Miami Dolphins scrape out an AFC East title
Personally, I like the Miami Dolphins in 2024 to steal an AFC East title from the Buffalo Bills, who have had to embrace a bit of a re-tooling this year to free up some cap space. Buffalo had to part with a slew of veteran players and have had to essentially restart at wide receiver.
Right now, you cannot tell me with a straight, serious face that the Bills have a better roster than the Dolphins on paper. While Miami does struggle in cold weather, I think a bounce here and a bounce there will end up benefitting the Dolphins in 2024, as they end up winning the AFC East by just one game, which would guarantee them a top-4 seed in the playoffs and a home playoff game.
Aaron Rodgers and New York Jets miss the NFL playoffs
Is this a surprise? Is it bold? Maybe not, but on paper, the New York Jets do have quite the roster, so GM Joe Douglas does deserve a good bit of credit for that. Nonetheless, the Jets will miss the playoffs, which could lead to some people within the organization losing their jobs.
Douglas could be out of a job, and so could head coach Robert Saleh with some of his staff. The 2023 season was supposed to be a big year for the team, but Rodgers' Achilles had other plans. Now in 2024, the Jets brought in some reinforcements along the offensive line, signing Tyron Smith, John Simpson, and trading for Morgan Moses.
The Jets also added two WRs in Mike Williams and Malachi Corley. Overall, there isn't a lot to like about the Jets roster, but the biggest factor is Aaron Rodgers and perhaps the below-average coaching staff. Ultimately, the Jets won't be able to get it done.