In 2026, Dolphins fans have no choice but to grit their teeth as rival fans roast the team's winless record. For whatever reason, the general public seems to enjoy the city of Miami struggling in sports. Blame LeBron James and the Heatles, the boastful Miami Hurricanes teams of yesteryear, or the undefeated 1972 Dolphins if you wish, but the end result is the same.
As South Florida rapper Kodak Black once said, "[Miami], they don't like to see you winnin'."
Alas, Jets week is different. We can stomach a loss to the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs or the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. But the Jets?! That's preposterous. They're the AFC East's true cellar-dweller, and one down-and-out year for the Dolphins won't wash that stink away. As such, the Dolphins must come out with the win on Sunday. If they do these three things, they just might.
Keys to a Miami Dolphins' victory over the Jets in Week 7
1. Feed Ollie Gordon II early and often
Running back Ollie Gordon II has been a revelation in the soul-crushing absence of De'Von Achane. He's currently averaging 5.0 yards per carry, which is good for seventh in the league among qualified running backs. What's more, his 3.38 yards-after-contact per attempt ranks 12th. They're either with him, or against him, or they're in his way.
Consequently, the New York Jets are allowing a hearty 4.2 yards per carry this season. In the eyes of Pro Football Focus, their interior defensive line has been mostly subpar, save for nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat. Harrison Phillips (48.9 PFF grade), Jowon Briggs (46.7), and Darrell Jackson Jr. (59.2) round out the group among its leaders in snaps.
If Gordon is a raging bull, this may as well be a matador's muleta.
Gordon having a big day will ease some of the mounting pressure on quarterback Malik Willis. It also may free up some airspace as the Jets bring defenders into the box to account for the run.
2. Shut down New York's rushing attack
The Jets aren't exactly world-beaters at 2–4, but their offense has been passable. In their two wins, they exceeded 100 yards rushing; in their four losses, they were unable to hit the century mark. That's a telling pattern.
Jets quarterback Geno Smith has a reputation as a bit of a gambler with the football. Perhaps a major reason his turnovers are down this season is the Jets' commitment to the run game. If Miami wants to make things interesting, they need to force the New York offense to lean on Smith and push him out of his comfort zone.
Smith threw his first interception of the season last week against the New England Patriots. If the Dolphins are able to bottle up Braelon Allen and possibly Breece Hall, who is questionable for the game, they might be able to force some turnovers themselves.
3. Get the team-wide special teams debacle under control
Dolphins fans have become exasperated by Miami's inability to execute the sheer basics of kick coverage and kick returns. It's seemingly become a weekly occurrence to see a Dolphins return man muff a kick or a sizable return set up the opposing team in great field position. It's already starting to cost some players their jobs.
The stats bear out that assessment. The Dolphins are allowing 34.1 yards per kick return, which is the worst in the NFL. In fact, they're a whole five yards worse than the second-worst team, the Baltimore Ravens.
Overall, Dolphins opponents are starting their drives at the 36.7-yard line. That's 31st in the NFL. Conversely, the Jets have been solid at getting good field position, starting at an average of the 32.1-yard line, a figure that ranks ninth.
Special teams figures to play a big role in this matchup. The Dolphins can't do New York's anemic offensive attack any favors by setting them up with great field position. If the special teams unit does its job by forcing the Jets to drive long fields to score points, Miami will have a fighting chance.
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