The Miami Dolphins finally have something to celebrate in 2026, and the biggest reason Sunday ended with a 28-25 win over the New York Jets was Malik Willis.
After a stretch filled with one-score losses, Miami broke through in Week Seven and picked up its first victory of the season. It’s hard to know yet whether that win marks a real shift for Jeff Hafley’s team or just a brief lift for a club still in the middle of a rebuild. But there was no mistaking what Willis did in New Jersey.
The first-year starter delivered his best outing of the year, giving Dolphins fans a much different picture than the one they saw two weeks earlier against the Cincinnati Bengals, when his three-turnover game drew plenty of anger and even calls for a benching. On Sunday, he flipped the script completely.
Willis completed 14 of 21 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 37 rushing yards on eight carries and scored a third touchdown on the ground. His passer rating for the game was 130.7.
That was only part of the story. According to Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports, Willis’ performance was even more impressive underneath the surface, as his expected points added against the Jets ranked fifth among single-game EPA per drop back totals by any quarterback this season.
The numbers also pushed Willis into a notable statistical club. After Week Seven, he joined the group of quarterbacks with at least 1,000 passing yards and 200 rushing yards on the year.
Miami’s weekly MVP list now has a new name at the top: Week One - WR Caleb Douglas
Week Two - LB Jacob Rodriguez
Week Three - OC Aaron Brewer
Week Four - EDGE Chop Robinson
Week Five - RB Ollie Gordon II
Week Six - BYE
Week Seven - QB Malik Willis
In Other News...
Dolphins May Have Finally Found A Coach Worth Trusting
Jeff Hafleys first season in charge has already given Miami at least one sign that the reset might be moving in the right direction. The Dolphins finally got into the win column with a victory over the Jets, and it came with the kind of early-season context that usually tests a new staff most: a rebuilding roster, plenty of youth, and little room for patience. Even so, the team has looked competitive enough to suggest there is something more sustainable taking shape.
NFL insider Peter Schrager took note of that after the win, framing Hafley as a coach who has Miami headed somewhere better than the usual rebuilding slog. The challenge now is turning one encouraging result into a real stretch of momentum, and the schedule offers another chance soon enough with the Patriots coming to Miami in Week 8. For a team trying to establish trust in a new direction, the next few games will matter just as much as the first win did. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Already Face A Brutal Future Debate
The conversation around Miamis future is already drifting well beyond the next draft, with fans eyeing the 2027 class as a possible answer to the franchises long-running quarterback dilemma. Much of the early speculation has centered on the kind of player who could alter the direction of the roster, and the buzz has quickly turned into a familiar kind of draft debate: whether the Dolphins should chase a quarterback or start thinking about another elite weapon.
One name generating the most heat is Drew Mestemaker, a quarterback who has drawn Josh Allen comparisons and would fit the profile of the kind of swing-for-the-fences prospect fans cant help but discuss this early. Another is Jeremiah Smith, widely viewed as the top wide receiver in the conversation, which only adds to the intrigue as Miami weighs where its biggest need might truly be when that class finally arrives. The wild card, of course, is Arch Manning and what he decides to do next, which leaves the Dolphins long-range outlook feeling both promising and unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Washington Just Showed Why The Dolphins May Have Found A Keeper
Malik Washington has spent the first chunk of the 2026 season looking less like a complementary piece and more like a receiver the Dolphins can build around. The second-year wideout has settled into a significant role in Miamis passing game, giving the offense a reliable target who has already climbed to the top of the teams charts in catches and receiving yards while also showing the kind of after-the-catch juice that can tilt a drive.
The numbers have matched the eye test, too. Washington ranks 42nd in yards per game and has drawn strong marks from Pro Football Focus as one of the top 40 qualified receivers this season, which only adds to the sense that Miami may have found something real here. And beyond the production, the way he fits into the flow of the offense has made him stand out in a way the Dolphins will want to keep leaning on. [Read more 🡒]