AFC East preview: Bills, Dolphins Patriots and Jets
AFC EAST
BUFFALO BILLS
Coach: Sean McDermott (fifth season in Buffalo, 38-26 regular season, 2-3 playoffs).
Last season: 13-3 (first in the division), lost the AFC Championship Game to Kansas City.
Key additions: WR Emmanuel Sanders, TE Jacob Hollister, DE Greg Rousseau, DE Boogie Basham, OT Bobby Hart
Key subtractions: DE Trent Murphy, G Brian Winters, WR John Brown, DT Quinton Jefferson.
Looking ahead: The 501 points from last year’s Bills actually outscored those 1990s Buffalo Hall of Famer-fat Super Bowl offenses. But 142 of those points came in the last three games against nonplayoff teams. Also, stellar as QB Josh Allen was, can you count on any QB repeating a 69.2 completion percentage and 37/10 TD/INT ratio? A more consistent running game and pass rush makes these Bills true Super Bowl contenders.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Coach: Brian Flores (third season, 15-17 in regular season, 0-0 in playoffs)
Last season: 10-6 (second in the division).
Key additions: WR Jaylen Waddle, WR Will Fuller, G D.J. Fluker, CB Jason McCourty, LB Brennan Scarlett, DT Adam Butler, DE Jaelan Phillips, P Michael Palardy.
Key subtractions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, G Ereck Flowers, C Ted Karras, S Bobby McCain, LB Kyle Van Noy.
Looking ahead: In the Dolphins’ Year Tua with their (they hope) franchise quarterback, Tagivailoa better show progress or you better believe there will be some large changes around here. To that end, they drafted his Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle and signed Will Fuller. The Dolphins ranked fifth in scoring defense because they tied for the league lead in interceptions in a passing league. They opened the wallet for CB Xavien Howard to help continue that trend.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Coach: Bill Belichick (22nd season in New England, 244-92 in the regular season, 30-11 in the playoffs)
Last season: 7-9 (third in the division)
Key additions: TE Jonnu Smith, TE Hunter Henry, WR Nelson Agholor, OLB Matt Judon, LB Kyle Van Noy, LB Raekwon McMillan, OT Trent Brown, DE Henry Anderson.
Key subtractions: WR Julian Edelman, RB Sony Michel, CB Jason McCourty, DE John Simon, G Joe Thuney, S Terrence Brooks, WR Damiere Byrd, OT Jermaine Eluemunor.
Looking ahead: Missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and a losing record for the first time since Tom Brady was an unused rookie backup left Pats ownership and Belichick (rhymes with “kissed”). Seeing their free agent signings and how they’ve played preseason, they want to go retro to Belichick’s Giants days — physical running game that can survive a QB injury, muscular run defense that won’t allow 4.5 yards per carry or 131.4 yards per game.
NEW YORK JETS
Coach: Robert Saleh (first season)
Last season: 2-14 (fourth in the division)
Key additions: QB Zach Wilson, RB Tevin Coleman, WR Corey Davis, DE Carl Lawson, MLB Jarrad Davis, DE Vinny Curry, DT Sheldon Rankins, S Lamarcus Joyner, RB Michael Carter, WR Elijah Moore.
Key subtractions: QB Sam Darnold, RB Frank Gore, WR Breshad Perriman, LB Neville Hewitt, LB Jordan Jenkins.
Looking ahead: The Jets change direction like Barry Sanders, but annually wind up deader than Colonel Sanders and haven’t won anything since Bernie Sanders had hair. Not only did they ditch head coach Adam Gase (expected), they switched quarterbacks from Darnold to first-round pick Zach Wilson. They have tried to put the team around Wilson that they never did for Darnold and brought in offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur with the Shanahan offense. So, here we go again.
