Young quarterbacks make up the entire AFC East and with them bring hope. The Buffalo Bills should easily be the best team in the division, but how quickly can the Patriots rebuild around Mac Jones, will Zach Wilson have better success than Sam Darnold, and will Tua be a franchise quarterback? I’m not future teller, but I’ll do my best to share some insight into the teams and some betting opportunities. Go with the true visionaries BTB and BTBJesse for their NFL picks by clicking above.
Buffalo Bills
Last season 13-3, first in division
Buffalo was not quite a surprise, but probably turned some heads with just how successful they were last season. Josh Allen and crew made it all the way to the AFC Conference Championship before they were knocked off by the Chiefs. A lot of hype surrounds Allen and his offensive proficiencies but Buffalo’s defense wasn’t terrible either. They were basically a middle-of-the-pack performers and if they can keep that effort moving forward, they might open some eyes and really compete with Kansas City as the cream of the crop in the AFC. Basically, if you think the Bills are going to be healthy, you can steal from DraftKings and bet on them to win the division at -150. I could see them repeating with about 13 wins and they are at only 11 wins posted.
Miami Dolphins
Last season 10-6, second in division
The keys are handed over. Tua is officially taking the team over and this might be the most intriguing position watch in all of the division. Before his injury I feel like he was a surefire pick and he was going to light up the NFL. Now, questions surround just how good he can be. More than most young starters, though, he has weapons that are really talented. DeVante Parker, Will Fuller, and Jaylen Waddle, could compete to be the best receiving corps in the division, if not AFC. Again, the question comes back to Tua, can he do enough to bring out all the talent he has at the receiving positions? They have Tua listed at 4,000.5 passing yards, I like the under on this as I don’t think he is going to make that total.
New England Patriots
Last season 7-9, third in division
For a short stretch, the Patriots were in the playoff hunt. Tom Brady clearly won the “battle” of Brady or Belicheck at least last year. Now they rely once again on Cam Newton to start the season. I can’t imagine he will be their primary quarterback for most of the year. I think they try to implement Mac Jones sooner rather than later. They spent a lot of money in the offseason to try and upgrade the team. I can’t imagine they just sit through the season and watch Cam Newton’s feeble attempts at throwing passes. He still can run, so I suspect he will be used in some capacity. I don’t really like any play on the Patriots but would be surprised if they hit over 9 wins this year.
New York Jets
Last season 2-14, last in division
The one year the city really wanted them to lose every game, the Jets couldn’t do that. After being the last winless team, they ended up winning two games and having to grab Zach Wilson instead of getting Trevor Lawrence. I don’t think the Jets are going to be that much better though. Getting rid of Adam Gase was a step in the right direction, but why do we think Wilson is better than Sam Darnold? I, for some reason, get a lot of Jimmy Claussen vibes from Wilson. The Jets skill players could be an upgrade for the next season. Asking them to win four five more games to beat their total of 6 games is a tall task in my opinion. I’ll play the under at -120.
- David Troy
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