The Dolphins and Jets will face off for the 122nd time in this storied rivalry. The Dolphins lead the all-time series 63-57-1 (including Miami's 1982 AFC Championship win over New York). It's also the first divisional game of the season for Miami. The last time Miami had to wait until Week 7 for its first AFC East tilt of a season was 2013.

Fresh off a week's rest, with some potential reinforcements in tow, the Dolphins are energized to go on the road and face another young team within the division.

Back from the bye

The bye week came early this year for the Dolphins. Miami will play 12 games in as many weeks to close out the 2026 campaign. It starts Sunday at the Meadowlands for a young, hungry and focused Dolphins team that is refreshed from the week away but carries the same mindset and approach from the first five weeks.

Head Coach Jeff Hafley – "It's always a concern of mine when you have a long period of time off…usually you come back a little sluggish. I was with a couple of the guys, I said, 'wow,' I mean, they had incredible energy. They were locked in. They had energy. They were flying around. They were having fun together. It's kind of like I said to you guys the other day. I mean, this is a fun group to coach and they just want to get better and they want to grow."

Inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez – "I think the message has stayed the same, just trust and belief in each other and connection is part of it. Just continue to play good football. If we just avoid negative plays, we play clean football, a lot of the stuff that when we're in close games, it'll fall our way. So, we got to do a better job of just playing a good brand of football."

Quarterback Malik Willis on the bye week balance – "You have to do your job and continue to try to get better at your job, but at the same time you got to take a deep breath and take a break. That's what it's for. This is a long season and there's a lot of ups and downs, a lot of emotions that come with it. Just try to do your best to stay centered and understand that. Take it one step at a time, one day at a time."

The Jets

There is no need for a clever pun in the title when it comes to Dolphins-Jets, two teams that have clashed twice per season for over more than 60 years with fan bases that loathe each other. For generations, each team's two matchups against the other were among the most important games on the schedule. Now, with rosters packed full of young talent, the reignition of this rivalry feels imminent.

Hafley – "When you look at their roster, I think this team right now is better than their record shows. I mean starting on defense, they got a ton of guys inside that can stop the run. They got really good edge rushers. Obviously, they got some talented safeties, Minkah (Fitzpatrick) being one of them. Linebackers are fast and physical and have a ton of experience. The offensive line, they're real strong up the middle. They're very athletic at tackle. They've got two really, really good backs. They've got a phenomenal, one of the premium receivers in the league with Garrett (Wilson). They drafted a high pick at tight end who can run, he's kind of like a wideout. And then they got a veteran quarterback. So, when you look at this team, he's got them close. I mean, they're close to having a really good record."

Rookie reinforcements

The individual performances of several Dolphins rookies have been the marquee story early this season. Miami could get two rookies back from injury Sunday in wide receiver Caleb Douglas and safety Kyle Louis. Douglas, who tied the franchise record for receiving yards (94) in a Dolphins debut, suffered an ankle injury that held him out of the last three games.

Willis on Douglas – "He's been good. We haven't been doing anything too crazy, just making sure that we're continuing to focus on the fundamentals and getting better at our positions, connecting today, focusing on the game plan. I think it was awesome seeing him just staying sharp and making sure that he was studying when he wasn't out there on the field. I think he looked good out there."

Hafley on Douglas – "We'll be very excited if we can get him back and get him going this week, especially just looking back and seeing what he was able to do and what he brings to the offense. He hasn't played football in a while, so he's going to need to get back and get the rust off and get back into the rhythm of playing. Hopefully it doesn't take too much time."

The Dolphins opened Louis' 21-day practice window after he missed four games while on injured reserve.

Both Douglas and Louis have practiced in a limited capacity this week.

For more on Dolphins-Jets, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.