Miami Dolphins
Predicted Record: 11-5
Division Record: 4-2
i. Buffalo Bills: 1-1
ii. New England Patriots: 1-1
iii. New York Jets: 2-0
In my opinion, this may be the first real surprise in any of my prediction articles yet. After several seasons of having the top spot in the division, I suspect the Patriots to finally lose it to this emerging team. The Dolphins made a huge mark in the NFL when they successfully signed Ndamukong Suh (one day I will learn to spell his first name without having to look it up). Their defense already made significant strides just a year ago, and adding a player of Suh's caliber is downright scary. Talents like him are hard to come by in the NFL, so the Dolphins should consider themselves lucky. Ryan Tannehill should also continue to progress as he looks to become part of the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the league. Miami also benefits from a really soft schedule in which they go against only 4 playoff teams from last season. In fact, they may even start off as well as 6-0 because they're playing against sub-par squads.
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| I think this team can take the division thanks in large part to the addition of DT Ndamukong Suh. |
New England Patriots
Predicted Record: 10-6
Division Record: 4-2
i. Buffalo Bills: 1-1
ii. Miami Dolphins: 1-1
iii. New York Jets: 2-0
Tom Brady's 4 game suspension can really put the Patriots in a tough situation if they happen to drop three, or even two of those games. For now, I have them losing Weeks 1 (vs Pittsburgh Steelers), 2 (at Buffalo Bills), and 4 (at Dallas Cowboys). The second week seems like a winnable game for them, it's just that the Patriots have a lot of things working against them. I have never seen Jimmy Garopollo play, and although reports show that he should be a good player, it's hard for me to trust a young quarterback with little experience over a stout Buffalo defense. Another thing that plays against New England's favor is that they lost RB Shane Vereen and all the versatility he brought to the team. On top of all this, their secondary looks weak as they lost a lot of their cornerbacks from last year's championship team. Bellicheck usually finds a way around situations like these, but the competitiveness in the division is increasing. With all this said, I would be incredibly shocked if the Patriots don't end up making the playoffs at all. It will be a tight race to reach the top of the division, but a wild card spot seems likely.
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| Tom Brady's 4 game suspension could cost the Patriots the top spot in the division. |
Buffalo Bills
Predicted Record: 7-9
Division Record: 3-3
i. Miami Dolphins: 1-1
ii. New England Patriots: 1-1
iii. New York Jets: 1-1
The Bills are a pretty fun team to root for since they're typically viewed as underdogs. I really like their defense and because that group proved that they could play well without Kiko Alonso, the trade to get LeSean McCoy is completely justified. Buffalo also has a young and talented wide receiving corp, which is overlooked because of a lack of national media coverage. The only real issue seems to be their questionable quarterback situation. Teams have shown that it is possible to win games with top notch defense and run-heavy scheming, so if everything goes right, the Bills definitely have the pieces necessary to surprise us all.
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| LeSean McCoy being traded to the Eagles headlined an interesting off-season. |
Predicted Record: 6-10
Division Record: 2-4
i. Buffalo Bills: 1-1
ii. Miami Dolphins: 0-2
iii. New England Patriots: 0-2
The New York Jets' defense has the potential to be one of the best in the league. With the front seven that they have, and a trio of Darelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine at cornerback, this defense looks extraordinary. Geno Smith has shown flashes of brilliance, which makes me want to believe in him, but those have been few and far apart. If he makes a third year leap and finds success, this team actually has the potential to turn things around. The addition of a true number one receiver like Brandon Marshall can help out the young quarterback too. I just cannot see a gigantic jump happening because it's a lot to ask out of Geno Smith, and the offensive line and running game are inconsistent.
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| Bringing these two cornerbacks back to the Jets organization were apart of a successful offseason for the team. |
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