low. FanDuel Sportsbook has Miami’s win total lined at 3.5 wins (-135 over/+115 under) and 4.5 wins (+140 / -165), and projections around the team range from four victories all the way down to none.
Even with that kind of outlook, Dolphins fans aren’t backing away. According to the latest SB Nation Reacts poll, 79 percent of fans say Miami is headed in the right direction. That number barely moved from the preseason, when 80 percent gave the same answer before the team faced the New Yok Giants in the lead-up to the regular season.
The message from the fan base seems clear: wins matter, but this season is also about what comes next. Jeff Hafley and the Dolphins will try to compete now, but the bigger picture is 2027 and beyond, with the reset expected to come with its share of growing pains.
Around the AFC East, the mood is different depending on the team. The Buffalo Bills, listed by FanDuel Sportsbook as the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, have an 85 percent positive fan rating.
The New England Patriots drew a 96 percent positive vote from their fans after last year’s Super Bowl appearance, though they are already 0-1 after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch to open the 2026 season on Wednesday. The New York Jets, coming off a 3-14 finish and last place in the division, have 63 percent of their fans believing the team is headed in the right direction.
Leaguewide, fan confidence spans a wide range. The Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions, sit at 98 percent, while Indianapolis Colts fans are split right down the middle at 50/50.
In Other News...
Jeff Hafley Brings One Immediate Question Dolphins Fans Can't Ignore
Jeff Hafley arrived in Miami as the franchises latest reset button, introduced as the Dolphins new head coach and the 15th man to hold the job. Coming over after serving as the Packers defensive coordinator, he comes with a five-year contract and an immediate mandate: bring structure, discipline and a more pressure-heavy identity to a defense that has spent too much time looking for one.
For Dolphins fans, the first real question is less about the background and more about how quickly Hafley can turn that plan into something tangible. He will call the defensive plays himself, which gives him direct control over the part of the roster he intends to define, and the long runway of the deal suggests the organization expects a full build rather than a quick fix. The 2026 schedule is already on the horizon, so the clock on that transformation is effectively running now. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Loss Exposed Problems Miami Fans Were Hoping Not To See
The Dolphins 2026 opener in Las Vegas did not take long to reveal the kinds of issues Miami was hoping would stay buried until deeper into the season. In a 27-13 loss to the Raiders, the defense never found a steady answer for the home offense, the pass rush lacked bite, and special teams gave up too much ground on return plays. Miami did manage to show a little life with a second-half touchdown drive, but the broader picture was one of a team that spent too much of the afternoon chasing the game.
For a fan base that wanted cleaner tackling and more stability in the kicking game, the early returns were hard to ignore. Missed tackles showed up alongside the coverage problems, and the Raiders were able to build comfortable field position far too often. The Dolphins have only one game on the books, but the opener already put a spotlight on the same areas that can change the tone of a season quickly if they are not cleaned up. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Loss Exposed Two Early Problems Fans Already Feared
The Week 1 loss to the Raiders did not just leave the Dolphins with an 0-1 record, it also quickly put two familiar concerns back in focus. Miami fell 27-13, and while there were a few bright spots in the individual evaluations, especially from rookie linebacker Rodriguez and receiver Douglas, the bigger story was how often the offense struggled to find any rhythm around them.
Malik Willis had a difficult outing, but the issues were not limited to one player. The offensive line drew criticism for both pass protection and run blocking, problems that showed up throughout the game and helped drag down the entire operation. For a team trying to establish itself early, the performance served as an unwelcome reminder that some of the questions from the offseason are still waiting for answers. [Read more 🡒]