What is the future of the AFC East?

[Kirby Jackson]

This thread isn’t intended to trash the rest of the trash teams in the AFC East. We heard A LOT this offseason about Miami and the Jets overtaking the Bills. 2 months later, that sounds hilarious and a lot of “football people” lost credibility here. 😂😂 

 

The question is, “what’s next?” The Bills have owned the last 5 years of the division. Entering the season, 2 teams had lower odds to win the division. That was clearly ridiculous. Those 2 teams pushed their chips in and flamed out in epic fashion. Each team loaded up with vets putting out on 18. They both appear heading for massive rebuilds (the Jets more than the Fins).
 

The Bills arrow and trajectory is pointing up. This was a bit of a “reset” but without any step back. What does the division look like in 2025 and beyond? How long does the Bills run go? What changes do our “rivals” make? Who is the biggest threat? I personally think by late 2025 the Pats may be the next best team in the division. 😂😂 It’s interesting to me because generally after 4 straight division titles, the gap closes. It appears that the gap may never be bigger than it is right now. 

[May Day 10]

The pats may have the best shot.  Drake maye looks pretty decent and they are looking like a great draft position as of now, and I'd assume cap bux coming available.

I just don't know if mayo is the guy to lead a team and develop a qb.  

 

Imo the jets and dolphins are both in really bad shape for the foreseeable future. They both have systemic issues with bad clown car owners.  

 

The bills are fine.  Eating some cap penalty now, lots of draft picks, Josh Allen, and a stable and good coach who has a high floor each season.  

 

If anything, the pats and dolphins could be a nuisance next season, and the pats maybe a full contender the season after (but the jury is out on the qb and coach)

[eball]

The Jests and Fish are clearly in trouble.  The odds of either making a run to the playoffs this season are incredibly slim.  While the Fish probably get a bit more of a “pass” with the Tua injury, the Jests are an abject failure on so many levels.  Rodgers isn’t Rodgers any more, and they can’t seriously go into next season thinking he has “one more run” in him.  They have to start fresh at QB, and in the meantime they have wasted several prime years of what should be an elite defense.  They fired their coach because the owner is impatient and a meddler.  They have a lot of very good players but are rudderless.

 

Miami is still not good enough on defense, and they have the ever-present specter of another Tua head injury.  Tyreek isn’t getting any younger.  I think they are what they are…a team that goes anywhere from 7-10 to 10-7.  McDaniel is a weirdo but has shown me enough to believe he is a decent head coach, however the Fish also have a meddling owner so who knows what happens?

 

I might agree that the Pats*** are in the best position to rise up to #2.  It all depends on Maye.  He has certainly shown flashes in his rookie year but I wonder if he will hold up physically.  He is running a lot and doesn’t have the physique of a typical running QB.  They still just have a lot of holes to fill.

 

With the way the Bills’ cap shakes out next season Beane will be able to get creative and add pieces.  Josh is only just beginning the prime years of his career.  Unless something crazy happens I think the next three seasons (at least) are the Bills’ to lose.

 

[Big Turk]

Bills have at least 2 more years of no issues winning the division after this year.  Patriots may have the best shot...actually got a good young QB it seems like, tons of cap space and loads of high draft picks coming.

Edited 2 hours ago by Big Turk

[Gregg]

I agree with the posts here in that NE is in the best position to challenge the Bills if Maye continues to improve. The Jets and Dolphins look like they will be headed for hard times especially the Jets as they went all in with Rodgers, and it has failed. 

[BontitaBills]

The Bills will own the AFCE as long as Josh Allen is the QB for the Bills.  Hopefully another 10-12 years.  

[JohnNord]

Drake Maye is looking pretty good for what he has around him.  I’m certain that NE drafts an LT or WR to help him out.  Mayo is still a question mark at HC but will be back.  
 

The Jets are about to begin a brand new regime at HC/GM - fans are begging for Ben Johnson but I think that’s a long shot.  I can’t see them going 7-1 down the stretch.  Also the question is whether Rodgers will return for another season.  I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s back but if they finish high enough I can see them drafting a QB in R1.

 

The Dolphins probably are going to be forced to run it back in 2025 based on contracts.  They gave big money to Tua, Hill, Waddle etc and probably can’t move them. Since they invested in Tua, McDaniel who just signed an extension will likely return in 2025.  
 

