The Miami Dolphins have somehow gone through the first five games of the 2026 NFL season without taking a single offensive snap while leading a game.
The Dolphins have yet to hold a lead at any point this season 😬 https://t.co/XyPYpza2YF
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 20, 2026
That is an almost unbelievable statistic for a team that has already played five games, and it further shows how difficult the start of Jeff Hafley’s tenure has been. Miami enters Week 7 against the New York Jets at 0-5, and the offense has offered almost no reason for optimism.
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Miami has never played with a lead
There are bad starts, and then there is what the Dolphins have produced through five games. Miami has played 293 offensive snaps this season, and not one has come while the Dolphins were ahead.
That means Miami has spent its entire offensive season either tied or playing from behind.
It also puts enormous pressure on an offense that has already struggled to move the football consistently. The Dolphins have scored just 70 points through five games, ranking 31st in the NFL, while allowing 132 points.
The quarterback situation has dominated the discussion. Malik Willis has played every one of Miami’s 293 offensive snaps, but the passing game has produced little. Despite the struggles, Hafley has made it clear that Willis remains his quarterback and that the team is not considering a change.
That makes the upcoming stretch particularly important for both Hafley and Willis.
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Losing De’Von Achane made everything harder
There’s a legitimate argument that Miami’s offense took a devastating blow when De’Von Achane suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 3. Achane was arguably the Dolphins’ most explosive and dynamic offensive player, and his absence has fundamentally changed what the offense can do.
Before his injury, Miami was expected to build much of its offensive identity around Achane’s ability to create explosive plays as both a runner and receiver. Now, Ollie Gordon has taken over much of the backfield workload, and his offensive snap share has increased since Achane went down.
But even that explanation only goes so far.
The Dolphins were already struggling before Achane’s injury, and the fact that they have never held a lead through five games is still staggering. Hafley was brought in to establish a new direction in Miami, while Willis was given an opportunity to prove he could be the team’s answer at quarterback.
So far, neither has produced the results the Dolphins needed.
The bye week gave Miami time to regroup. Now comes the opportunity to finally change the most embarrassing statistic of the season: the Dolphins need to find a way to play with a lead.
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