A snap of a finger and the AFC East division has suddenly morphed into the best in the NFL.
After rolling to their third divisional title in 2022, the Buffalo Bills will be hell-bent on four-peating in a year where the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets all have a chance to be significantly better.
The Bills finished last season with a 13-3 record, while the Dolphins came in second with a 9-8 record. Meanwhile, the Patriots finished 8-9 for third place in the division, and the Jets were in fourth with a 7-10 record.
How will things turn out in 2023?
To get a better idea, we have teamed up with the managing editors at Bills Wire (Nick Wojton), Dolphins Wire (Mike Masala) and Jets Wire (Billy Riccette) to see how each team in the AFC East stacks up.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have more pressure and no more excuses not to reach the Super Bowl in 2023. However, it could very well be the right time for them to finally make that push.
Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott has done his best work when his team is the “underdog.” When the Bills have been the perceived superior team, Buffalo has failed to make it to the AFC title game. With the emergence of the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, McDermott’s team is back in that sweet spot. It might be the perfect formula for the Bills to finally make it to the Super Bowl stage.
But undoubtedly, that is the expectation. The Bills have a Madden 23 cover quarterback in Josh Allen, a future Hall of Famer rushing the opponent’s passer in Von Miller, and a superstar wide receiver in Stefon Diggs that’s starting to catch some headlines relating to the underachieving. It’s close to now or never. – Nick Wojton, Bills Wire
Miami Dolphins
While the 2022 season, Miami’s first under head coach Mike McDaniel, saw the team’s first playoff berth since 2016, there was still much to improve on. The defense, while injury-riddled for most of the year, struggled to keep teams from moving up and down the field which resulted in the firing of defensive coordinator Josh Boyer and the subsequent hiring of respected coach Vic Fangio.
On top of that, the Dolphins made some key acquisitions this offseason, adding cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker David Long, safety DeShon Elliott and others to an already impressive group.
The combination of talent on the roster and knowledge and ingenuity on the coaching staff should make Miami a tough opponent for most any team to face in 2023. If they can keep quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the field, or get some competent backup play from Mike White if they can’t, the Dolphins should be in position to improve on their 9-8 record from last year, make the postseason again and earn their first playoff win since beating the Indianapolis Colts in the 2000 wild-card round. – Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire
New England Patriots
The 2022 season was easily one of the most embarrassing years for the Patriots under the Bill Belichick era. The only evidence needed to prove that point is the ending of the Patriots’ regular season game with the Las Vegas Raiders.
What just happened?? The @Raiders win on the final play!! #NEvsLV pic.twitter.com/cmKNUuab1k
— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2022
These were the 2022 Patriots in a nutshell—a pitiful mess of their own doing.
The offense lacked at the skilled positions, and coach Bill Belichick appointed longtime defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as the offensive play-caller. But hey, what could go wrong, right?
The Patriots missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, and quarterback Mac Jones threw more F-bombs than he did touchdowns. New England’s defense kept the team respectable, and it’s a key reason why they should be competitive in 2023.
Outside of Devin McCourty, the entire Patriots defense from last season is returning with the additions of rookies Christian Gonzalez, Keion White and Marte Mapu. Gonzalez and Mapu especially shined throughout the spring practices with the team. So the Patriots defense will clearly be a problem regardless of who they face on the schedule.
Meanwhile, the offense still has issues, but they’re also significantly better off this time around with a legitimate offensive guru in Bill O’Brien serving as the new offensive coordinator. There’s a sense of normalcy now in New England that should benefit them on both sides of the ball.
The Patriots will be a much better team in a much better AFC East division, but they have the potential to finish with a winning record in 2023. If they end up landing free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, they could emerge into a dark horse playoff contender. – Jordy McElroy, Patriots Wire
New York Jets
It’s been quite some time since the Jets have felt this good heading into an NFL season. After a handful of years of average quarterback play at best, the Jets went out and acquired 4-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
Pair that with an offense that boasts last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in Garrett Wilson plus one of the best defenses in the NFL and you have the potential for a big year for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010.
The bare minimum for this team is the playoffs. Missing the playoffs would probably mean something went horribly wrong which would likely mean the end of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, not to mention sending over a top-18 pick next year (assuming Rodgers plays the necessary 65% of snaps).
New York can challenge Buffalo as they search for the first division title since 2002 and even win a playoff game. But the road to the Super Bowl is a gauntlet for just about everyone in the AFC, especially the New York Jets. – Billy Riccette, Jets Wire