Based on these projections, if Maye makes a second year jump, it’s definitely possible for NE to be the biggest threat next season.  

 

[BillsPride12]

I think these Josh Allen Bills teams end up winning more Division titles than the Jim Kelly Bills teams did which is really awesome

The big question is can we build it up to get to the point where we are going to(and hopefully winning🤞) Super Bowls

[GunnerBill]

Agree with all that. I expected more from the Jets but the Dolphins is a badly constructed roster with a serious lack of leadership at HC IMO. I said so pre-season and I stick by it. 

 

Peolple will say "ah but Tua was injured" and that is fair but they were beyond useless with the various back ups. Like couldn't move the ball at all bad. And they are 1-3 in games Tua has played. Sure two of those were the Bills but the one win was the narrow opening day win Jacksonville that but for an Etienne fumble inside the 5 they almost certainly lose. So while I agree they are better than 2-6 if they don't lose Tua, at the same time they are not a LOT better IMO. They are a flawed team mortgaged to the hilt. At the very least they will fire the GM I think and despite the deal he signed pre-season McDaniel needs a strong finish to keep his job too. I'd be inclined to give him another shot but I'm not sold on him as a Head Coach despite his obvious skill as an OC.

 

I expected better of the Jets but there was always a chance that Rodgers was more of a hinderence than a help and so it has turned out. He is his worst enemy and has been for a while. They were an "all in" team this year and there is some blowing up to be done there at the season's end. Totally new regime I think and a year of gutting the roster of all the high pricer vets ARod insisted on taking as much of the pain as you can in one year.  The worry is they have wasted two cheap years of Wilson and Sauce and they will both need mega deals soon. They could rebound if they draft the right QB imo... but they have to get a lot right.

 

The Pats are an unknown but if Maye can legit play they will contend sooner than later. Maybe not 2025 for the division but possibly beyond that. 

 

The problem for all three is that this was the weakest point in the Bills cycle. And they competitors missed it. Might be 3 or 4 years before the roster is this week again.

[Gregg]

From a Jets POV it has to be frustrating for them that Jordan Travis is hurt. When they are finally eliminated, they could have started him to see what they have but they can't even do that.

[mjt328]

It's all about the Quarterback.

 

The 1990s were owned by the Bills (Jim Kelly), with the Dolphins close on their heels (Dan Marino).

From 2001-2019, nobody could touch the New England Patriots (Tom Brady).

Now we are back on the Bills with Josh Allen.

 

Until those teams can land a QB on a similar level as Allen, it's going to be tough for them to make progress towards the division.

 

The Jets took a big swing, and it hasn't worked out well.  Aaron Rodgers is not the same player he used to be.  Just looking at his face during games, you really have to wonder if he regrets not retiring.  Last year was a total loss.  They had to fire their coach a few games into this season, and now even a wild card seems like a tall task.  They can void Rodgers contract after 2025, and it almost seems inevitable they will be starting over again at that point.

 

The Dolphins are now stuck in the Tua boat, which is going nowhere for them.  He's too good for them to let walk.  He's not good enough to put the team on his shoulders.  Not to mention the massive injury risk.  Before long, that contract is going to start weighing on the salary cap, which means less supporting talent around him.  Age is also slowly becoming a factor on that roster.

 

The Patriots are way too early to tell.  Rookie quarterback.  Beginning of a total rebuild.

 

Edited 1 hour ago by mjt328

[Sweats]

I don't care about the rest of the AFCEast......we sat in purgatory for a lot of years, trying to compete with the Pats with very little success.

 

Now, it's our time so the rest of our division can rot.

[Captain_Quint]

I may be in the minority, but I think Miami has a run in them to finish the season. It would have to go perfectly for them to make the playoffs, as we pretty much have the division sewn up. But their offensive talent is undeniable when the backs and WRs are healthy and Tua is playing. Their offensive line has taken a step forward this year too. 

 

The defense is pretty bad, but if they score 30 or 40 points, they could stack some wins. I think that in this past game, if we don't slow the game down by giving up the run and staying fast on Hill and Waddle, they maybe score 45 and take the game. 

 

But as far as next year, they will now have the Tua contract to contend with and some decisions to make. 

