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Over the course of the next few weeks, the writers at Titletown Soundoff will be providing you a division by division prediction for the upcoming NFL season. At the end of the series, we will collaborate to predict the winners of each division, playoff game, conference championship and ultimately the Super Bowl (no Pro Bowl prediction, sorry). Today we will start off by trying to predict the very intriguing AFC East.
AFC East Champion: New England Patriots
Since bold prediction season is over and I’m actually supposed to do my best to predict the actual future, I’m sticking with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots to win the East. While I do believe this is the obvious and most likely choice, it is by no means a foregone conclusion. It’s been pretty under the radar so I’m not sure if most people have heard, but Tom Brady is currently suspended for the first four games to start the season. (You would have thought more news outlets would have covered this). Three of those four games should provide quite a challenge: Steelers, @Bills, Jaguars, @Cowboys. That said, I think Jimmy Garoppolo will fill in admirably and a pissed off Tom Brady for 12 games should easily be able to go at least 9-3 with New England’s cupcake schedule. I predict an 11-5 season and a fairly easy AFC East Championship campaign.
Why they’ll win the Division: Brady & Belichick
Why they could lose: Losses of Browner & Revis at CB
2nd Place: Miami Dolphins
I really want to be bold here and put Buffalo in this spot but it’s just so tough to pick whoever the Bills start at QB over Ryan Tannehill. I really like what the Dolphins have done this offseason. They’ve put the weapons around Tannehill to succeed at a very high level. This season will be all about just how far Philbin and Tannehill can take this team. We’ve seen what coach/quarterback duos like Belichick/Brady, McCarthy/Rodgers, Tomlin/Roethlisberger and Harbaugh/Flacco have been able to accomplish, and this season will be about Miami’s head coach/quarterback duo. By acquiring DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings and Jordan Cameron on offense, the Dolphins have surrounded their young QB with the playmakers he needs to succeed. Add those weapons to Lamar Miller, who really came into his own a season ago, and Jarvis Landry, and you have an offense that is capable of putting up points on anyone. I suppose now would also be a good time to mention that they have two dominant defensive linemen in Cameron Wake & Ndamukong Suh, and a very good corner in Brent Grimes to help matters on defense. Miami has the pieces, now it’s about putting everything together and proving that they can be the new face of the AFC East. I think they are still a season or two away from dethroning New England, but they are getting very close to the top spot.
Why they could win the division: Host of new weapons for Tannehill + Wake and Suh on defense.
Why they will finish 2nd: Offensive line play, lack of depth
3rd Place: Buffalo Bills
Let me start off by saying this: I really, really, really, really, really like this Buffalo Bills roster… besides the quarterback position. If you put even a 2nd tier quarterback on this team I think you are talking about a team that could contend for the Super Bowl. Besides quarterback, what’s not to like? At running back they added LeSean McCoy and have great depth with Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown and Karlos Williams. For weapons they have the very dangerous Sammy Watkins, the criminally underrated Robert Woods and the enigma playmaker Percy Harvin. Charles Clay fits in perfectly at tight end and while their offensive line play is a question mark, I think Cordy Glenn, John Miller, and Eric Wood can form a very solid blind side for whoever ends up throwing the ball for the Bills. On defense they have everything they need to be successful, plus the most dangerous defensive mind in football, Rex Ryan. Rex Ryan can create havoc with a mediocre defense. Equip him with players like Mario Williams, Jerry Hughes, Marcell Dareus, and Kyle Williams in the front four… look out. Ryan has been forced to bring 5-7 players to get pressure for so long he won’t know what to do with the extra three players on the back end because he will have no trouble getting pressure with his front four. He won’t have the shut down corner that he’d like to have, but this defense will be dangerous for any team to face. All the positives in the world about this team don’t make up for the fact that they have Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel or Tyrod Taylor at quarterback. I hope they pick Taylor because I think he has the best option of succeeding. A spread offense with Taylor at QB, Clay as a hybrid H-Back/TE and Harvin in the slot with Woods and Watkins on the outside could be potent. If they figure things out on offense and perform up to expectations on defense, this could be a playoff team.
Why they could win the division: Defense, Run Game
Why they will finish 3rd: Quarterback play
4th Place: New York Jets
See: Buffalo Bills
I could stop there because the situation is very similar. The defense, especially with Todd Bowles now at the helm, could be scary good. Even without Sheldon Richardson, Wilkerson and Leonard Williams should be able to provide pressure up front, the linebackers are active and athletic, and they could boast the best three corners of any team in the NFL with Revis, Cromartie and Skrine. On offense they have a powerful offensive line to pair with power backs Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy and they have two receivers on the outside who can go up and get the football in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. All that said, Geno Smith is the quarterback and it’s tough to imagine him improving enough to take them on a realistic run to the playoffs. I really like the fact that they are pairing him with Chan Gailey and if Geno ever has a chance to succeed, it’s now. Ultimately, Smith will be what holds the Jets back to 4th in the division and New York will be in for another losing season.
Why they could win the division: Stifling defense, power run game
Why they’ll finish 4th: Geno Smith
Overall I think with the suspension of Brady, the addition of some big time talent in Miami and the new coaching staffs in New York and Buffalo we will end up with a very interesting season in the AFC East. Until knocks New England from the top of the mountain, I’m sticking with Brady and Belichick.
