AFC East:

The AFC East is one of the most consistent divisions in the National Football League. The New England Patriots lead the pack, while the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins are racing to catch up. Enjoy this team by team look at the AFC East and stay tuned for our next installment.

1: New England Patriots-

The Patriots are 4-0, atop the AFC East, and looking unstoppable. They have a fired-up, angry quarterback in Tom Brady, who, after all the offseason focus on Deflategate, is out for revenge. In four games, Brady has thrown for 1,387 yards, with a 72.5% completion percentage, plus 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. He, along with weapons such as Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and new running back and Albany native Dion Lewis (36 rushing attempts, 180 yards, 2 touchdowns) should bolster the league’s best offense to continue to score an abundance of points. They have averaged 37.3 points per game so far. However, their defense looks a little shaky. They have allowed 342.5 yards per game, and haven’t recorded a defensive touchdown. They lack depth and experience in the secondary, with the offseason departures of Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis. However, if they tighten up the defense and the offense stays explosive, this team is the favorite to win the division.

2: New York Jets-  

The Jets are looking good sitting in second place in the division with a 3-1 record. The defense has looked stellar, allowing averages of 13.8 points per game, less than 100 rushing yards per game, and just 185.5 passing yards per game. They should be even better now that defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson is back from a four game suspension. Running back Chris Ivory has led the offense, posting 314 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. The question for me is “Can quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick continue to guide this team to wins down the stretch against tougher opponents?” The Jets have yet to play an elite team, as they have faced the Browns, Colts, Eagles, and Dolphins. The answer to this question will be the key to the Jets’ playoff hopes. If Fitzpatrick succeeds, expect the Jets to earn a wild card spot.

3: Buffalo Bills-

The Bills find themselves 3-2, third in the division. They have traded off wins and losses each week. While they are a perfect 2-0 on the road, they are just 1-2 at home. The offense has been off to a bit of a slow start, averaging just 24.8 points per game. They’ve managed just 1,641 yards offensively. Tom Brady has produced just 254 yards less than that by himself. Coach Rex Ryan noted that quarterback Tyrod Taylor was “banged-up and sore” after last week’s win against the Titans. He was later diagnosed with an MCL sprain, which won’t help the offense’s case. On the other hand, the defense has looked sharp, allowing an average of just 21 points and 82.2 rush yards per game. They also have seven interceptions and six forced fumbles. If Taylor can come back healthy and they can win at home, the Bills’ have a chance to challenge the Jets for a wild card spot.

4: Miami Dolphins-

The Dolphins are the cellar-dwellers of the AFC East with a 1-3 record. The team recently fired coach Joe Philbin, and replaced him with tight ends’ coach Dan Campbell. Also, reports have emerged that quarterback Ryan Tannehill made rude remarks to practice squad players, such as to “enjoy their practice squad salaries”. How can you expect a football team to win games with coaching issues so severe that they made a change this early, and bad locker room chemistry among players? Evidently, you can’t, as they have won just one game so far, against the Redskins. They rank 28^th in the league in yards per game, and are managing just 16.3 points per game. On defense, star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has posted just ten tackles and no sacks so far. With severe issues on and off the playing field, don’t expect the Dolphins to enjoy much success this season.