Miami Dolphins fans will have to wait a couple of years before they know if this new era of football in South Florida will be good or bad. The worst part is watching the rest of the AFC East potentially thrive.
It was hard enough watching the New England Patriots gingerly walk through the AFC's M.A.S.H units on their way to the Super Bowl, but at least the final beating from the Seahawks brought smiles to our faces.
2026 will be an interesting one for the AFC East teams as they look to navigate the season, hoping for a division title and more, but there are a lot of questions needing to be answered first.
Miami Dolphins fans will take comfort in watching their AFC East division rivals fall
Can the Dolphins stay out of the NFL cellar?
Many in the media predict that the Dolphins will land with one of the top two picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. That means they will finish at the bottom of the AFC East as well as the NFL. That isn't surprising given the changes they underwent over the last few months.
The schedule is not good for Miami this year. Opening on the road against the Raiders could provide an early win, but the troubles will begin after Week 12, when every game is against playoff-contending teams.
Dolphins fans may be cynical about the upcoming season, but they shouldn't be. This year will look far more like the Brian Flores rookie year than Mike McDaniel's. McDaniel inherited a decent team; Flores inherited a gutted, rebuilt roster. Sullivan inherited a cap-strapped, broken roster that he imploded.
The good thing is we get to see how Hafley's coaching will impact the games as the season moves along.
Can Josh Allen finally carry his team on his back?
The Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott and replaced him with their offensive coordinator, Joe Brady. That was a bit surprising, but it's Buffalo, so in a weird northern New York sort of way, it made sense. Allen doesn't have to learn a new system, but Brady has to learn how to manage both sides of the ball.
The Bills quarterback has tried to elevate his team and carry them on his back, but Allen has been the problem. His gunslinging mentality makes him inconsistent. In 2025, he still managed to throw double-digit interceptions and saw his TD total (25) drop to a six-year low.
Buffalo no longer looks like the dominant AFC team that could roll through the playoffs. Last year should have been their best chance with their nemesis, Kansas City, out of the postseason, but it wasn't. The schedule is favorable throughout the year, but they will be hounded by their own high expectations.
Who is going to lead the Jets offense?
The Jets are going to jet; it's a normal occurrence every single NFL season. They have some of the best talent in the entire NFL, hit another draft out of the park, and still don't have a quarterback worth a penny. It was so bad that they were actually rumored to be interested in Tua Tagovailoa. He might have been the better option.
New York passed on an early QB pick in this year's draft, which was smart. It wasn't a deep class, but they invested in a journeyman QB whose inconsistency is as long as his NFL traveling. The Jets are hoping Geno Smith can lead them to the postseason, but chances are he will lead them to a record that keeps New York out of contention for a top QB prospect in next year's draft. If he can't, it could be rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik who gets a shot at playing by December.
The Jets have multiple first-round picks next year, and they may need to package them to move up to take a QB. Smith will do just enough to keep the hopes alive for Jets fans, but the 2026 season has third place written all over it, thanks to the Dolphins' roster rebuild.
Can the Patriots win games against better teams?
Yes, the Patriots went to the Super Bowl, but it almost seemed unfair to the rest of the league. New England was 14-3 last year; they may not win ten games this year. Their last-place 2025 schedule included games against the Raiders, Saints, Falcons, and, of course, the Dolphins and Jets twice. This year, they won't be so lucky.
New England will play a first-place schedule, and if they make the playoffs, they won't roll through them against backup quarterbacks like they did last year. It's hard to believe they almost got beaten by a Bo Nix-less Broncos team in the AFC Championship.
Mike Vrabel has been the center of controversy this offseason, and it could spill into the season. While the Patriots have talent, they will be tested more this season.
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