Who is the favorite to win the AFC East?

[1960Pats]

Bills are the favorites. Followed by Miami, then us. If everything goes well, the Pats can challenge. Cam HAS TO throw for 20+ TD passes for the team to be successful.

Do you think he can do that? He had 0.53 TDs per game last year and would have to get that up to 1.18 this year. That's a big jump even with the new weapons.

 

[VectorPrime]

Never EVER rule out a seemingly good Bills team collapsing. But for now it’s the Bills by a lot.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

ASSiasi

Asi Asi
Nelson Ahlgolong
The Bourne Indemnity (insurance pickup)
Julian EdelMENSCH
N'Keal-down Harry

ok thats what I got so far

 

[Patsgofor4]

My AFC East Rankings By Units (order from best to worst):

QB - Buffalo (Allen), NY Jets (Darnold), Miami (Tagovaila), and New England (Newton).

Basically, it's Allen...and everyone else is a distant 2nd...Tago..not enough reps yet to be ranked #2....Darnold just has more experience. Newton needs to bounce back....his upside is #2 in the division even if the Jets "upgrade" to Wilson.

RB - Patriots, Bills, NY Jets, and Miami.

Harris/Michel/White is a nice combo. Followed by Singletary/Moss...followed by Tevin Coleman who I think is underrated...followed by Myles Gaskin.

WR - Buffalo, NY Jets, Miami, and New England

Hard to argue with Diggs/Sanders/Beasley (and Davis who I think is some good). The Jets have Corey Davis, Mims, Crowder, and Keenan Cole...nice combo. The Fish still have Parker/Preston Williams..and will get Fuller later in the season. The Patriots are close behind the Fish and the Jete at least with Edelman, Agholor, Bourne, Meyers, Harry, and Olszewski. I'd argue that the Pats have the best depth between #2-#5 WR....just no true #1...depending on Edelman's health...but they aren't far behind the Bills with Diggs being the only difference maker.

TE - Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, and NY Jets

Hard to beat Henry, Smith, Asiasi, Keene, and even LaCosse. Miami has Gesicki who I think is solid. Bills have Knox and old friend Hollister (who is somewhat decent, IMO). Jete have Herndon who didn't play much the last two years...plus Kroft as a back up.

OL - New England, Buffalo, Miami, and NY Jets.

It's really the Patriots...then the Bills a distant 2nd...then the Fish/Jete a distant 3rd....

DL - Buffalo, New England, Miami, and NY Jets

I think the Patriots' improvements along the DL in free agency has put them back in the conversation for the best DL in the AFC East...but for now...the nod goes to the Bills...with the Fish/Jete a distant 3rd.

LB - Patriots, Bills, Jets, and Miami

Hightower and KVN? Possibly Micah Parsons in the draft....either way...the Pats have upgraded massively here and have the best in the AFC East. The Bills are still close behind though....with the Jete/Fish a distant 3rd again.

Secondary - Patriots, Bills, Miami, and NY Jets.

The Bills have the best CB in White, IMO....but the Pats counter with Gilmore who could bounce back to top form...then the Pats just have all kinds of depth...including a solid #2 CB, the best slot CB in the NFL, and an incredible safety room with DMac/Dugger/Phillips...not to mention guys like Mills/JJWill/etc... Miami has Xavien Howard....and the Jets have Maye....

ST Units - Patriots, Bills, Miami, and NY Jets

The Pats definitely have the best coverage units, best punter, and a budding returner who seemed to get better as the year wore on. The Bills have the best kicker in Bass, IMO...and overall solid units. The Fish and the Jete are a distant 3rd again.

===============

Summary: The Patriots are better everywhere than their AFC East counterparts other than at QB, WR, DL, and LB. For DL/LB...I think our free agency upgrades and eventual draft depth will make these units the best in the division. For WR, we need to draft a star that can out play Diggs.....a tall order...otherwise...I am OK with a 100% Edelman as our best #1 guy. QB....if Cam bounces back to at least his 2018 level...I feel comfortable predicting that he will have better #'s than Tua in year 1.5 and Wilson in year 1. Josh Allen is going to be the best QB in the division for 2021 no matter what happens, IMO.

I agree with a lot of what you wrote but I think that you are overrating the Bills’ front seven. It’s not that good and did not improve in free agency.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

Buffalo unless another quarterback starts, Cam still blows.

 

[Hyped]

I agree with a lot of what you wrote but I think that you are overriding the Bills’ front seven. It’s not that good and did not improve in free agency.

I feel the same, but the Pats' DL was not very good last year and needs to show it's talent influx on the field first....IMO.

 

[Patsgofor4]

I agree with a lot of what you wrote but I think that you are overrating the Bills’ front seven. It’s not that good and did not improve in free agency.

NFL free agency wins, losses and questions for all 32 teams: Execs on Pats and Giants' spending, Bucs' strategy, more

Who is the early favorite for Russell Wilson in 2022? Who will the 49ers pick at 3? Could the Jets hold onto Sam Darnold?

theathletic.com

 

[PatsDeb]

Buffalo. Until QB is actually fixed we can’t expect the Patriots to win the division. I love what they have done in free agency, and I think they are a better team now than last season’s version, but unless Newton suddenly turns back into an MVP caliber player it’s hard to expect success.

Spot on. Hoping for a miracle in the draft...

 

[stephens44]

Always cracks me up how in the off season every player is projected by fans to be pretty much exactly what they were last year even though it never plays out that way (except for Brady). Allen will not duplicate last year and neither will Cam. This will be a legit division race.

 

[amfootball]

Buffalo
Miami
I like to think we are better than the Jets but depending on how the draft falls and who the Jets get and if we end up with Cam as our starter, we could be staring at the basement.

 

[50-yard-line]

Spot on. Hoping for a miracle in the draft...

Who's the last rookie QB that took any team to the promised land? Even if the Pats hit on one in the draft, he won't be better this year than what they've got.

Buffalo
Miami
I like to think we are better than the Jets but depending on how the draft falls and who the Jets get and if we end up with Cam as our starter, we could be staring at the basement.

Pats beat the Jets twice last year and improved far more than the Jets did in Free Agency, by any measuring stick. No matter the over-the-top hatred for Cam Newton, to rank the Jets ahead of New England doesn't really make much sense at this point.

 

[amfootball]

Who's the last rookie QB that took any team to the promised land? Even if the Pats hit on one in the draft, he won't be better this year than what they've got.




Pats beat the Jets twice last year and improved far more than the Jets did in Free Agency, by any measuring stick. No matter the over-the-top hatred for Cam Newton, to rank the Jets ahead of New England doesn't really make much sense at this point.

The Jets I think got a pretty good HC in Selah. At least the players seem to love the guy. I agree about our roster being better except at QB especially if the Jets take Wilson at 2.