AFC East Power Rankings - Week 8


The AFC East probably isn't as intriguing as many thought it would be before the season began, but there definitely is a good amount to talk about. We'll try to do that in this week's edition of our AFC East power rankings. 

1. Patriots - They dismantled a scorching hot Dolphins team last week, and looked nearly flawless in all three phases of the game. The run defense has gotten a lot better as the season progressed, and they held Lamar Miller to only 15 yards on the ground. The pass defense allowed 300 yards to Ryan Tannehill, but a lot of that came in garbage time. They also picked Tannehill off twice. The defense is allowing 19 points per game, good for eighth in the NFL. They're also allowing 346 yards per game, which is 12th in the league. Not bad at all. They'll face a bad Redskins team on Sunday that they should beat handily. 

2. Jets - I went back and forth with who would be No. 2 this week, but settled on the Jets because they're 4-3, have more talent than Miami and their schedule is a little easier going forward. That said, they looked awful in Oakland. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith both got hurt, as did Brandon Marshall. They're now searching for a quarterback and have given up 30+ points in two straight games. Not great for a defense that at one time was ranked No. 1 in the league. They've got what should be an easy game at home this weekend against Jacksonville. 

3. Dolphins - They got completely manhandled by the Patriots and there wasn't too much to hang their hats on besides the fact that it took the Patriots until the end of the first half to score their second touchdown of the game. They'll still probably beat up on the bad teams like they did before the loss to New England, but if last week was any indication of how they'll play against a good team, it might not be pretty. They've scored the fewest points in the division with 154, but will face a struggling Bills team on Sunday in Buffalo. 

4. Bills - The Bills were off last week after their loss in London against the lowly Jaguars. LeSean McCoy only has 304 yards and one touchdown for the season, and E.J. Manuel has been average since stepping in for the injured Tyrod Taylor. The defense has given up 34 points two weeks in a row and a report about the players not liking Rex Ryan's schemes was never really refuted. They'll play Miami at home on Sunday. 

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