BuffaloBill Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 Seeing as the primary route to the playoffs begins with winning or losing in your own division where does the AFCE stand vs. the Bills in 2021?
ProcessAccepted Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 I think the Bills still have to be regarded as favorites but both Miami and the Pats have improved on paper. The Jets are better now Gase is gone but I'm not sold the personnel moves so far.
GunnerBill Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 So I think all 3 are probably better but the Jets not the extent where they are yet a .500 team. I'd say Miami are better but the season hinges on whether Tua progresses. New England are better but again depends on Quarterback (but given they won 7 games with the worst QB play in the league and a garbage roster last year the Pats are very much in wildcard contention to me) the Jets are better but small steps on a long road. The Jets could go 5-12 and have an encouraging season if that makes sense. If I had to predict way too early win totals - Bills 13, Miami 10, New England 9 and the Jets 5.
IgotBILLStopay Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 Better, Better, Same No brainer really. Miami got an elite WR (one who has a connection with their franchise QB) and an elite Edge rusher. Add Will Fuller and that more than compnesates for the loss of Van Noy. Fitzy too. And they still have picks left in the draft. Better on both sides of the ball. New England - Their Free agency splurge clearly improved the non QB portion notwithstanding the Thuney loss. And they landed a rookie who is tailor made for them. Better on both sides. Jets - Rookie QBs not named Luck or Lawrence are a crapshoot. It is yet to be seen whether Wilson is an improvement over Darnold. So I'd say they are treading water - though they did improve their non-QB roster with Davis, Lawson and Vera Tucker. FWIW, I thought their first round trade was pretty stupid in retrospect. It is not even clear that Vera Tucker is better than Darrisaw and so the move up from 23 was completely unnecessary. Cant be better on offense without having a competent QB.
MJS Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 Wait, do you mean better than the Bills overall, or do you just mean they got better than last year vs this year and are closer to the level of the Bills? Because I don't think anyone actually thinks any of the three teams are now better than the Bills.
Rico Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 20 minutes ago, MJS said: Wait, do you mean better than the Bills overall, or do you just mean they got better than last year vs this year and are closer to the level of the Bills? Because I don't think anyone actually thinks any of the three teams are now better than the Bills. Not even close. They are all looking up at the Bills.
BuffaloBillyG Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 I believe all 3 teams have gotten better. Pats and Fins I believe upgraded personnel and Jets I believe upgraded their coaching staff. I do believe we are still better overall, however I do not expect to sweep the division again this season. 1
Haplo848 Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 Personally, compared to last year, the Bills are probably going to be better, but so are most of the other three teams. I say most, because personally, I think the Jets will take a step back. They're going from a 4-year starter to a rookie QB. There's going to be some growing pains. The jets have less of a chance to beat the the Bills than they did this year. The Pats brought in some free agent talent, but a lot of that depends on Cam Newton throwing them the ball (I don't think Mac Jones will start this year, or at least at the beginning of the year), and Cam showed that throwing isn't really his strong suit. The problem is that they will be getting back some defensive talent from the opt-out list. That could give us some problems. All in all, their chances of beating us are probably about the same as last year. The Dolphins have been stacking talent through the draft. They probably have a better chance of beating us than last year, but last year, we played our starters for only half a game, the Dolphins were playing for their season, and they still got destroyed by ~30 points. Their chances of beating us will be better than last year, but I don't think they WILL beat us. However, as all these high draft picks develop, they could give us fits in the future.
