Dolphins put their focus on a bigger goal than an AFC East division title

After sneaking into the playoffs in Week 18 and losing in the wild card to the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins hope to use an improved AFC East division to test and prepare themselves for the playoffs.

Since the start of the millennium, Miami has struggled to find success in the division, winning it once during the New England Patriots’ dominant 17-time title run. But three years removed the Tom Brady reign, the other members of the AFC East hope to capitalize on the dynasty’s ending.

Even with Brady out of the picture, winning the division is no small task for Miami, as Buffalo and the New York Jets have been aggressive to build competing rosters, but that hasn’t limited the franchise movements. In the 2023 offseason, the Dolphins completed a trade with the Rams in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, securing a star player for the second consecutive offseason.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel believes the AFC East games are an important part of the schedule but acknowledges the franchise can’t build its roster with the goal to defeat specific divisional rivals. Instead, McDaniel’s focus involves evaluating the conference and the division to put the best game plan together.

“You always have your division in the back of your mind, but I think it’s important to create a team that it’s very best against all opponents because they are two very important games — division games, whichever team it is — but two games doesn’t get you to the playoffs. Two games doesn’t win your division. So, you keep it in mind.”

With Josh Allen leading the Bills to three AFC East championships and the Jets potentially working on a deal to secure Aaron Rodgers, McDaniel believed securing strong cornerbacks are critical to the franchise’s success.

“I put it this way if you have a good quarterback in your division, we have Josh Allen — we have multiple good quarterbacks, but ... you better have good corners,” McDaniel said. “So you think that way, but it’s not like you know they’re excessive strengths, and you have to be ready and prepared to deal with those. But you’re also motivated by just creating your best team against all opponents, all structures of offense and defense, to be your best version of yourself.”

When asked about the strength of the AFC East, McDaniel recognized a better division makes playoff berth tougher to obtain but believes it could be beneficial for playoff preparation.

“It’s two-pronged,” McDaniel said. “Yeah, it does make it more difficult the better your division is, and I think our division is one of — it appears to be building toward potentially being one of the better divisions in football — I’m careful in the spring to go too much over the top on paper.

“But I know exactly what you’re saying, and I don’t disagree. Granted, it still makes it more difficult to get to the playoffs. But if you are able to — within that very good, competitive division — you are much more battle-tested for the games that really, really matter.”

In McDaniel’s first season as coach, the Dolphins snagged the AFC’s final playoff spot before losing 34-31 in Buffalo without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. For McDaniel, the experience was useful, but the 40-year-old head coach has his eyes on better achievements.

“We lived it once, and one time was enough, getting to the playoffs is cool. [We’re] over that,” McDaniel said. “You want to win. And so, playing good teams in the regular season, however, in the front end might seem, ‘oh, that’s tough.’ What else would you want?

“If you’re really trying to actually win playoff games, if you’re trying to actually get to the AFC championship, if you’re trying to win the AFC championship, and trying to win the Super Bowl, all those things, you better be a very good team and battle-tested. And our division should help us do that. But it’s going to be stressful.”