A team-by-team look of the AFC ahead of the 2019 NFL season
AFC EAST
BUFFALO BILLS
Coach: Sean McDermott (third season).
Last season: 6-10 (third in AFC East).
Key additions: WR Cole Beasley, WR John Brown, RB Frank Gore, DT Ed Oliver, OG Cody Ford.
Key subtractions: TE Charles Clay, the entire starting offensive line except LT Dion Dawkins.
Looking ahead: Who would have thought the rookie quarterback with good running ability (631 yards) and bad accuracy problems (52.8 percent) would be Josh Allen? Everyone who looked past his big arm and pigment. Nobody caused more fumbles than the Buffalonians, and the Bills finished No. 2 in total defense. So, why No. 18 in points allowed and 6-10? Because their Allen-led No. 30 offense threw the second-most interceptions, giving opposing offenses short fields.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Coach: Brian Flores (first season).
Last season: 7-9 (second in AFC East).
Key additions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB Josh Rosen, DT Christian Wilkins, DT Robert Nkemdiche, WR Preston Williams.
Key subtractions: DE Cameron Wake, OT Ja’Waun James, QB Ryan Tannehill, RB Frank Gore.
Looking ahead: A talent-emaciated roster that will be led by Fitzpatrick (400 yards passing, or four INTs?) or Josh Rosen, who might be The Next One, but more likely is just the next Not Marino. If you can’t rush the passer these days, you’re just a victim in waiting, even with a secondary that could have three Pro Bowlers (Reshad Jones, Xavier Howard, Minkah Fitzpatrick). The Dolphins were 29th in sacks last year and tied for last in most yards allowed per attempt.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Coach: Bill Belichick (20th season).
Last season: 14-5 (first in the AFC East, won the Super Bowl 13-3 over Los Angeles).
Key additions: WR N’Keal Harry, RB Damien Harris, DE Michael Bennett.
Key subtractions: TE Rob Gronkowski, OT Trent Brown, DE Trey Flowers, DT Malcolm Brown, WR Chris Hogan.
Looking ahead: Tom Brady still there for the three-time defending AFC champions? Check. Bill Belichick still there? Check. Are the Patriots still the kind of team that won’t beat themselves with big, dumb boo-boos at the wrong time like Seattle, Atlanta and Kansas City did on the Patriots’ last three runs to Super Bowl titles? We’ll see. If the red-zone production falls without retired Rob Gronkowski, that could be a January problem, as could losing two defensive linemen from what was an erratic run defense.
NEW YORK JETS
Coach: Adam Gase (first season).
Last season: 4-12 (fourth in the AFC East).
Key additions: RB Le’Veon Bell, WR Jamison Crowder, C Ryan Kalil, OG Kelechi Osemele, OG Alex Lewis, DT Quinnen Williams, LB C.J. Mosley, CB Brian Poole, TE Ryan Griffin.
Key subtractions: WR Jermaine Kearse, LB Avery Williamson.
Looking ahead: Williamson’s still a Jet, but he has the Jets’ luck — out for the season with a torn ACL. Quarterback Sam Darnold showed tremendous talent and talent for youthful mistakes last season, although it’s the latter that should fade this season. Having a Le’Veon Bell behind him, an experienced center Ryan Kalil in front of him and a Jamison Crowder to throw to should help the maturing process. Gregg Williams’ defense should give the offense more turnover help.
AFC NORTH
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Coach: John Harbaugh (12th season).
Last season: 10-7 (second in the AFC North, lost in the AFC Wild Card round to the Chargers, 23-17).
Key additions: WR Marquise Brown, WR Miles Boykin, RB Mark Ingram, S Earl Thomas.
Key subtractions: QB Joe Flacco, LB Terrell Suggs, OG Alex Lewis, S Eric Weddle, DE/LB Za’Darius Smith, WR John Brown, WR Michael Crabtree.
Looking ahead: Last year, we said the team felt as stale as last week’s rice and beans. Turned out they needed a new main entrée. Once Lamar Jackson replaced Joe Flacco at quarterback, the Ravens revived and got back into the playoffs. The word is Baltimore still wants Lamar to be Lamar, just an improved version who can make boom plays from the pocket. To that end, they drafted Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin to run under Jackson’s bombs.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Coach: Zac Taylor (first season).