MrSarcasm Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 I'd argue the Dolphins became worse only because Fitz is no longer there. I dont see a Tua led team winning more than 8 games. 1
ehfeuh57 Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 All about the QB's Jets and NE got a little better
JerseyBills Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 (edited) 10 minutes ago, DrDare said: All about the QB's Jets and NE got a little better Absolutely. If QBs aren't legit, everything else doesn't matter. Mia also improved but their OL is awful. We are by far the most well rounded team in the East and right behind KC in the AFC. Cleveland scares me a bit too in the AFC. Edited April 30, 2021 by JerseyBills
mjt328 Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 You can't take the shots you don't take. Of course there is a chance Zach Wilson and Mac Jones bust. Tua didn't look very good as a rookie, so he could as well. But if those teams are going to take a legitimate step forward into contention, it all starts with drafting the right Quarterback. It's hard to believe all the years we wasted trying to build teams around guys like Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Kyle Orton. Instead, we should have drafted a QB in the first round every 2-3 seasons until we hit. The best thing for Buffalo would have been for the Jets to stick longer with Sam Darnold, the Patriots to hope for a better season with Cam Newton, and the Dolphins to continue stunting their young QB's development by benching him for Fitzpatrick.
BillsFan130 Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 (edited) Good Poll I like this. Miami- I voted better- So many draft picks and a full offseason for Tua should help them a lot. NE- I voted better- Only reason I didn't vote "much better" is still huge questions at the QB position. Jets- Voted better- Can't be much worse than last year- Added some nice pieces in FA Edited April 30, 2021 by BillsFan130
Brennan Huff Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 Everyone got better. We’ve stayed pretty much the same 1
TBBills Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 Patriots whiffed on QB so they will only be better from the covid guys who didn't play. Jets just suck. Miami wasn't good to begin with but kept Tua which is not good. They drafted the wrong WR, they really didn't do the things that will win them anymore games. 1
Ethan in Cleveland Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 Bills are the favorites but only because Allen is the best QB. Miami's roster is very solid. The Patriots are built for one last run but I am not impressed with Jones at all. The FAs they signed are an upgrade. The Jets are in full rebuild mode but they made some smart selections.
Malazan Posted April 30, 2021 Posted April 30, 2021 (edited) New England Patriots- Much Better. They're getting a ton of guys back and the new additions may not gel, but I think there's enough talent floating around to be a good team. I think Jones is an upgrade over the animated corpse of Cam. I think 9-7 / 9-7 is in their future. Miami Dolphins- Worse. I still think they're a good team, but something feels off. They keep running fluff stories around Tua and how much football means to him, but he doesn't strike me a run through the walls guy. I'll admit seeing a starting QB replaced with reliever really shocked me which may be why...I still don't get shaking the confidence of young QB like that. Flores also strikes me a douche. He's done some really petty things to his players. He's not Belichick and I think they take a step back as NE ascends. I think 8-9 / 9-8 for them. New York Jets - I like Robert Saleh, but he's never been a head coach. He brought in two rookie coordinators. Many coaches have been elevated to higher positions. I think they may have more talent and be a better team, but rookie QB and rookie coaching staff puts me on the side of a rough season for them. I suspect they'll have some rays of hope to hang on for next season, but I don't see it happening for them this year. I think they're headed for 5-12 / 6-11 for them. All 3 suffer from playing in a division with 4 head coaches who are some of the better defensive minds in the league. Miami / New York have rookie QBs and Tua didn't have a full year in year 1. So facing these coaches could be a bad time for them. Allen, in his 4th year, will be the most experienced by far and already had time to get a feel for the game before facing what will be 3 very confusing defenses. Edited April 30, 2021 by jeremy2020
chris heff Posted May 1, 2021 Posted May 1, 2021 The Bills are the team to beat in the division. If the defense improves, which I think they will, they will be a tough out. Patriots problem is Belichick still thinks it was him and not Brady. Their free agency spending spree smacks of panic. Last Alabama QB I worried about in our division was Namath. Dolphins are going to live or die with Tua, is anyone afraid of him? Last year’s FA blew up on them, those were bad personnel decisions. Jets swapped Darnold for Darnold 2.0. Rookie coach, rookie coordinators. I’m not worried.
Ethan in Cleveland Posted May 1, 2021 Posted May 1, 2021 Miami just landed a top safety too. They are killing this draft. Tua is the only thing holding them back.
P Riv Posted May 1, 2021 Posted May 1, 2021 Dunno... I feel like Miami is trying to prove they belong and NE will be trying to prove they never left. If Newton has a career renaissance, this is going to be a serious dog fight for the Div.
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