With the start of the season weeks away, one of the most exciting divisions in football, is set to become a Days of Our Lives-level drama in the form of the AFC East. Are the Buffalo Bills the new top dog? Are the Patriots just another team? Is Miami ready to make a leap? And of course, the Jets.
Here’s my divisional preview below!
New England Patriots – Is the Patriot Way finally outdated? Spending a first round pick on a quarterback is unusual in the Belichick era. Tom Brady has made the franchise relevant for a long time. How will Mac Jones respond to being the next great quarterback in New England? Can Stephan Gilmore return to form?
Do the Patriots have enough to make it back into the playoffs? Will the duo of Sony Michel and James White be enough to secure a wildcard spot?
My guess would be no. I’d give New England at 8-9 with missing the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins – The Miami Dolphins just missed the Playoffs with a 10-6 record last year and that’s with a seven-team playoff system. With Ryan Fitzpatrick moving onto Washington we know Tua is the guy.
Tua gets reunited with Jaylen Waddle after multiple trades with the Texans, 49ers, and Eagles. Was it worth giving up extra draft picks to move up to 6???? They do get those additional one’s from San Francisco, from the trade up to 3 for future draft capital.
Does it help them now? Not necessarily, but I can see them getting one of the three wildcards with a 10-7 record.
New York Jets – Robert Selah is a first-time head coach facing a ton of pressure after getting rid of former first-round QB Sam Darnold.
What we will find out in New York will be how will Zach Wilson do? Did Selah make the right choice with Wilson as his quarterback we’ll see. Both Justin Fields and Trey Lance were available. The best thing about New York this year is that Gase is gone, and Wilson has to be thrilled about that.
They even messed up in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes by beating the Rams to go 1-13, which gave Jacksonville Trevor Lawrence. They are still a long way from the playoffs, but 4-13 is better than 2-15!
Buffalo Bills – The fans in Buffalo are expecting Super Bowl. Brandon Beane and company created a roster that is absolutely loaded. Stefon Diggs went from a very good player in Minnesota to top three in the league as a member of the Buffalo Bills.
As of now, it seems worthwhile for the Bills to give those four picks to the Vikings. We’ll see how Jefferson does in his upcoming years in Minnesota for the full trade tables to have any kind of effect.
For Buffalo to have any kind of a chance to go to LA for Super Bowl LVI in February. they need to take that one seed away from Kansas City. This season will be a three-horse race. Buffalo ends up at 13-4 winning the East. Will that be enough to take Thom to the Super Bowl?
We shall see.