Dolphins & Jets Aren’t Threats
The AFC East has not been a particularly strong division for the past decade and will likely continue that trend in the 2020 season. The AFC East has two teams that are far from a playoff berth and a team that is trending downwards. The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are both within a rebuild, as they struggle to find their personality.
The Jets have a starting quarterback in Sam Darnold, but they have been unable to build around him, and therefore appear to be missing enough pieces that the expectations for them in the 2020 season are quite low. With a lack of offensive weapons and a defense that recently traded Jamal Adams, their star defensive back, the team is definitely not moving in the right direction.
As for the Dolphins, there is not too much explaining here, Miami is still in a full rebuild. Yes, they have landed a top-tier college quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, but he is a rookie joining a roster that doesn’t include a lot of quality talent. It should also be noted that Tagovailoa has had injury issues and there is a large question mark regarding his ability to play a complete season in the NFL.
The division is truly a battle between the New England Patriots and the Bills, and as mentioned previously, the Patriots are definitely trending downwards as they have lost their most valuable player in Tom Brady. Brady was nearing the end of his career and is not the player he once was, but him leaving the Patriots is a sign that their reign in the AFC East is likely over.
They did of course add former NFL MVP Cam Newton, but he is not Tom Brady, and he will have a lot of learning to do within the Patriots system. The only reason the Patriots remain as a true competitor in the AFC East is because of their defense. They have a top-tier defensive unit, and they are going to rely on them heavily throughout the season.
However, with the lack of receiving options and a deteriorated offensive line, the Patriots are stumbling into the 2020 season, therefore leaving a massive opening for the Buffalo Bills to be crowned as the AFC East champions.