Last season: 6-10 (4th in the AFC North).
Key additions: LB Germaine Pratt, DE Kerry Wynn.
Key subtractions: LB Vontaze Burfict, OL Clint Boling.
Looking ahead: Many stale parts on this loaf of bread. One got cut away when the Bengals fired Marvin Lewis after 16 seasons. Zac Taylor, a first-year, first-time NFL head coach won’t have his No. 1 draft pick. Offensive lineman Jonah Williams will miss the season after shoulder surgery. Joe Mixon was fourth in rushing (1,168 yards) and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. The Bengals finished last in overall defense because they were last in third-down percentage.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Coach: Freddie Kitchens (first season).
Last season: 7-8-1 (thirdd in the AFC North).
Key additions: WR Odell Beckham, RB Kareem Hunt, DE Olivier Vernon, DT Sheldon Richardson, S Morgan Burnett.
Key subtractions: RB Duke Johnson, DE Emmanuel Ogbah.
Looking ahead: When’s the last time the Browns led the NFL in preseason hype and “How’re They Going to Do?” anticipation? The first year after new owner Art Modell fired team founder/namesake Paul Brown as coach after the 1962 season? Soaked in swagger and sound by second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield to LSU brothers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, they’ll be fun to watch. But everybody’s young and there’s much inexperience, so watch the Maturity Meter after those sideways weeks.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Coach: Mike Tomlin (13th year).
Last season: 9-6-1 (second in the AFC North).
Key additions: LB Devin Bush, CB Steven Nelson.
Key subtractions: WR Antonio Brown, RB Le’Veon Bell, OT Marcus Gilbert.
Looking ahead: Few franchises do drama well, but it winds up particularly ill-fitting on the Steelers. So between Bell’s holdout, whatever Brown’s issue was that fortnight and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (an established Drama Daddy), Pittsburgh managed to miss the playoffs by a half game. How do you do that while having the No. 4 offense, No. 6 defense and leading the league in sacks? Only eight interceptions and 15 total turnovers created.
AFC WEST
DENVER BRONCOS
Coach: Vic Fangio (first season).
Last season: 6-10 (third in the AFC West).
Key additions: QB Joe Flacco, TE Noah Fant, RT Ja’Waun James, CB Bryce Callahan, CB Kareem Jackson.
Key subtractions: QB Case Keenum, LB Shaquil Barrett.
Looking ahead: The least Flacco should be able to give Denver is the time to develop second-round draft pick Drew Lock without the NFL team from ski country crashing uglier than the “Agony of Defeat” ski jumper. New coach Fangio comes from Chicago, where the Bears held opposing quarterbacks to an embarrassing 72.9 passer rating. Adding Fangio’s coaching and secondary signings to Denver’s pass rush should draw some attention from San Diego and Kansas City. Attention, not actual concern.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Coach: Andy Reid (seventh season).
Last season: 13-5 (first in the AFC West, lost in the AFC Championship Game to New England, 37-31 in overtime).
Key additions: WR Mecole Hardman, S Juan Thornhill, DE Emmanuel Ogbah.
Key subtractions: DE Justin Houston, S Eric Berry, RB Kareem Hunt, CB Steven Nelson, DE Dee Ford.
Looking ahead: K.C. came a dumb lined-up-offside penalty from the Super Bowl. With not-suspended Tyreek Hill still available to beep-beep through secondaries and record-setting tight end Travis Kelce still healthy, expect NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes to keep working his sorcery on defenses. Teams threw a lot trying to keep up with the NFL’s highest scoring team, the Chiefs knew they were throwing and they tied for the league lead in sacks. Justin Houston, a big part of that, is gone.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Coach: Anthony Lynn (third season).
Last season: 13-5 (second in the AFC West, lost in the AFC Divisional Round to New England, 41-28).
Key additions: DT Jerry Tillery
Key subtractions: WR Tyrell Williams, DT Darius Philon, S Jason Verrett
Looking ahead: The Chargers tied for the AFC’s best record despite defensive end Joey Bosa, linebacker Denzel Perryman and tight end Hunter Henry missing big chunks of the season. This might be the AFC’s best all-around team, heck, the entire NFL’s, barring key injuries or key holdouts. Did we say “key holdouts?” Will running back Melvin Gordon pull a Le’Veon Bell and sit out all season? That’s a concern as of Aug. 17.
