NFL 2018 predictions: Which team will win each division?
By Nile McNair
AFC East
1. Patriots
2. Bills
3. Dolphins
4. Jets
Predicting who will the AFC East for the last decade has been very easy. The New England Patriots have won the division nine years straight. And why have they been able to do this? Because they have always had the best coach and quarterback within the division. The duo of Tom Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as head coach has dominated their division and somewhat the entire NFL.
No one else in this division are a serious contender to win a Super Bowl besides the Patriots. So expect them to possibly sweep their division foes this season and be crowned as AFC East champs once again.
Now once you move past the Patriots the rest of the division is really up for grabs. The Bills, Dolphins and Jets all have questions at the quarterback position. But the Bills still have majority of their roster that made the playoffs last year. Buffalo has the best defense in the division but their offense is lethargic at times.
What makes Buffalo dangerous is that if Josh Allen has superstar potential, like projected during the draft process, this team has talent to compete with New England. The young Bills quarterbacks should get better as the season progresses. This will help them finish second in the division and possibly make the playoffs again.
Miami is ahead of the Jets in this divisional ranking because they still have a more proven quarterback and because the Jets are in complete rebuild. That said, Miami seemed to be looking to rebuild this offseason by trading their best offensive weapon in Jarvis Landry to the Browns and cutting their best defensive player in Ndamukong Suh.
Ryan Tannehill is coming off an ACL injury and we have no clue how he will bounce back. If he struggles then the team will follow suit. The defense is still dangerous, especially after adding Minkah Fitzpatrick in the draft. Maybe the defense can help them stay afloat until Tannehill gets comfortable under center again. I don’t see Miami competing for the division crown or the playoffs this year.
New York falls last in the ranking, but that can easily change in years to come. Tom Brady has to retire eventually, and as of now New England has no successor. Miami may be headed for a complete rebuild soon, so they’re no worry for the moment. The Jets and Bills could battle for the AFC East winners for a decade if their two rookie quarterbacks pan out.
Sam Darnold, considered by many the man who should’ve been drafted at number one this year, went at number three and the Jets were thrilled.
Currently the Jets have too many holes on their roster to compete. They need more weapons to surround Darnold, and to sure up the trenches on both sides of the ball. But with years to come with Darnold under the helm and multiple offseasons to improve the roster, expect New York to be contenders pretty soon.