Predicting Each NFL Division Standings: AFC East

Historically, the Patriots have essentially owned the AFC East with Tom Brady for two decades. However, after many years the other AFC East teams finally got enough talent on their teams to dethrone the Patriots following Tom Brady’s departure from New England. With Josh Allen and the Bills controlling the division the past few seasons, will they be able to retain their control of the division this year again?

New York Jets 11-6 (#4 Seed in the AFC)

The New York Jets' Super Bowl dreams will yet again rely upon the health and play of their 40-year-old quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. The Jets over the years have done an outstanding job of building a team that is full of star-studded players including Sauce Gardner, Quinnon Williams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall. The biggest problem this team has isn’t about their skill position players but instead could be their offensive line. Last year, Rodgers went down because this line was highly questionable. This offseason the Jets made a considerable effort to improve this group and if it finally all comes together, then the Jets could be in for a big year this season. 

Miami Dolphins 10-7 (Miss the Playoffs)

The Miami Dolphins are not a conventional football team by any stretch of the imagination. This team is built much more like a college team, that relies upon fast players that compensate for the overall team’s lack of physical toughness. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane may be the fastest-skill position players to ever play on the same team. However, when the weather gets rough, and they aren’t playing in the sunshine, all of a sudden their massive offensive advantage evaporates. With this offense’s greatest limitation being cold weather, don’t expect them to win games late in the season when it matters most.

Buffalo Bills 9-8 (Miss the Playoffs)

The Bills have had a nice run the past few years with Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs leading the way for the Bills, but their road may start to get rough starting this season. With the departure of Diggs and nearly the entire Bills secondary, the Bills are going to become increasingly Josh Allen dependent. Josh Allen became recognized as a great quarterback once Diggs arrived mostly because he always found a way to create space with his tremendous route running. With Diggs gone now, someone will need to step up on the offense and in a big way. Otherwise, Josh Allen may start to force the ball into tight coverages, leading to lots of turnovers and losses for the Bills.

New England Patriots 3-14 (Miss the Playoffs)

Where does one even start with this roster? The Patriots have the worst offensive personnel in the entire NFL. This defense was tremendous last year, given the completely inefficient nature of their offense that kept putting them back on the field. However, the Patriots decided not to retain their best pass rusher Matthew Judon, and opted to trade him to the Falcons just a few weeks ago. This team does have a great secondary, but that is about the only bright spot on a team that is in a full-blown rebuild and will likely secure a top-3 pick in the upcoming draft.