Miami Dolphins Finally Take a Lead in Week 7
The Miami Dolphins entered Sunday’s Week 7 of the NFL season without a win, and things seemed even bleaker since they hadn’t held a lead at any point this season. In fact, they had managed over 290 offensive snaps without an advantage. But that changed.
Breaking news: The Dolphins captured a 7-0 lead against the New York Jets.
The Dolphins stood out this season as the only team in Super Bowl history to not have a lead for the first five weeks of losses. As a saying in Miami goes, “no bueno.” But things took a turn; they started the game on a pleasant day at MetLife Stadium and advanced 76 yards in seven plays, culminating in a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Malik Willis to rookie receiver Caleb Douglas. Quite a moment for the Dolphins.
Some might argue this signals improvement. The Dolphins are, obviously, in a challenging phase. They let several high-paid starters go before the season began, effectively signalling a reset for the future. It’s not exactly being termed a tank strategy, but it certainly feels like a deliberate step back—again, reminiscent of their approach in 2019.
Given these circumstances, fans anticipated a rough ride this season, yet they hadn’t envisaged the team going through all this without even a fleeting moment of enjoyment until this past Sunday.
Shifting focus to the Jets, they weren’t exactly in a superior position themselves, arriving at the game with a disappointing 2-4 record. The only thing saving them from the bottom of the AFC East was, well, the Dolphins’ struggles. In a familiar twist, the Jets responded to the Dolphins taking the lead by tying the game on their very first possession, swiftly erasing that fleeting joy for Miami fans.
However, the Dolphins quickly retook the lead on their subsequent possession. So, it seems they’ve actually led in games, twice now this season! That’s something of a milestone, I suppose.
That said, this game wasn’t a clash for playoff contention. Instead, it represented a pursuit for positioning in next April’s NFL draft—a reminder of how both teams are vying for one of the top spots to choose early.
In simple terms, this matchup could be labelled a battle of, shall we say, less-than-stellar teams.
