2024 AFC East Projected Rankings: Bills fall victim to Aaron Rodgers-led Jets and rising Dolphins
The AFC East is set for a renewed battle as three of its four teams harbor realistic aspirations for deep runs in the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins form, for the most part, a closely matched division in terms of player depth, postseason goals, and proven quarterbacks.
Let's take a look at how the AFC East could shape up in the 2024 NFL season:
Projected 2024 rankings for the AFC East
#4. New England Patriots
Before the past two seasons, it had been decades since the Patriots have experienced mediocrity. What makes the current state of events even more painful for fans is that in the not-so-distant past, they had the greatest player and coach in NFL history.
It’s no surprise they are predicted to finish last in the AFC East and maybe the conference. The team lost Pro Bowler Matthew Judon, despite having about $55 million in free cap space, and in general is set for a rebuilding year.
Brandon Aiyuk, who was having contract issues with the San Francisco 49ers, is reported to have rejected a $32 million per year contract from the Patriots, highlighting the situation.
The Patriots have a rookie quarterback, Drake Maye, and a rookie head coach, Jared Mayo. Mayo originally said that Maye had outperformed Jacoby Brissett, but recently said Brissett will start in Week 1 over Maye.
One reason for this is that the Patriots’ low-ranked offensive line is a problem, and the franchise wants to protect Maye and wait until he is ready. NE is not expected to make a lot of noise and many are predicting they will fail to win more than five games.
#3. Buffalo Bills
As earlier stated, apart from the Patriots, the other three teams in the AFC East seem equally matched, and barring injuries to key players, they all have the potential to win the division.
The Bills are predicted to finish third because, of the three, they seem to have taken a slight step back. During the off-season, they let go of many players, chief among them WR Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Houston Texans.
QB Josh Allen will have to make do without his number-one wide receiver, who had 107 receptions last season for 1,183 yards. Diggs went six consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards dating back to his days with the Minnesota Vikings.
Also, last season, when faced with adversity, the Bills named a new offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, who prefers the run game. Allen, who is the most important offensive piece in the Bills' locker room, will have to be more cautious in his throws to reduce the interceptions.
Having thrown 18 INTs last season, there are concerns that the Bills offense might struggle to outscore the opposition if they have similar issues with turnovers.
#2. New York Jets
The Jets have been chasing their Super Bowl dreams since the '60s when they last won it in 1968 against the Baltimore Colts. It feels like this might be their window to make that dream come true with the signing of four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl winner Aaron Rodgers last season.
The start of the 2023/2024 season didn’t go according to plan, as Rodgers played a handful of snaps before tearing his Achilles. The Jets have one of the league's best defenses, with players like Hassan Reddick and Sauce Gardner.
On offense, Garrett Wilson is considered a top-five WR in the league, and RB Breece Hall is primed for a big campaign. Their missing piece has been the quarterback position and having fielded Zach Wilson last season, they managed to finish with a 7-10 record.
It is only fair to say that with Rodgers, their floor should be a 10-7 finish, which would likely get them a place in the playoffs. From there, they might make a run for the conference championship game and maybe the Super Bowl.
The biggest question for the Jets has to be their quarterback. If Rodgers is 80% of the player we know he can be, they can finish second in the division. However, after coming off an ACL injury at forty years old, nothing is certain.
#1. Miami Dolphins
The team looking primed to win the AFC East is the Dolphins. Miami had an impressive season last year, with WR Tyreek Hill recording 1,799 receiving yards, achieving consecutive 1,700-yard seasons in his two years in Miami.
The Dolphins have shown they know how to annihilate smaller teams, scoring as many as 70 points against the Broncos. If they can defeat the Bills in Week 2 and the Jets in one of their two meetings, it should prove vital in determining who wins the division.
QB Tua Tagovailoa just got paid, which should boost his confidence and eliminate worries about the future, giving him an added incentive to have an amazing season. Miami finished second in the division last season with an 11-6 record and will be looking to go one step better and win the division for the first time since 2008.