The Miami Dolphins are an under the radar team this offseason — mainly because the general consensus is this team is still one year away from being taken seriously in the new-look AFC East division. With no more Tom Brady, the Patriots losing a slew of players and the upstart Buffalo Bills arriving as a postseason contender, this is hardly the same divisional landscape we’ve seen for the past 20 years.
The last team not named the New England Patriots to win the AFC East? The Miami Dolphins, although that happened all the way back in 2008. And if NBC Sports’ Peter King gets his way, the Miami Dolphins will once again be AFC East division champions.
In 2020.
You read that right. Yes, the Dolphins are an under the radar team and the general consensus pegs them for somewhere from 6-8 wins this season. But King is ready to buy in on the Dolphins being a “worst-to-first” team in 2020. He revealed his 2020 NFL season predictions on his Football Morning In America column on Monday and stunningly picked the Dolphins to win 10 games. And the AFC East.
“The Tua Tagovailoa watch is on in Miami. But if the Dolphins win 10 games as I think they can, the more important additions will come on defense, in corner Byron Jones and versatile linebacker Kyle Van Noy.” – Peter King, NBC Sports
King cited concerns with Bills quarterback Josh Allen as a key factor in not choosing the Bills. In his prediction, King would have the No. 4 seed Miami Dolphins hosting the AFC South runner up Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round of the AFC Playoffs. And, not only that, King pegs Dolphins coach as the runner-up for NFL Coach of the Year behind Dallas’ Mike McCarthy.
Whether or not this prediction proves accurate will need several months of time and plenty of action. But if King is to see his prediction of a 10-win season for Miami come to life, this team will need to start fast. The first month of the season brings the Patriots, Bills, Jaguars and Seahawks. If Miami can find three wins out of that group, the race to 10 will be on.