Jets Get Bad News on Upcoming 2025 Season
The New York Jets still haven’t won the AFC East since 2002, and based on recent analysis, their drought looks set to continue.
Judy Battista, senior national columnist for the NFL Media Group, ranked the most and least vulnerable division champions heading into next season. She named the Buffalo Bills as the “least vulnerable division champion — and it’s not particularly close.”
“The Bills won the division last year by five games, the largest margin in the league,” Battista wrote. “The competition might heat up slightly. The Patriots appear poised for major improvement after finishing last in the division. With Mike Vrabel now head coach, New England revamped both lines and added offensive firepower.”
“The Jets begin a new chapter with Aaron Glenn and Justin Fields,” Battista continued. “But New York finished eight games behind Buffalo in 2024 — that’s a massive gap to close. For years, the Dolphins seemed like Buffalo’s top challenger post-Tom Brady, but each season’s disappointments — especially this offseason’s lack of upgrades — have dulled that threat. Meanwhile, the Bills boast the reigning league MVP and just used the draft to fortify their defense.”
Vegas Agrees With AFC East Analysis Heading Into 2025
Vegas Insider backs this outlook, projecting the Bills for an NFL-best 11.5 wins in 2025.
Miami and New England trail with projected win totals of 8.5, while the Jets lag far behind at just 5.5 — the lowest projection in the league, tied with a few others.
That three-game gap between Buffalo (11.5) and both Miami and New England (8.5) marks the widest margin between first and second place in any NFL division, according to Vegas Insider.
In short, Vegas supports Battista’s view that Buffalo is the NFL’s most secure division winner heading into next season.
The Jets Are Destined to Be Perpetually Haunted in the AFC East
For two decades, Tom Brady tormented the Jets from within the AFC East.
From 2003 to 2019, Brady led New England to 16 of 17 possible AFC East titles. Only in 2008 — the year Brady tore his ACL in Week 1 — did the Patriots fail to win, with the Dolphins stealing the crown under Chad Pennington.
When Brady departed for the Buccaneers in 2020, it seemingly opened a path for the Jets and other division rivals to finally compete.
Instead, the Bills have seized control, capturing five straight division titles since Brady’s exit.
One nightmare simply gave way to another.
In a league where quarterbacks reign supreme, Buffalo holds a massive advantage with reigning MVP Josh Allen.
Unless the Jets finally land a true franchise quarterback, they will remain stuck in a cycle of mediocrity.
