AFC East Expectations
- Arjun Peroor
- Jul 25, 2024
- 3 min read
I now move to the AFC East to give what I expect of each team in that division:
Miami Dolphins
This is the year the Dolphins have to make a big splash. The Bills downgraded in personnel, we don't know how Rodgers will play coming off an Achilles tear and the Pats are in the midst of another rebuild. If the Dolphins can't win the division this year, there's no reason to believe they can do it going forward. The season rests on Tua's ability to perform in big games. He put up Gaudy numbers last season throwing for 29 TDs and leading the league in pass yards with 4624 yards but a lot of them came against bottom feeders and when he was forced to play tougher competition he wasn't nearly as dynamic and had a 1-5 record vs teams with a winning record. The Dolphins offense averaged just 17 points in those six games and 33.5 in the remaining 11. Tua is going to have to take that next step in big games to win the division and finally lead Miami to a playoff win since the year 2000. I expect Tua to take his game to the next level this season which is why I have Miami winning the division. We will see if they can win a playoff game.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills had a rough season losing key players such as Stefon Diggs, Jordan Poyer, and Tre White. All have been staples to the Bills' success this past half-decade. Despite that, they still have Josh Allen as their QB and he has reached a status where as long as he is calling the shots, the Bills will always be expected to do big things but I think with their lack of talent, they will not be winning the Division this year. I expect them to get the top wildcard sport and maybe win a playoff game or even 2. The Super Bowl may be a little unrealistic but I still expect them to be in the thick of things at the end of the year.
New York Jets
This team is tricky. It is all dependent on Aaron Rodgers. If he is great, I think they have a good chance to win the division. If he's not, I wouldn't be surprised if they finished last. It is tough to tell at this moment so placing them 3rd in the division seems like the safest option. With Rodgers coming back from an Achilles, I expect him to be similar to his production in 2022 where he threw 26 TDs and 12 Int. Returning to MVP form seems very unlikely. The Jets will win around 8 or 9 games which is good enough for 3rd as I don't see the Bills or Dolphins getting lower than 9 wins. Aaron could prove me wrong but as of now, this is how I believe the Jets season will go.
New England Patriots
The Pats are in rebuild mode. They just drafted a QB in Drake Maye and Bill Belichick parted ways with the team allowing former patriot Jarod Mayo to take over the franchise. This team is in a similar position to the Broncos. Wins and losses are not how they will be judged this season. They just need to see signs of improvement and flashes of a franchise QB in Maye as the season progresses. I expect around 4-5 wins for this team.
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