Dolphins 28, Jets 25: Willis Leads Miami to First Win

Miami's first win of 2026 came from its clearest offensive identity of the season. Malik Willis threw two touchdown passes to rookie Caleb Douglas, ran for another score and converted the fourth down sneak that ended New York's comeback threat. The Dolphins beat the Jets 28 to 25, improved to 1 and 5 and gave head coach Jeff Hafley his first NFL victory.

The practical takeaway is larger than one result. Miami paired efficient quarterback play with 156 rushing yards and did not turn the ball over. New York rallied from a 21 to 7 halftime deficit, but a failed goal line sequence and its inability to stop Miami's final clock killing drive decided the game. The Jets fell to 2 and 5.

Miami established control early

The Dolphins scored touchdowns on their first two possessions for the first time this season. Willis opened the scoring with a seven yard pass to Douglas. New York answered when Geno Smith found Mason Taylor for a 13 yard touchdown, but Miami responded with a 14 play, 60 yard drive finished by Ollie Gordon II's one yard run.

That second possession showed the version of Miami that had been missing. The Dolphins stayed ahead of the chains, protected the football and made New York defend the full width of the field. Miami added another touchdown before halftime and carried a 21 to 7 lead into the break.

The Jets' first half problem was not only the score. Miami outgained New York 213 to 114 before halftime and held the ball for more than 21 minutes. Smith also threw a red zone interception, wasting a chance to close the margin before the Dolphins took control.

The Jets rallied but left one drive unfinished

New York changed the game after halftime. Omar Cooper Jr. created explosive plays and caught a touchdown that pulled the Jets within 21 to 14. Braelon Allen replaced the inactive Breece Hall and produced 104 rushing yards on 17 carries, plus six catches for 30 yards.

The pivotal missed opportunity came after New York reached first and goal inside Miami's one yard line. The Jets lost yardage on consecutive runs, took a sack on third down and settled for a short field goal. The score moved to 21 to 17, but New York had turned its best chance to take control into only three points.

Miami answered with the game's biggest play. Willis found Douglas down the sideline for a 63 yard touchdown with 4:55 remaining. Douglas had returned after missing three games with an ankle injury, and his second touchdown restored an 11 point lead.

Smith responded with a 12 yard touchdown to Taylor and then hit him again for the two point conversion. The Jets were within 28 to 25 with 3:24 left. They never got the ball back.

Willis closed the game

Miami needed two first downs to finish. Gordon supplied the first with a 14 yard run. The second came when Willis kept the ball on fourth and one from the Jets' 49 and pushed forward for two yards. New York had no timeouts, so Miami took two kneel downs and ended the game.

Willis completed 14 of 21 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 37 rushing yards before the kneel downs and scored on the ground. His best contribution was decision quality. He used his legs without abandoning the passing game and protected the football while New York's comeback increased the pressure.

Smith completed 23 of 30 passes for 287 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The passing production was strong enough to win many games, but the interception and the empty goal line sequence offset it.

The numbers behind Miami's first win

Gordon carried 25 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. Greg Dulcich caught five passes for 86 yards, giving Willis a reliable middle of the field option. Douglas supplied the two touchdowns, including the 63 yard catch and run that ultimately separated the teams.

Taylor caught five passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns for New York. Cooper had five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. Allen's 134 yards from scrimmage showed that the Jets could replace much of Hall's rushing volume, even though they did not finish the most important goal line opportunity.

ESPN's team stat snapshot listed Miami with 377 total yards, 24 first downs, a 5 of 12 third down rate, three touchdowns in four red zone trips and 34:36 of possession. Those numbers fit the game story. Miami sustained enough drives to build the lead and keep the Jets from getting one final possession.

The official NFL game center confirmed the 28 to 25 final and the quarter by quarter result. Miami committed no turnover, while New York's one interception helped create the halftime separation.

Fantasy football consequences

Willis moves into streamer consideration because his rushing floor now has evidence behind it. The passing volume remains modest, but three total touchdowns and a turnover free performance show how he can produce a useful fantasy week without 300 passing yards.

Gordon's 25 carries and 103 yards make him the clear immediate backfield answer while De'Von Achane is unavailable. Managers should still follow Achane's recovery, but Gordon has earned starting consideration through both volume and successful late game work.

Douglas is the upside waiver target. Two touchdowns will attract attention, but the stronger signal is that Miami trusted him on scoring concepts immediately after his return. The 63 yard touchdown shows field stretching ability. Managers should treat him as a volatile flex until his weekly target count stabilizes.

Taylor remains a usable tight end after five catches and two scores. Cooper's 115 yards also demand attention, though both players need to be evaluated alongside Garrett Wilson's target share. Wilson finished with two catches for 26 yards on three targets, a level of involvement that cannot continue if New York wants its best passing offense.

Allen's 17 carries and six receptions keep him valuable when Hall is inactive. The goal line failure does not erase the workload. It does, however, make Hall's status the most important next fantasy checkpoint.

What the result means

Miami is still 1 and 5, so one win does not rescue the season. It does provide a usable blueprint: avoid giveaways, run with patience, let Willis create selectively and use Douglas to threaten space beyond the short passing game.

New York has lost five of six and eight straight AFC East games. The division path is nearly closed, and the larger concern is situational execution. The Jets moved the ball well enough to win but did not convert the possession that began inside the one, then could not get one final defensive stop.

The strongest counterargument to Miami optimism is the fourth quarter collapse that nearly happened. The Dolphins let a 14 point halftime lead shrink to three and needed a fourth down conversion to avoid giving Smith another possession. Football Nation's conclusion is that the late execution still counts. A winless team needed to finish a tense game, and it did.

Next checkpoint

The next checkpoint is Monday's official health update, especially for Achane, Hall and any player who required postgame evaluation. Football Nation is not assigning a new in game diagnosis because none was confirmed in the source package at the reporting cutoff.

Miami also must show that the run game and ball security can travel into Week 8. New York must decide how to restore Wilson's involvement without losing the production it found from Taylor, Cooper and Allen.

Sources were checked October 25, 2026 at 5:20 p.m. Central. Official final and quarter scoring: https://www.nfl.com/games/dolphins-at-jets-2026-reg-7 . Box score and team stat snapshot: https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401873015 . Drive and player context: https://www.reuters.com/sports/nfl/malik-willis-guides-dolphins-past-jets-long-sought-first-win--flm-2026-10-25/ .