Thank you for reading. Andy Herman is a staff writer for Titletown Sound Off. You can follow him on Twitter @SconnieSports. For even more Packers content, follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
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AFC East Champion: New England Patriots
Since bold prediction season is over and I’m actually supposed to do my best to predict the actual future, I’m sticking with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots to win the East. While I do believe this is the obvious and most likely choice, it is by no means a foregone conclusion. It’s been pretty under the radar so I’m not sure if most people have heard, but Tom Brady is currently suspended for the first four games to start the season. (You would have thought more news outlets would have covered this). Three of those four games should provide quite a challenge: Steelers, @Bills, Jaguars, @Cowboys. That said, I think Jimmy Garoppolo will fill in admirably and a pissed off Tom Brady for 12 games should easily be able to go at least 9-3 with New England’s cupcake schedule. I predict an 11-5 season and a fairly easy AFC East Championship campaign.
Why they’ll win the Division: Brady & Belichick
Why they could lose: Losses of Browner & Revis at CB
2nd Place: Miami Dolphins
I really want to be bold here and put Buffalo in this spot but it’s just so tough to pick whoever the Bills start at QB over Ryan Tannehill. I really like what the Dolphins have done this offseason. They’ve put the weapons around Tannehill to succeed at a very high level. This season will be all about just how far Philbin and Tannehill can take this team. We’ve seen what coach/quarterback duos like Belichick/Brady, McCarthy/Rodgers, Tomlin/Roethlisberger and Harbaugh/Flacco have been able to accomplish, and this season will be about Miami’s head coach/quarterback duo. By acquiring DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings and Jordan Cameron on offense, the Dolphins have surrounded their young QB with the playmakers he needs to succeed. Add those weapons to Lamar Miller, who really came into his own a season ago, and Jarvis Landry, and you have an offense that is capable of putting up points on anyone. I suppose now would also be a good time to mention that they have two dominant defensive linemen in Cameron Wake & Ndamukong Suh, and a very good corner in Brent Grimes to help matters on defense. Miami has the pieces, now it’s about putting everything together and proving that they can be the new face of the AFC East. I think they are still a season or two away from dethroning New England, but they are getting very close to the top spot.
Why they could win the division: Host of new weapons for Tannehill + Wake and Suh on defense.
Why they will finish 2nd: Offensive line play, lack of depth
3rd Place: Buffalo Bills
Let me start off by saying this: I really, really, really, really, really like this Buffalo Bills roster… besides the quarterback position. If you put even a 2nd tier quarterback on this team I think you are talking about a team that could contend for the Super Bowl. Besides quarterback, what’s not to like? At running back they added LeSean McCoy and have great depth with Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown and Karlos Williams. For weapons they have the very dangerous Sammy Watkins, the criminally underrated Robert Woods and the enigma playmaker Percy Harvin. Charles Clay fits in perfectly at tight end and while their offensive line play is a question mark, I think Cordy Glenn, John Miller, and Eric Wood can form a very solid blind side for whoever ends up throwing the ball for the Bills. On defense they have everything they need to be successful, plus the most dangerous defensive mind in football, Rex Ryan. Rex Ryan can create havoc with a mediocre defense. Equip him with players like Mario Williams, Jerry Hughes, Marcell Dareus, and Kyle Williams in the front four… look out. Ryan has been forced to bring 5-7 players to get pressure for so long he won’t know what to do with the extra three players on the back end because he will have no trouble getting pressure with his front four. He won’t have the shut down corner that he’d like to have, but this defense will be dangerous for any team to face. All the positives in the world about this team don’t make up for the fact that they have Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel or Tyrod Taylor at quarterback. I hope they pick Taylor because I think he has the best option of succeeding. A spread offense with Taylor at QB, Clay as a hybrid H-Back/TE and Harvin in the slot with Woods and Watkins on the outside could be potent. If they figure things out on offense and perform up to expectations on defense, this could be a playoff team.
Why they could win the division: Defense, Run Game
Why they will finish 3rd: Quarterback play
4th Place: New York Jets
See: Buffalo Bills
I could stop there because the situation is very similar. The defense, especially with Todd Bowles now at the helm, could be scary good. Even without Sheldon Richardson, Wilkerson and Leonard Williams should be able to provide pressure up front, the linebackers are active and athletic, and they could boast the best three corners of any team in the NFL with Revis, Cromartie and Skrine. On offense they have a powerful offensive line to pair with power backs Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy and they have two receivers on the outside who can go up and get the football in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. All that said, Geno Smith is the quarterback and it’s tough to imagine him improving enough to take them on a realistic run to the playoffs. I really like the fact that they are pairing him with Chan Gailey and if Geno ever has a chance to succeed, it’s now. Ultimately, Smith will be what holds the Jets back to 4th in the division and New York will be in for another losing season.
Why they could win the division: Stifling defense, power run game
Why they’ll finish 4th: Geno Smith
Overall I think with the suspension of Brady, the addition of some big time talent in Miami and the new coaching staffs in New York and Buffalo we will end up with a very interesting season in the AFC East. Until knocks New England from the top of the mountain, I’m sticking with Brady and Belichick.
Thank you for reading. Andy Herman is a staff writer for Titletown Sound Off. You can follow him on Twitter @SconnieSports. For even more Packers content, follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
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