The Buffalo Bills have cruised in the AFC East in recent years and hope to continue that in 2025.
According to most sportsbooks, that’s set to continue as Buffalo remains the favorite to win the division next season. That would be the team’s sixth-straight AFC East crown.
Advertisement
But it’s never as cut and dry as that.
The Bills will have to handle their business in the division. The New England Patriots, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins will have their say in their of who wins the AFC East.
Flipping those odds on its head, who is the team that’s most likely to finish in the basement of the division? Bleacher Report give their take.
Despite the Patriots and Jets hiring new coaching staffs led by Mike Vrabel and Aaron Glenn, respectively, B/R sees those teams hitting the ground running. Meanwhile, that’s bad for Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel who is likely entering next year on the hot seat… especially in a scenario like this.
Advertisement
B/R’s breakdown on the Dolphins potentially as the AFC East’s worst team in 2025 can be found below:
Even though the New England Patriots and New York Jets have new coaching staffs, which always brings a level of uncertainty, the Miami Dolphins have glaring question marks that could become flaws in a bottom-out year.
The Dolphins’ pass defense is a significant concern, particular at cornerback.
Miami acquired three-time All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the blockbuster trade that involved cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. Fitzpatrick can play both safety positions and slot cornerback, but the secondary is vulnerable on the boundaries without clear-cut starters on the perimeter.
Edge-rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are working their way back from significant injuries. The former partially tore his ACL last September, and the latter missed the 2024 season because of a torn ACL, meniscus and patellar tendon.
Defensive lineman Zach Sieler has recorded 10 sacks in back-to-back campaigns. As he’s made a name for himself in the pass rush, though, opposing offensive linemen may double-team him until Chop Robinson consistently wins one-on-one matchups on the outside.
Tua Tagovailoa understands that he must protect himself in the pocket. The oft-injured quarterback has missed at least four games in four of five seasons. In 2023, he played in all 17 games and made the AFC Pro Bowl roster.
His availability could be the difference between a 10-win season and a team that finishes with a sub-.500 record in back-to-back years. Based on Tagovailoa’s injury history, backup Zach Wilson could start in multiple games, and his poor accuracy (57 percent career completion rate) would hinder the Dolphins’ aerial attack.
Miami finishes with seven or eight wins, and head coach Mike McDaniel’s job security will come into question at the end of the campaign.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: B/R: Who will finish last in the AFC East in 2025?