New York Jets Predicted to Finish Second in AFC East Behind Miami Dolphins

The New York Jets have a better chance of winning the division this year than they've had over any season in the past decade.

Jan 7, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) runs for a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets have a bigger season coming up than they've had in the past decade. After Aaron Rodgers went down with a season-ending Achilles injury on the first drive last year, the hope is that things will be much different this time around. 

For this campaign to be successful, the Jets have to make the postseason, at the very least. They haven't made the playoffs since 2010, which is a major concern. However, for a team with this much talent, there's no excuse for them not to get the job done.

The goal is always to win the division. If they do, they should be in a good position in terms of seeding and could even host a playoff game at MetLife.

Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report doesn't believe that'll be the case. He predicts that New York will finish second in the AFC East but will still make the playoffs. 

"The Jets experienced offseason drama with Aaron Rodgers' trip to Egypt and are in a contract standoff with star edge-rusher Haason Reddick. They have plenty of time to resolve their situation with Reddick. Once they get past offseason distractions, their balanced roster can rack up 10 wins. Rodgers shows he can still play at a high level and leads Gang Green to the playoffs."

Moton has the Miami Dolphins finishing first at 11-6.

It's fair to say that it's a three-headed race at the top of the division. The Buffalo Bills look like they took a step down on paper, but it's tough to count out Josh Allen. The Jets have found success against the Bills and Allen in the past, but there's no debating the type of talent he has.

A 10-7 campaign wouldn't be a bad thing. 10 wins would certainly be a step in the right direction for many teams, including this organization, but the hope is for them to be a little bit better than that. 

If New York doesn't make the playoffs this year, it's tough to picture a scenario where they will in the immediate future. Rodgers doesn't have many years left in the tank, so 2024 is their best chance to get over that hump.

If the season doesn't go as planned, there will likely be multiple changes to the front office, coaching staff, and roster. Hopefully, that won't be the case.

In less than a month, the Jets will have an opportunity to show that it'll be different than how many of the past years throughout the last decade have gone.