FLSportsDesk · The Dolphins Journal

What the desk said. Dated.

Every call on the record. The words do not change after publication.

Saturday, October 24, 2026First edition · The read holds. Confidence 88/100.

What changed

Baseline was 0-5 with Buffalo at 4-1 and space near $6.1 million. Miami added no wins through the bye, space edged to $6,133,710 after churn and the division settled at 5-1, 4-3 and 2-4, with new Week 7 reporting on Douglas and Wright clearances plus a dormant rush. Confidence holds because five regular season finals reinforced the basement forecast.

Why it matters

0-5 and last in the AFC East at the bye, Miami owns the basement. Head coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis lead a teardown where four wins is the ceiling, the top pick is the floor, and 2026 is an audition.

What to watch

Watch Oct. 25 at the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium for Willis completion rate and yards per attempt, backup rushing efficiency, and whether Miami creates sacks and takeaways against another rebuilding club.

What would change our mind

Efficient passing from Willis paired with clear improvement from at least two last place units across multiple regular season games would force a higher grade. One upset would not.

The counterevidence

Last place passing and coverage cap everything, with five units ranked 32nd leaving Willis without proven separation and the defense without answers off the edge or in the secondary, locking the ceili
Willis enters as a first time full season QB1 with production still to prove, which explains sputtering scoring and stalled drives.
Dolphin Nation reports in a single source note that Dolphins players Caleb Douglas and Jaylen Wright are cleared for Week 7, help that matters only if protection holds and until they produce.

Evidence on record: 53 linked sources. Content id dolphins-journal-20261024-e1.

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Edition	The desk's read	Conf.	Status
2026-10-24	0-5 and last in the AFC East at the bye, Miami owns the basement. Head coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-10-23	Miami is 0-5 and last in the AFC East at the bye. This is the basement, not a bad-luck skid. Head coach Jeff H…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-10-17	Miami is 0-5 and alone in the AFC East cellar. Head coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis lead a full…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-10-16	0-5 and outscored 70-132, alone in the AFC East basement. Head coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis …	90	ON THE RECORD
2026-10-15	0-5 and outscored 70-132, alone in the AFC East cellar. Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik…	90	ON THE RECORD
2026-10-14	0-5 and outscored 70-132, last in the AFC East at .000. Head coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis le…	90	ON THE RECORD
2026-10-13	0-5 and outscored 70-132, alone in the AFC East basement. Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley leads a teardo…	90	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-28	0-3 with a 36-86 scoring gap after a 10-24 home loss to Kansas City at Hard Rock Stadium. This is a bottom-tie…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-27	Miami is 0-2, outscored 62-26 and alone in the AFC East basement after road losses of 27-13 and 35-13. Miami D…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-26	Miami is 0-2 and has been outscored 62-26 after losses of 27-13 at Las Vegas and 35-13 at San Francisco. This …	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-25	The Miami Dolphins are 0-2 and have been outscored 62-26 after losses of 27-13 at Las Vegas and 35-13 at San F…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-24	Miami is 0-2, outscored 62-26 and alone in the AFC East basement after losses of 27-13 at Las Vegas and 35-13 …	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-23	0-2 and outscored 26-62 after 13-27 at Las Vegas and 13-35 at San Francisco, the Miami Dolphins are a bottom-t…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-22	0-2 after 27-13 at Las Vegas and 35-13 at San Francisco, Miami is a bottom-tier rebuild under head coach Jeff …	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-21	0-2 after 13-27 at Las Vegas and 13-35 at San Francisco. Head coach Jeff Hafley leads a bottom-tier rebuild wh…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-20	Miami is 0-1 after a 27-13 loss at Las Vegas, exactly where the preseason math put it. Head coach Jeff Hafley …	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-19	0-1 after a 27-13 loss at Las Vegas, Miami already lives in last place math. Head coach Jeff Hafley runs a bot…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-17	0-1 after a 27-13 loss at Las Vegas, Miami sits 0-1 behind Buffalo and the New York Jets. This is a bottom-tie…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-16	The Miami Dolphins are a bottom-tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor that includes the No. 1…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-15	The Miami Dolphins are a bottom-tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor that includes the No. 1…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-14	The Miami Dolphins are a bottom-tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor that includes the No. 1…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-13	The Miami Dolphins are a bottom-tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor that includes the No. 1…	87	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-12	The Miami Dolphins are a bottom tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor that includes the No. 1…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-11	The Miami Dolphins are a bottom tier rebuild with a ceiling around four wins and a floor that includes the No.…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-09	Call it what it is. The Miami Dolphins are a bottom tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor tha…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-07	The Miami Dolphins are a bottom tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor at the number one pick,…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-06	Miami is a bottom tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor at the No. 1 pick, and 2026 is about …	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-05	The Miami Dolphins are a bottom tier rebuild with a ceiling near four wins and a floor at the No. 1 pick, and …	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-03	Miami opens 2026 as the NFL basement team on paper, a teardown directed by general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan a…	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-02	Miami enters 2026 as a fully priced teardown: the youngest roster in football, five units ranked dead last, a …	88	ON THE RECORD
2026-09-01	Miami enters 2026 as a fully priced teardown: the youngest roster in football, five units ranked dead last, a …	88	ON THE RECORD