Two Buffalo Bills division rivals expected to fall short of expectations in 2024

The Buffalo Bills are in control of the AFC East, despite an offseason that seems to have set them back. Until one of the three teams in the division steals their spot, Buffalo is the leader. After winning the division the last four seasons, Buffalo has managed to turn itself around as an organization thanks to its coaching stability, support from management, and development of its roster. However, this could easily be the Bills’ toughest season in four years, as they’ve lost a lot of talent and are reloading. While Josh Allen is still in his prime, the roster has changed and it’s unclear what this Bills team will look like.

As Buffalo enters a reload year, two teams have high expectations and if they fail, it will be a tough time for the organizations. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report has released a best-and-worst-case scenario for the teams for the upcoming season, along with predictions. The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are on the list because they have specific expectations and both teams fell apart last season at some point.

As for the Dolphins, there is a lot of concern surrounding the ongoing contract negotiations between management and Tua Tagovailoa. While Miami’s offense is the fastest unit in the league, the Dolphins have struggled over the past two seasons, leading to back-to-back first-round playoff exits. Gagnon talked about Tua’s bad luck with injuries or his failures at key positions that some of the best quarterbacks can comfortably play.

The Dolphins are expected to finish no more than two games above .500 and suffer another first-round elimination by Gagnon. Two years ago, the Bills eliminated the Dolphins in the playoffs after a 34-31 victory in Buffalo, where Tua did not play in that game.

If there’s one team facing the most pressure of any team in the NFL heading into next season, it’s the Jets, and it’s not even close to being that. They traded Aaron Rodgers last season and had high hopes heading into last season, but that all fell apart immediately in four plays in the opener against the Bills when Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon. Today, the Jets are giving it their all and Robert Saleh is in the hot seat. Rodgers is back, management signed several veterans to protect him on offense and the team decided to part ways with Zach Wilson, meaning the Jets have no future at quarterback once Rodgers leaves . Additionally, the Jets have one of the best defenses in the league that is getting spoiled with older and more expensive players.

Gagnon issued a harsh prediction for the Jets that involves them not only missing the playoffs, but finishing far from any playoff berth. Gagnon mentioned that quarterbacks who reach 40 usually don’t succeed (with the exception of Tom Brady) and that Rodgers hasn’t played at an MVP level for some time now.

Bills fans have watched the Dolphins and Jets fall apart the last two years, especially the Dolphins. While this won’t be an easy season, the Bills have the better quarterback and more stable coaching staff, which gives them an advantage as they try to win their fifth straight division title.