Photo Courtesy of Vincent Santoro via flickr.com
The AFC East has been a division long-dominated by the New England Patriots. However, with the suspension of quarterback Tom Brady, the Pats are far from a sure claim to the top spot once again. The New York Jets will look to change the fate of last season and to top their 10-6 2015 campaign. With the Patriots and Jets the two favorites to compete for the league crown, both the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills will look to open eyes and make a run of their own.
1. New England Patriots
A model of consistency, The Pats head into 2016 without the face of the franchise. Brady, the four-time Super Bowl champion, will be sidelined for the first four games of the season due to the Deflategate scandal from the 2015 playoffs. Overall, the Patriots are still the sure-fire favorite and have a chance to win their fifth championship title with Brady at quarterback.
Key Acquisitions: Chris Long, Chris Hogan
Key Departures: Akiem Hicks
Prediction: 12-4
2. New York Jets
The Jets will look to build off of last season’s 10-6 campaign and capture their first division title since 2002. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has officially (and finally!) signed with the club again, and has been reunited with top target wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Last year’s first-round pick defensive end Leonard Williams has pressure to step into more of an important figure on the defensive line. The team should have a good shot to repeat, or even top, last year’s success.
Key Acquisitions: Matt Forte, Jarvis Jenkins, Darron Lee (Draft)
Key Departures: Damon Harrison, Chris Ivory
Prediction: 10-6
3. Buffalo Bills
Led by head coach Rex Ryan and by brother and assistant coach Rob Ryan, the Bills are an extremely interesting team. Powered by quarterback Tyrod Taylor on offense, and the speed of wide receiver Sammy Watkins, the Bills are capable of putting up big numbers. Furthermore, their defense has a reputation of being one of the best in the league. Watch out for Buffalo, and definitely do not rule them out of this wide-open playoff race.
Key Acquisitions: Shaq Lawson (Draft)
Key Departures: Mario Williams
Prediction: 6-10
4. Miami Dolphins
One of the more intriguing teams in the division is the Miami Dolphins. The team lost defensive end stud Olivier Vernon in the offseason, but with a defensive line anchored by defensive tackle Ndamakong Suh (and his massive contract), they could still make some noise. Additionally, quarterback Ryan Tannehill need to lead the offense to make the Dolphins a dangerous team in the East. Tannehill is starting to be deemed a “bust” based on his play over the last few years. Drafting offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil created some headlines for the team.
Key Acquisitions: Mario Williams, Laremy Tunsil (Draft)
Key Departures: Olivier Vernon, Lamar Miller, Derrick Shelby
Prediction: 4-12
