NFL Power Rankings: Predicting every division for 2024 season
2. AFC East
1. New York Jets
Before ultimately settling on the New York Jets here, I think I changed the AFC East rankings two or three times. So any angry Dolphins or Bills fans out there can at least take solace in that. If Aaron Rodgers stays healthy, the Jets should be one of the more substantially improved teams in the league.
My thing right now is, I don’t know how long Rodgers is going to last out there. The guy is over 40 years old coming off of one of the worst possible injuries he could have suffered last year.
Still, the Jets have playmakers galore and an elite defense.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins finally got Tua Tagovailoa’s contract situation ironed out, and this team can now move forward.
Finally.
The big questions surrounding this Miami team right now all revolve around the defense. Are Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips going to be ready for the season? How much will the departure of Vic Fangio affect the team?
The Dolphins’ offense can’t let the team down late in the year like they did last season. They’re going to have to carry this team.
3. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills showed impressive resolve as a team last year after starting the season 6-6, and I thought they were a team of destiny for sure. Ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be, and the Bills have now exited what appeared to be a clear championship window.
The question is, are they immediately entering a new one or is it going to take some time? They are banking on Josh Allen to carry this team even more than we’ve seen in the past as the rest of the roster is in a state of transition.
4. New England Patriots
No more Bill Belichick, but the New England Patriots have a pretty similar feel this coming season as they did back in 2021.
They have a young quarterback they believe in, but we don’t know when we’re going to see him out on the field. They are going to have a good defense this coming season but the overall success of this team depends on whether or not Jacoby Brissett can apparently get the job done to improve the offense.
The Patriots are playing the long game with rookie Drake Maye and if they get better production at QB, this team could surprise a little bit.