AFC East: Biggest question for each team in 2021

ORCHARD PARK, NY - JUNE 16: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills on the field during mandatory minicamp on June 16, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - JUNE 16: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills on the field during mandatory minicamp on June 16, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
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AFC East
(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

Buffalo Bills: Has the team done enough to overcome the Kansas City Chiefs?

It happened not once but twice to Sean McDermott’s team a season ago. The AFC East champion Bills were humbled on two occasions by the Super Bowl-bound Chiefs. And in both instances, Buffalo’s defense was exposed.

A Week 6 home loss saw Kansas City roll up 245 yards on the ground and 466 yards total in a 26-17 setback. In a 38-24 setback in the AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium, Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 325 yards and three scores and Andy Reid’s team amassed 439 total yards.

Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen blossomed in his third year and he and wide receiver Stefon Diggs were prolific. Now add veteran Emmanuel Sanders to the offensive mix. But is there enough defense in Buffalo to get past the reigning AFC champions and perhaps get to a Super Bowl?

Miami Dolphins: Will QB Tua Tagovailoa make significant progress in his second season?

In 2019, a common catchphrase around football was “Tank For Tua.” In 2020, the Miami Dolphins wandered up wound up selecting the University of Alabama standout with the fifth overall pick. The team brought him around slowly as he looked to bounce back from a hip injury late in his final season with the Crimson Tide.

He would play in 10 games and make nine starts. And while his final numbers show he threw more than twice as many touchdowns passes (11) as interceptions, he was somewhat sporadic — albeit understandably so.

Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick is now a member of the Washington Football Team and Brian Flores’ club did sign Jacoby Brissett to back him up. Can he make a big-time leap for a club that won 10 games a year ago but somehow missed the playoffs?