Who (if anybody) is the Pats' biggest threat in the AFC East?
Besides the Patriots, the rest of the AFC East has essentially been a revolving door with the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills putting their best efforts to upset and occasionally steal a game or two from the Pats. The Jets hit their peak at the beginning of the Rex Ryan era, but since have become a circus. The Bills seemed to be ready to take the next step but quickly tripped and crashed along with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's starting job. The Dolphins on the other hand, look as if they are stocking up on young talent to set the foundation for the future.
As for the Bills, lets go through this quickly; Kevin Kolb has a concussion, EJ Manuel had a knee surgery, and now Jeff Tuel, an undrafted rookie is slated to start the team's home opener against the Patriots. Let that sink in... Though the Bills also added Matt Leinart, Tuel is scheduled to start Week 1 if Manuel cannot. Like the Jets, the Bills have plenty of uncertainty at the quarterback position, which is the most vital position in the game. Sure Tuel could come flying out the gates and have a great game, but realistically that will most likely not happen.
But what about right now, this year? Which of these three teams has the best chance to upset the Patriots and actually win the division? If you look at injuries and current player/coaching situations, I think that the only team that can come remotely close to even winning a game against the Pats is the Dolphins. Why is that? Well think of this; all three teams have a fairly good defense that pressure Brady and force him to struggle a bit by making him uncomfortable in the pocket. The difference maker here is the offense, especially quarterback situations.
Jets fans were skeptical when the team selected Geno Smith in the 2013 NFL Draft, but anybody can be better than Mark Sanchez, right? . . . Maybe not. In their three preseason games, Sanchez has the edge in statistics over Geno. Let's simplify this a bit, Sanchez has a 90.0 passer rating while Geno has posted a 54.6 rating. From the outside looking in, signs pointed to Sanchez remaining the team's starter, but after a serious mental error by Rex Ryan, the former USC QB was injured while playing in the 4th quarter last game.
As for the Bills, lets go through this quickly; Kevin Kolb has a concussion, EJ Manuel had a knee surgery, and now Jeff Tuel, an undrafted rookie is slated to start the team's home opener against the Patriots. Let that sink in... Though the Bills also added Matt Leinart, Tuel is scheduled to start Week 1 if Manuel cannot. Like the Jets, the Bills have plenty of uncertainty at the quarterback position, which is the most vital position in the game. Sure Tuel could come flying out the gates and have a great game, but realistically that will most likely not happen.
The Dolphins have a young quarterback with potential yet also experience to go along with their respectable defense, and that's what gives them the best shot at making a run for the division. Is Ryan Tannehill overvalued and possibly overrated? Maybe... but it's clear that management, coaches, and teammates are sold on this guy. Signing WR Mike Wallace may have been the team's way of saying "Here you go Ryan, now go get the job done". All around, the 'Fins may not be anything more than an average NFL team, but they are in a better position than the Jets and Bills. We'll see how all teams fair when the season finally kicks off in just a couple weeks.
Anthony Aidonidis
@aidonidis18
#AFCEast
