Dolphins predictions for 2024 NFL season: Division finish, playoffs, number of wins

The Miami Dolphins' 2024 season is about to begin, and many questions will be answered, but the biggest is whether or not they can beat playoff-quality teams during the season, win the AFC East, and advance in the playoffs. For Mike McDaniel, anything less should be considered an unsuccessful season.

The Dolphins are going to know who they are right from the start. They will face the Jaguars and Bills at home to start the season. Those two games are pivotal in a season that has the Dolphins with one extra road game and a few late-season games in northern states.

A fast start is paramount to the Dolphins' success despite the fact some players will start the season injured, and the defense is rebuilding under Anthony Weaver.

Predicting where the Miami Dolphins will finish in the AFC East

AFC East predictions

1. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins will compete for the AFC East, and on paper, they should win it. The biggest question is whether they can stay healthy. If Miami can scrape together wins early in the year, they will get healthier later in the season. If Tua Tagovailoa goes down, all bets are off. I have the Dolphins with double-digit wins, as well as the Bills and Jets. This will come down to head-to-head and division tie-breakers.

A lot will play a role in that coming to fruition; some the Dolphins control, and some they will not. The AFC East will be tough this year, but there have been changes within the division that stand out.

2. New York Jets

The Jets have one of the top on-paper defenses in the league, and they should live up to that expectation. Offensively, they have quality receivers and a top running back, but this team is all about Aaron Rodgers. If the Jets don't win this year, Robert Saleh is likely to be let go, and this team has more talent than anyone else in the division unit-to-unit. The biggest problem for the Jets may be the locker room.

3. Buffalo Bills

The Bills lost a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, especially at wide receiver. Their running game is good but not great. Josh Allen will need to carry the offense again this year, and the defense should be good enough, but it may not be as good as last year. On the upside, losing Stefon Diggs is actually a good thing, and the makeup of the locker room should change.

4. New England Patriots

There isn't much to see here, and some experts predict the Patriots to not only finish last in the division, but with the top draft pick in 2025. A new first-time head coach will take the team in a new direction for the first time in more than two decades, and he will do so with a journeyman quarterback and a rookie behind him.

Predicting the AFC playoff picture in 2024

How important are the conference games this year? Consider the Dolphins open against the Jaguars, and that game alone could decide a wild-card spot in Week 18. This year's two toughest divisions are the AFC North and the AFC East. The AFC South will be close behind them, and the West will belong to the Chiefs again.

If the Dolphins win the East, it will ensure a home game for the postseason, which will help end a 24-year-old "playoff win" drought.

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