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Coach: John Gruden (second season this time around).
Last season: 4-12 (fourth in the AFC West).
Key additions: WR Antonio Brown, WR Tyrell Williams, DE Clelin Ferrell, RB Josh Jacobs, S Johnathan Abram, CB Trayvon Mullen, OT Trent Brown, S LeMarcus Joyner, LB Vontaze Burfict, LB Brandon Marshall.
Key subtractions: WR Amari Cooper, OG Kelechi Osemele, CB Rashaan Melvin
Looking ahead: Will the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock makeover of the Raiders include dumping quarterback Derek Carr? It will if Carr can’t do more with an offense that includes wide receiver Antonio Brown. The Raiders’ real problem was defense, which allowed the NFL’s most yards per play, most yards per pass play and had the fewest sacks (a laughable 13). That’s why they spent two of their three 2019 first-round draft picks and five of their first six 2019 picks overall on stopping people.
AFC SOUTH
HOUSTON TEXANS
Coach: Bill O’Brien (sixth season).
Last season: 11-6 (first in the AFC South, lost in the AFC Wild Card round to Indianapolis, 21-7).
Key additions: RB Duke Johnson, OT Tytus Howard, CB Lonnie Johnson.
Key subtractions: CB Kareem Jackson, TE Ryan Griffin, RB D’Onta Foreman, RB Lamar Miller (ACL injury).
Looking ahead: We said last year they could go from 4-12 to 12-4. Missed by a game. The natural progression would seem to be true contender status. But the way they got embarrassed and punked in the home playoff loss to division rival Indianapolis epitomizes the way Houston always seems to trip over its feet or injuries or something right at this point. Now, it’s a contract impasse with one of their many dynamic players, defensive end/linebacker Jadeveon Clowney.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Coach: Frank Reich (second season).
Last season: 11-7 (second in the AFC South, lost in the AFC Divisional Round to Kansas City, 31-13).
Key additions: DE Justin Houston, WR Devin Funchess, RB D’Onta Foreman, CB Rock Ya-Sin.
Key subtractions: QB Andrew Luck.
Looking ahead: You can talk about injecting instant one-man pass rush, Justin Houston, to a defense a season or two from maturity. You can talk about adding draftee Parris Campbell to give the Colts twin wide receiver Flashes, Campbell and FIU graduate T.Y. Hilton. But when Andrew Luck decided he’d had enough of the game, the beatings, the injuries and the rehabilitation work, the Colts went from strutting past the playoffs velvet rope to hoping to scheme their way into the side door.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Coach: Doug Marrone (third season).
Last season: 5-11 (fourth in the AFC North).
Key additions: QB Nick Foles, LB Josh Allen, OT Jawaan Taylor.
Key subtractions: QB Blake Bortles, RB T.J. Yeldon.
Looking ahead: Some very good-to-great college quarterbacks become good NFL quarterbacks with bad teams around them. And some wind up on bad teams that are bad because they’re bad NFL quarterbacks. They’ve moved beyond their level of competence. This is Blake Bortles, one of the reasons for UCF’s rise in 2012 and 2013 and one of the reasons the Jaguars didn’t rise farther in 2017 or 2018. The Jags finally acknowledged this and got Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles out of Philadelphia.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Coach: Mike Vrabel (first season)
Last season: 9-7 (third in the AFC South).
Key additions: DE Cameron Wake, DT Jeffery Simmons, QB Ryan Tannehill, WR A.J. Brown.
Key subtractions: LB Brian Orakpo, OG Roger Saffold.
Looking ahead: What’s the deal with the AFC South quarterbacks’ health? Nobody here can stay out of the infirmary. Expect to see former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill start games here. Marcus Mariota hasn’t played 16 games in any of his first four seasons. The Titans play nice defense and pound it at you with Derrick Henry but when you’re 23rd in yards per play, it’s hard to score enough in today’s NFL.
This story was originally published August 29, 2019 at 2:45 PM.