The AFC East has undergone a lot of changes this offseason. The Miami Dolphins have undergone their share of changes as well, but how will the 2025 season shake out in the division?
While the Dolphins are still trying to get their roster to the point of being capable of competing, the road to the division title will come down to how each team has dealt with their changes this offseason. The Patriots have added a lot of free agents to bolster their roster and changed coaching staffs.
The Jets have new management to go along with another new coaching regime as well. There have been roster moves made that may or may not make them better, and everyone is still chasing the Buffalo Bills, who will return with the same head coach and much richer Josh Allen.
All of this is great, but it is the schedule that will also play a role in each team's success and failures. With the NFL getting ready to release the full slate of regular-season games, here is a look at which AFC East team has perhaps the toughest schedule to navigate.
Each AFC East team will play each other twice, and they will all play the AFC North and the NFC South in 2025. Below is the ranking of the AFC East from hardest to easiest based on each team's 2025 strength of schedule.
2025 NFL schedule rankings for the Miami Dolphins and the rest of the AFC East
Hardest - Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins will get the Los Angeles Chargers at home and get the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals at home as well.
Their road games are not horrible with the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons on the schedule.
Miami gets a good home game schedule, but will travel to Spain to play one of their home games. Overall, the Dolphins ranked 21st in strength of schedule. Their opposing team's win percentage is .474.
Hard - Buffalo Bills
Again, by virtue of finishing in first place in 2024, the Bills should have faced tougher opponents. Buffalo will face the Kansas City Chiefs at home, but the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles on the road. They will also face the Houston Texans on the road.
The Bills will get two tough games against the Ravens and Bengals at home instead of having to travel. The Bills' strength of schedule in 2025 comes in two spots below Miami.
Easy - New York Jets
Despite finishing third in the division, the Jets will still have to play the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys, but get them both at home. Unlike the Bills, they will face the Bengals and the Ravens on the road.
The Jets' toughest part of the schedule will be their games against the other division teams. They will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team the other East teams won't play. Still, they will play the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL in 2025.
Easiest - New England Patriots
Finishing last has at least some benefits. The Patriots' schedule isn't easy, just easier. They will avoid lengthy travel but will have to play in Cincinnati and Baltimore. The furthest they travel is to Tennessee and New Orleans, which isn't too bad.
They will, however, host the Las Vegas Raiders in what could be an interesting return for Tom Brady to Gilette Stadium.