[corta765]

Realistically when a team has a true franchise QB like Allen or Mahomes or Lamar (when healthy they never lose division) the only antidote is a franchise QB AND then you need a competent coach/gm program. The Jets had their two year blip with an insane defense and offense that could ground and pound, but they still didn't win the division and Brady reigned supreme and that was really the only threat NE ever had.

 

For the AFC East I rank it like this:

 

1. New England - Most stable ownership of this group with a rookie QB who watching has some wheels and can make plays in the sandbox which you need in todays NFL. They need a lot of depth, but ownership will spend money and I think stay relatively hands off so if Maye becomes something they will build through the draft correctly. IF Maye develops, IF they have a good draft, and IF they can find some solid FA additions the next two years I can see 2026 they arrive as a true challenger

2. Miami - Listen Tua is a good QB and you saw last year when he is on they are really close.... but they still couldn't win the division. Now his contract is real, the lack of depth is real, Hill is going to age which lowers their best weapons potential and the owner is nuts where he will fire his coach in a year or two. It wouldn't stun me if everything fell right and they won a division crown in the next 3 years, BUT I felt like last year was their best chance soooo.

3. New York - They were building a nice young core then they rushed to win by signing Rodgers when Carr would've provided the exact same play, fired the coach who had their defense top 3, the owner is nuts as always, etc... Honestly they feel closer to bottoming out again then competing for the AFC East. They could luck into a token playoff spot but nothing about this team is scary anymore compared to two years ago where the young core felt like a potential real problem. They also won't draft a QB this offseason so your looking at Rodgers for another year or two which is as exciting as grilled cheese.

 

[TheWei44]

6 minutes ago, Captain_Quint said:

I may be in the minority, but I think Miami has a run in them to finish the season. It would have to go perfectly for them to make the playoffs, as we pretty much have the division sewn up. But their offensive talent is undeniable when the backs and WRs are healthy and Tua is playing. Their offensive line has taken a step forward this year too. 

 

The defense is pretty bad, but if they score 30 or 40 points, they could stack some wins. I think that in this past game, if we don't slow the game down by giving up the run and staying fast on Hill and Waddle, they maybe score 45 and take the game. 

 

But as far as next year, they will now have the Tua contract to contend with and some decisions to make. 

I can see what you're saying, but I just doubt Tua has a string of nearly perfect games in him this year.  And he's one hit away from maybe being in concussion protocol.

[dpberr]

Barring a significant change to Josh Allen's health and availability, the Bills are likely to be AFC East champions for the next five years, potentially until 2030. By then, Allen will be 34. I anticipate that during the new stadium years, the Bills will field "the best teams money can buy" to support the stadium’s success.

 

Unless there are changes in ownership, I believe the Jets and Dolphins will continue their decades-long strategy of quick fixes rather than enduring the challenge of a planned rebuild. At his age (83), I think Bob Kraft is more interested in profit than additional championships, and I don’t foresee significant investments in the team as long as he remains the owner.

[strive_for_five_guy]

I’d say let’s see Drake Maye versus McD’s defense, before anointing the Pats as the next best challenger.  Wasn’t too long ago Mac Jones was being touted as the Pats future, how long did that last?  Between McD and Josh, the both have a way of showing they own this division.

[Coach Tuesday]

Great thread.

[The Jokeman]

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

I agree with the posts here in that NE is in the best position to challenge the Bills if Maye continues to improve. The Jets and Dolphins look like they will be headed for hard times especially the Jets as they went all in with Rodgers, and it has failed. 

The biggest issue is when does Rodgers retire, this offseason seems to be the best plan of escape as likely going to be a new coaching staff/GM. That's unless Woody let's Aaron dictate the coaching staff brought in.

26 minutes ago, TheWei44 said:

I can see what you're saying, but I just doubt Tua has a string of nearly perfect games in him this year.  And he's one hit away from maybe being in concussion protocol.

and the Dolphins have serious problems on defense, without Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb they lack a legitimate pass rush and their secondary isn't all that great either. 

[Process]

It all depends on Maye. If he's legit they could become a contender relatively quickly. Top 5 draft pick and most cap space in the league next offseason. 

 

I don't expect the dolphins or jets to be a threat in the division anytime soon.