Repeat of 1966 or Better for 2026?

The opening kickoff was a 95-yard return for the brand-new expansion Miami Dolphins against the Oakland Raiders in 1966. They would eventually lose that game and only put three wins while racking up 11 losses in the 14-game season. But six seasons later were sitting perfect at 17-0 – a feat no other team has matched.

What will the 60^th anniversary season for the Dolphins bring? Experts and naysayers are predicting more of the beginnings than the latter success the team has enjoyed. Every poll has them at or near the bottom of the league. In a 17-game season, the men in aqua and orange will have their work cut out for them on both sides of the ball and first year head coach Jeff Hafley will have to work some magic to find wins in a loaded AFC East where Buffalo remains the pre-eminent favorite to take the crown with quarterback Josh Allen in his prime at 30 years old but still hasn’t found a way to the big game. They’ve knocked on the door with five straight AFC East titles but haven’t made it through the playoff gauntlet as of yet.

New England has higher-than-normal expectations after their Cinderella run to the big dance last season behind quarterback Drake Maye. This year will prove if last year was truly a fairy tale or something of substance but early injuries to top edge rusher Harold Landry who starts the year on the physically unable to perform list puts their defense on its heels. Add that to the off-the-field woes of Head Coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots will need a quick start out of the gate to get past it all.

The Bills hope their slump was a problem solved by the firing Head Coach Sean McDermott. Replacing him with Joe Brady, who is now the youngest NFL coach at 36 and has the do or die task of making the Super Bowl on his young shoulders.

The New York Jets under second year coach Aaron Glenn are still “turning the ship but I like exactly where we are.” Headed towards respectability? Glenn put together smothering and tenacious defenses while in Detroit with the Lions but that hasn’t transferred to the Jets as of yet. Glenn made changes to his staff after a 3-14 season and he’s putting more time helping run the defense while Frank Reich was brought in as the offensive coordinator. The also brought back Geno Smith to try and recapture some magic where he began his career in 2013.

In that fateful 1966 season, the Bills took the crown followed by the Patriots, Jets, Houton Oilers who tied with the Dolphins for last place. Will history repeat itself or can the Dolphins make some headway? Their first test against the now Las Vegas Raiders will give some answers and hopefully not more questions.