Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t exactly temper expectations for the Dolphins.
On the Fitz and Whit podcast, the former Miami quarterback said the team could become the first in NFL history to finish 0-17 if it doesn’t beat the Raiders on Sunday. Fitzpatrick was blunt about what he sees on the roster.
"I don't see a whole lot of wins in there... look at the way that their roster is constructed this year, you feel bad for them"
It’s a harsh call, and one that’s easy to understand on paper. Miami enters the year with the second-toughest strength of schedule, and the list of obvious win chances is short.
The Jets are on the schedule twice, and the Raiders are the opening test. Beyond that, the road looks rough.
Still, a loss Sunday wouldn’t lock the Dolphins into a winless season. It would just deepen the pressure around a team already carrying a lot of it. Getting one early would at least take the edge off the possibility of an 0-17 finish.
There’s also the strange history hanging over all of this. The last team to go without a win in a full season was the 2017 Browns, who finished 0-16. The league has since moved to a 17-game schedule, which is why the Dolphins would be chasing a different kind of first if things went completely sideways.
For all the doom attached to Fitzpatrick’s prediction, there are some signs Miami believes it can be sturdier than the outside world expects. Jeff Hafley has the team buying into his system, and the club has looked more physical than it has in years past.
The camp work was demanding, but the Dolphins came out of training camp with only a handful of injuries. On Sunday, every player on the 53-man roster is healthy enough to play.
That matters, especially for a group that is also being described as the youngest and probably the least experienced in the entire NFL. There’s a lot of youth here, and the belief is that the team should improve as the season unfolds.
The Raiders are one of 14 opponents Miami will face this year, and Fitzpatrick is far from the only voice skeptical about the Dolphins’ outlook. But the bigger point inside the building is not about proving people wrong in September. It’s about getting better, rebuilding the franchise the right way, and setting up the seasons that follow.
If Miami ends up winless, the argument goes, the real judgment won’t come until 2027 and 2028.
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Dolphins Fans Are Sending A Clear Message During This Reset
The Dolphins are heading into a reset that could make 2026 a bumpy season, with the salary cap, roster, coaching staff and front office all in flux. FanDuel Sportsbook has their win total pegged in a narrow range between 3.5 and 4.5, which speaks to how thin the margin is for a team trying to rebuild while still keeping an eye on the bigger picture.
Even so, Miami fans have not turned sour on the direction of the franchise. In SB Nation Reacts polling, roughly 79-80% of Dolphins supporters have said the team is headed the right way, and that feeling has held steady from preseason into the regular season. For a fan base staring at a difficult stretch, that kind of patience stands out, especially with confidence in AFC East rivals running higher for Buffalo and New England and lower for the Jets. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Hafley Brings One Immediate Question Dolphins Fans Can't Ignore
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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 🡒]