There’s not much a single NFL win can prove on its own, but for the Miami Dolphins, the Week 7 victory over the Jets carried real weight. After an offseason and training camp full of outside noise telling them they were headed for the bottom of the league - even that they were “Lucky to win a single game,” - Miami answered with a result that seemed to settle the group in a way that matters.
That’s the part New England has to worry about. This Dolphins team is young enough not to carry the baggage everyone else tried to hand them, and that win should have only deepened the confidence inside the room. Now they get a Patriots team that could run into a Miami defense and offense both trending the right way.
The most obvious place Miami can tilt this game is against the run. The Dolphins’ run defense keeps improving, and that has a way of forcing an opponent into a narrower game plan.
Braelon Allen was the first player to top 100 rushing yards against Miami’s defense since Ashton Jeanty put up 102 in Week 1, finishing with 104 last week. That matters because once a defense takes away an offense’s best path, the rest of the plan starts to get cramped.
Miami’s issues have shown up more on offense in terms of consistency, but the front is playing well enough that it could push New England toward a passing attack that has already had turnover issues.
The pressure up front helps the secondary, too, and that’s another area where Miami is no longer looking like a liability. The Dolphins’ defensive backfield was supposed to be the weak spot on this roster, but JuJu Brents has been playing the best football of his career, and Chris Johnson is flashing the first-round talent Miami believed in.
Michael Taaffe and Dante Trader, Jr. have added to that growth, and Chop Robinson now leads the league in QB pressures. That kind of edge pressure does quiet work for the back end, forcing quicker throws and creating mistakes before a play can fully develop.
Against Drake Maye, who leans on timing and separation, that could be a big deal if Miami can keep the heat on consistently.
Then there’s the run game on Miami’s side, which has become more than just a surprise - it’s become a real weapon. The Dolphins are the only team in the NFL with five straight 100-yard rushing games, a stretch that includes 217 yards against the Bengals. That’s impressive enough on its own, but it becomes even more striking when you consider the preseason expectations and the personnel changes that pushed this group forward.
In Week 7, Malik Willis showed better decision-making with his legs, and those runs helped the Dolphins keep drives alive. The bigger surprise was Ollie Gordon II, who entered camp as the third-team back.
De’Von Achane’s injury opened the door, and Jaylen Wright’s injury gave Gordon the chance to move up. He has taken advantage of it.
Together with Willis, Gordon has given Miami a combination that can change how a game is played.
New England’s defense has allowed only two 100-yard rushing games this season, so this is a clear strength-on-strength test. But if the Dolphins can control one phase of the game the way they have lately, they’ll have a real chance to set the terms and put themselves in position for an upset.
In Other News...
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The early AFC picture has already turned into a scramble, and Miami is watching it with a mix of recognition and opportunity. The updated conference rankings are stacked with clubs that expected to be much further along by now, from the winless Chargers to the Titans' ongoing questions and the Colts' front-office shake-up, while the Dolphins remain in the middle of their own reset with a roster still short on proven talent.
Miami's place in that conversation is a reminder that the rebuild is not just about long-term vision, but about surviving the weekly churn around them. There are signs the Dolphins can still find pockets of competence and keep themselves relevant, yet the broader issue remains the same: they need more difference-makers, and the next stretch will show whether this group can keep pace while the AFC's mess keeps getting messier. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Finally Escaped One Brutal Spot After Their First Win
The Dolphins first win of the season, a much-needed one over the New York Jets, at least changed the conversation around the team outside the building. After opening 1-5, Miami was still going to have an uphill climb in the national picture, but the latest wave of power rankings shows a modest step forward, with multiple outlets slotting the Dolphins anywhere from 26th to 31st.
It is a small victory in its own right that no major outlet still has Miami dead last, but the margin for comfort remains thin. The challenge gets steeper quickly with the New England Patriots next on the schedule, and the Dolphins will need more than one relief performance if they want to keep moving out of the leagues basement. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Can Change The Whole Feel Of This Season Sunday
The Dolphins finally got a win under Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, and it came against the Jets in a game that at least gave the building something to hang onto. After a rocky stretch, even one victory can change the tone around a team, especially when it arrives with a new coaching staff trying to establish itself and get the roster pointed in a clearer direction.
Miami now gets a Patriots matchup that could carry more weight than a typical early-season divisional game. Another win would give the Dolphins a better feel for where they stand and add a little more credibility to the progress theyre trying to make, even if the bigger picture is still about development. It would also nudge the franchise further away from the very top of the 2027 NFL Draft conversation, which is the kind of backdrop teams rarely mention but always have in mind. [Read more 🡒]