Since the turn of the century, the AFC East has been skewed towards one direction. The New England Patriots are the cream of the crop when it comes to this division and have been so since Tom Brady was drafted in 2000.
The East has become extremely one-sided over the course of the last 16 seasons. New England’s reign in the division is mind boggling with the Patriots winning all but three of the titles. That does not look like it’s going to change anytime soon, or at least until Brady retires.
Buffalo Bills
After four years on the sidelines in Baltimore, Tyrod Taylor became a starter for the first time in his career in 2015 when he joined the Buffalo Bills. Taylor started in 14 of the 16 games, going 8-6 on the season. He threw for a little over 3,000 and 20 touchdowns while only getting pick off six times.
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is a great pairing for Taylor. Watkins uses his great speed to get by defenders while Taylor scrambles to keep broken plays alive. The former Clemson Tigers wideout has made an average of 62.5 catches a year over his first two seasons in the league. That should not change as long as he continues to haul them in on a consistent basis.
The season for the Bills starts off with a bang as they take a trip to Baltimore to battle the Ravens. Then, two weeks later, they host the Arizona Cardinals before going to New England to play Brady and the Patriots. If the Bills can get through those gauntlets of games, they will obtain the confidence to potentially sneak into a playoff spot. The one thing that definitely has to improve for Buffalo is their defense. If that side of the ball isn’t up to snuff, then the playoffs are definitely out of the question.
Miami Dolphins
Perhaps the most questionable team in this division is the Miami Dolphins. Last year, the Dolphins finished the year with a record of 6-10; that poor record was good enough to finish last in the division.
This year, however, the Dolphins are much improved on defense, especially with the big boys on the line. Ndamukong Suh, since being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2010, has played in every game but two. He is also consistent in the sack department, although he usually hovers around five per year.
In this year’s draft, Miami picked up the highly criticized yet highly touted Laremy Tunsil. Tunsil will just add an extra threat to opposing offensive lines throughout the season. The only thing that Tunsil will have to improve on is his off-the-field behavior.
Key games for the Dolphins outside of the division this year are highlighted by a trip to Southern California. There, they play the San Diego Chargers in Week 10 before taking on the Los Angeles Rams. The Dolphins then end the season with a road game against the always tough New England Patriots, who are most likely to headline this division once again.
New England Patriots
Even with Tom Brady suspended, the Patriots won't be in too deep a hole after the opening four games of the season. 24-year-old Jimmy Garoppolo will be under center for the first quarter of the season. During Garoppolo’s time as the starting quarterback, the season schedule looks to be fairly decent.
The Patriots open up with the Arizona Cardinals, the only team that should realistically give them trouble, on the road in Phoenix. Then, two division games are right around the corner: home games against the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills. Sandwiched in between the division games is a trip to Houston to face off against the Texans.
Once Brady returns to the squad in week five, assuming New England wins at least half of the games in which Garoppolo starts, the Patriots will be in a pretty good position. The rest of the schedule looks fairly easy, with just a few tough games to go. A meeting with the Seattle Seahawks will take place in Week 10, followed up by a trip to the Denver Broncos at Mile High five weeks later in what will be one of the best games of the season.
New York Jets
The New York Jets finished last season at 10-6, second to the New England Patriots in the division. While they ended 2015 four games over .500, they could not make the playoffs. 12-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the main man on offense for New York in 2016 with two big targets at wideout in Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall.
Decker is one of the league's most consistent receivers while Brandon Marshall is looking to expand on a great first season with the Jets. If the passing attack can be at the top of its game all year long, then the Jets could make the cut for the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
New York's schedule, however, is going to be quite difficult. Between weeks five and six, the Jets will have back-to-back road games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. Those games could make or break their season. Should the Jets not be competitive in either game, then they could see themselves not make the playoffs.