The Miami Dolphins fell on Sunday night to the Buffalo Bills 21-14, and in the process dropped the division title to the Bills.  

However, there was a very, very small silver lining in the loss.  With the Bills winning the division, the Dolphins will end up playing a second-place schedule against opponents from the AFC North, AFC West, and NFC North instead of first place teams. 

As such, the Dolphins will face the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and Green Bay Packers in 2024 instead of the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Detroit Lions. 

Miami's list of road opponents in 2024 is: 

-Buffalo

-NY Jets

-New England

-Seattle

-LA Rams

-Houston

-Indianapolis

-Cleveland

-Green Bay

Miami's list of home opponents in 2024 is: 

-Buffalo

-NY Jets

-New England

-Jacksonville

-Tennessee

-Arizona

-San Francisco

-Las Vegas

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That's an undeniably big step down in competition for three games.  Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson go off the Dolphins' schedule (and hop onto the Bills'), replaced with Aidan O'Connell (or Jimmy Garoppolo) and Joe Flacco.  Sometimes, it's things as little as those small variations that can make a difference in winning or losing a division. 

Those are probably words most Dolphins fans don't want to read right now after Miami's gut-wrenching loss to the Bills.  But still, it's a welcome break for the Dolphins' 2024 Super Bowl prospects.  

That being said, the Dolphins still will have to face seven teams that are going to the playoffs this year.  It's not a cakewalk schedule.  However, it could have been significantly more challenging for the Dolphins next fall.  

Miami fans probably wish it was right now.  

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