Breaking down the AFC East: Are Bills a lock or can the Dolphins truly contend?

David Wilson, Miami Herald on Aug 29, 2025

Published in Football

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The 2025 NFL season is set to get underway on Sept. 4 when the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles face the Dallas Cowboys. The Miami Dolphins open their season three days later on Sept. 7 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Miami Herald broke down each division starting with the AFC East, looking at the Dolphins and their top three rivals, the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and New York Jets.

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

— Coach: Sean McDermott (ninth season with the Bills; 86-45 in the regular season, 7-7 in the playoffs)

— Last season: 13-4 (first in the division), lost the AFC championship game to the Chiefs

— Key additions: WR Elijah Moore, DE Joey Bosa, DT T.J. Sanders, CB Maxwell Hairston

— Key subtractions: WR Amari Cooper, CB Rasul Douglas, S Micah Hyde

— Looking ahead: Superstar quarterback Josh Allen’s best season yet ended with his first NFL Most Valuable Player award — and another loss to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game. At this point, the Bills are a virtual shoo-in for a division title and a deep postseason run, but Allen and Buffalo still have a glaring hole in their resume. Allen — and a rock-solid offensive line, anchored by star tackle Dion Dawkins — make for a high-end offense all by himself, even with a less-than-inspiring group of wide receivers, and it still feels like it’s only a matter of time until he finally outduels superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and beats Kansas City in the NFL playoffs.

Miami Dolphins

— Coach: Mike McDaniel (fourth season with the Dolphins; 28-23 in the regular season, 0-2 in the playoffs)

— Last season: 8-9 (second in the division)

— Key additions: G James Daniels, G Jonah Savaiinaea, DT Kenneth Grant, S Minkah Fitzpatrick

— Key subtractions: TE Jonnu Smith, T Terron Armstead, DT Calais Campbell, CB Jalen Ramsey, S Jevon Holland

— Looking ahead: This feels like a pivot point for the Dolphins: Coach Mike McDaniel’s four seasons in Miami Gardens have been a major mixed bag with incredibly high highs — like the Dolphins’ 70-point explosion against the Broncos in 2023 — and low lows, consistently falling short in the NFL playoffs or late in the regular season, with McDaniel still looking for his first postseason win. It’s also a pivot point for some of Miami’s biggest names: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa still can’t stay healthy for a full season, star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is back after the Dolphins sent star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to the Steelers to get him, and, most importantly, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career — is he washed up or still one of the league’s best? If Hill is indeed past his prime, the McDaniel era might never be the same.

New England Patriots

— Coach: Mike Vrabel (first season with the Patriots; 54-45 in the regular season, 2-3 in the playoffs)

— Last season: 4-13 (fourth in the division)

— Key additions: RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Stefon Diggs, DT Milton Williams, LB Robert Spillane, CB Carlton Davis

— Key subtractions: QB Jacoby Brissett, C David Andrews

— Looking ahead: How much will the addition of coach Mike Vrabel and a full season of quarterback Drake Maye as a starter make for the Patriots? They were one of the worst teams in the NFL last year and now preseason expectations are for New England to make a postseason push. Maye, a top-five pick a year ago, understandably gets most of the attention, but the Patriots’ playoff hopes hinge on their defense, led by star cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and bolstered by the high-profile offseason additions of defensive tackle Milton Williams, linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Carlton Davis.

New York Jets

— Coach: Aaron Glenn (first season as an NFL head coach)

— Last season: 5-12 (third in the division)

— Key additions: QB Justin Fields, TE Mason Taylor, T Armand Membou, C Josh Myers, S Malachi Moore

— Key subtractions: QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Davante Adams, T Tyron Smith, DE Haason Reddick, CB D.J. Reed

— Looking ahead: The Aaron Rodgers experience is — mercifully, for Jets fans — over. It feels a little bit like the start of a new era for New York with coach Aaron Glenn taking over and quarterback Justin Fields stepping in, but the Jets still have most of the pieces from a defense that has been, at times, among the best in the NFL in recent years. The Jets’ top-end defensive talent — star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, star linebacker Quincy Williams and star cornerback Sauce Gardner — gives them a chance to win any game. New York’s offense, though, will have to be much better if the Jets are going to end the league’s longest postseason drought.