FLSportsDesk · The Dolphins Journal

What the desk said. Dated.

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

Friday, October 23, 2026First edition · The read holds. Confidence 88/100.

What changed

The baseline was 0-5, $6,100,854 in space and Buffalo at 4-1. Miami added no wins through the bye, space edged up to $6,133,710 after roster churn, and the rest of the division settled at 5-1, 4-3 and 2-4. New Week 7 reporting centers on Douglas and Wright returning, plus a dormant pass rush that produced four sacks against Minnesota. Confidence holds because five regular-season finals reinforced the basement forecast.

Why it matters

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 Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis lead a full teardown with four wins as the ceiling and the first pick as the floor.

What to watch

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

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. Five units ranked 32nd leave Willis without proven separation and the defense without answers off the edge or in the secondary. That keeps the ceiling a
Willis enters as a first-time, full-season QB1 with plenty left to prove. Until his regular-season efficiency improves, Miami will struggle to stretch the field and finish drives.
Health has thinned an already young roster. Seven players are on injured reserve or out, with 13 more on the practice squad. Those counts make promotions more volatile than promising.

Checkpoint: New York Jets, 2026-10-25.

Evidence on record: 53 linked sources. Content id dolphins-journal-20261023-e1.

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