AFC East
- New England Patriots (10-6)*
- New York Jets (9-7)*
- Buffalo Bills (7-9)
- Miami Dolphins (7-9)
There’s nothing in the world that would get a sane person to not pick the New England Patriots AFC East champions heading into the 2015 campaign. That’s not to say there aren’t major question marks.
Think about it. All it took for Bill Belichick and Tom Brady to finally get over that hump and take home their fourth ring was one of the best cornerbacks in NFL history to join the fray. Now without Darrelle Revis – as he’s back with the New York Jets – the Pats won’t be nearly as good defensively.
In fact, their defense hasn’t been good for a long time. Is the Revis move from New England to New York enough to shift the balance of power in this division?
Other than Revis, and now that Brady won’t be suspended, the other major storyline in the division revolves around defense. Rex Ryan is in Buffalo and Ndamukong Suh took his talents to Miami. Including the Jets, the three underdog teams have built three of the nastiest defensive lines in football. Lines that can disturb Brady’s desire to climb the pocket and deliver a strike.
Unlike many pundits I don’t think Ryan Tannehill is a stud. He’s a solid guy who’ll never take that final step into superstardom. Rex will surely field a phenomenal defense in Orchard Park, but his offense will be miserable.
In the end the Pats will once again win the division they’ve dominated for so long with New York close behind battling for a Wild Card spot.
