The Miami Dolphins will be the first AFC East opponent to play in MetLife Stadium this season when they face the Jets in Week 7. The Green & White (2-4) will look to even their divisional record after losing by 26-19 on the road against the New England Patriots last Sunday.
The Dolphins are coming off a bye week and had a rough start to the season, going 0-5 including losses to the league's three remaining undefeated teams: the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings.
"When you watch them on tape, they are competing their [expletive] off," HC Aaron Glenn said on Wednesday. "Division opponent coming to our house, and we're looking forward to playing them."
The Jets have two former Dolphins on their roster: S Minkah Fitzpatrick and K Jason Sanders. Fitzpatrick was selected by Miami in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft and played there for two seasons (2018-19) before returning to South Florida last season after six seasons with the Steelers. Sanders spent 7 seasons in Miami and ranks No. 3 in Dolphins' franchise history with 826 points. He has made 37 straight field goals in between 30-39 yards, the third-longest active streak in the league, according to Stats Perform, and Sanders had four makes in Week 6; two from 36 yards, and from 40 and 42 yards.
See photos of the Jets on the practice field ahead of their Week 7 matchup with the Dolphins.
Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley, who is originally from Montvale, NJ, coached with Glenn in 2014-15 in Cleveland on the Browns' defensive staff.
"I learned quite a bit on how he operates when it comes to running a meeting, how he operates, so when it comes to installing, so learned a lot when it comes to that," Glenn said. "We stayed close throughout these years ... I know how he's built; I know he's going to get those guys, you can see it on tape, they play tough, they play hard, they play physical."
Hafley is in his first season as an NFL head coach and his 10th season in the league overall. He spent time coaching collegiately, including at Ohio State in 2019 during WR Garrett Wilson's freshman year. Miami has the youngest team in the league, with an average age of 25.5 and 14 rookies (26.9%) on its active roster.
The Jets' 2026 rookie class has already made an impact. Edge rusher David Bailey recorded 3 sacks in the Green & White's 17-12 home victory over the Browns in Week 5, and TE Kenyon Sadiq and WR Omar Cooper Jr. are the first rookie tandem in NFL history to each post a 100-yard receiving game in their first three career games.
"It was just good to see that we have another weapon back and doing the things that we expect him to do," Glenn said about Cooper's 6-reception, 103-yard, 1 TD return from injury in Week 6. "The deep ball was good to see with him. We know that he's a run and catch guy, but to see that element of his game was good."
The Dolphins have run at least 13 plays in 21 personnel (2 RB, 1 TE, 2 WR) in each game with Ollie Gordon II as their primary RB, since De'Von Achane is out for the season after tearing his ACL, and with FB DJ Herman also lining up in the backfield. Miami averages 3.7 yards per play in that personnel scheme.
No other opponent the Jets have faced this season has used 21 personnel for more than a couple plays in a game. Even the Jets have only run two plays in that personnel package since they like having multiple tight ends on the field. Of the Green & White's 11 TDs, 7 have been scored in multiple tight end personnel packages.
Miami has one of the least efficient passing offenses in the league, averaging 153.6 yards per game, which is the second lowest in the league. It, and it will be a challenge facing the Jets who allow the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (183). The Jets have not surrendered points to the opposition in their opening possession in five straight games while the offense had two opening-drive scores in back-to-back weeks.
"There's a lot of mutual respect for those guys," Hafley said. "They've done a nice job in the draft and free agency bringing in some talented players and they've improved. They've improved from last year and I think they've improved from week to week, and it will be a good challenge."
