It's crazy to think it's already been six full seasons since Tom Brady departed New England. The AFC East's gatekeeper for the better part of two decades was gone. There was a mad scramble among the three remaining teams in the division to fill that void. Between the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets, each team spent top-ten picks on QBs between 2018 and 2021. In the Jets' case, they did it twice.
Alas — much to Dolphins fans' chagrin — it was only the hated Buffalo Bills who wound up hitting big on their gamble. Josh Allen has spent the entirety of his career eviscerating Dolphins defenses. According to Stat Muse, in 16 games against the Phins, Allen has 4,256 yards, 42 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, culminating in a 109.4 passer rating.
The thing that Dolphins fans will be able to hold on to, though, is the fact that the Bills have never been able to get over the hump. No Super Bowl victories, and for Allen, not even an appearance. The Bills' GM, Brandon Beane, has seemingly coasted on the fact that he got lucky with the Allen pick. It's been his questionable moves augmenting the roster around Allen that have (thankfully) kept the Bills from the pinnacle.
Bills trading for DJ Moore at a hefty price tag won't scare Miami Dolphins fans
The Bills made waves when they bought high on a distressed asset, trading for the Chicago Bears' DJ Moore. Moore had an exceptional breakout season in 2023 with 96 receptions, 1,364 yards, and eight touchdowns. In the two seasons since, his output has diminished drastically, including a middling 2025 where he snagged 50 receptions for 682 yards — both career lows.
Somehow, the Bills found themselves not buying low but paying the hefty price of a second-round pick, to boot. In an even more baffling twist, Moore already had effectively guaranteed salaries in 2026 and 2027 (his age 29 and 30 seasons). He must've been surprised when the Bills threw him a bone and guaranteed an additional $15.5 million for the 2028 season when he will be 31. A true Brandon Beane master class, indeed.
With names such as A.J. Brown and Brian Thomas Jr. being floated in trade rumors, as well as the imminent free agency tours of Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, and Alec Pierce, the fact that the Bills wound up with D.J. Moore is just perfect. Brandon Beane, who spent nearly 20 years with the Carolina Panthers before heading up north, has frequently targeted former Panthers. Remember Kelvin Benjamin, Josh Norman, and Curtis Samuel's illustrious contributions in Buffalo? Yeah, neither does anyone else.
In the aftermath of another heartbreaking (or delightful, depending on who you're rooting for) playoff loss, the Buffalo Bills fired their long-time coach Sean McDermott (another Carolina Panthers import, by the way). Despite the abject failure of not reaching the Super Bowl in an AFC playoff field that featured none of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow, when the dust cleared, Brandon Beane was unscathed.
The Bills may have the upper hand on the Dolphins right now, but after hearing the embarrassing rant of their owner, Terry Pegula, and his subsequent promotion of Brandon Beane, it's perfectly clear that the Bills are just the Jets with Josh Allen.