The NFL is back, baby!! The Hall of Fame Game is scheduled for this Thursday at 8 PM Eastern/7 PM Central between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. So, it is time to preview each team for the coming season. In these posts, I’ll cover coaching, key additions, departures, strategy changes and relevant storylines plus predict whether the team will win the division or make a Wild Card push. Each week, I’m going to tackle 2 divisions before picking every game of the entire schedule. Here goes.

AFC East Preview

The AFC East has been owned by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick for almost 20 years. So, 2019 will be no different. The only way I can see the Pats losing the division this year is if Brady gets hurt (and early), and even with that, the Pats are a lot better than the entire division. One of the reasons why the Patriots have made so many Super Bowls is this weak division allowing them to get at least one and most of the time multiple home playoff games. 2019 will be no different.

Patriots

#12 Has Still Got It
  • Coaching: Bill Belichick is a genius, and he still has McDaniels for Offense. Rising star – Brian Flores left as Defensive Coordinator to be the head coach of Miami (in division), and the Pats hired Greg Schiano who promptly resigned. Strange, so they have no DC at the moment. Same systems here, but I expect the Pats to run the ball a lot in 2019. They secretly ran the ball a ton in 2018, and won the Super Bowl because of it.
  • Key Departures: Biggest loss was Rob Gronkowski at TE who retired. No one player can replace his beastly performance, but the Pats will try. The Pats also released Dwayne Allen at TE. Return man, Cordarelle Patterson was also not re-signed.
  • Key Additions: The Pats have added some TEs to take Gronk’s place – Ben Watson (Saints) but he will start off on suspension for PEDs, Lance Kendricks (Rams) plus more veterans – Demaryius Thomas (HOU) and Dontrelle Inman at WR and Jonathan Joseph CB (HOU). The Pats also acquired Michael Bennett (PHI) in Free Agency to bolster the pass rush, plus brought back Jamie Collins at LB.
  • Draft: N’Keal Harry WR out of Arizona State who is tall and athletic in the 1st round, Chase Winovich a versatile Defensive Lineman from Michigan in the 3rd round, and Damien Harris at RB from Alabama also in the 3rd.
  • Final Analysis: Patriots continue to ride the success train as long as #12 is under center. Faces may change, but the system and superior coaching will not. Patriots will win the AFC East for the 11th straight time.

Bills

Sneaky Good Defense in Buffalo
  • Coaching: The same group returns with Sean McDermott as head man. He’s been really good so far (besides that Nathan Peterman choice in 2017). Brian Daboll at OC worked with rookie Josh Allen, and I’m curious to see that progression. The Bills are a defense first team with a great DC in Leslie Frazier. Overall the 2nd best coaching group in the division. Offense should be very run oriented, but if Allen progresses, then maybe it can move more to a balanced approach.
  • Key Departures: Charles Clay at TE gets released and Kelvin Benjamin is finally gone, too, at WR.
  • Key Additions: A lot of vets here: WRs Cole Beasley the slot guy from Dallas and John Brown the speedy WR from Baltimore last year can help that horrible WR corps. The ghost of Frank Gore (MIA) at RB joins McCoy in the backfield – that is a lot of age back there plus a more versatile back up in TJ Yeldon (JAC). Plus, the Bills added Tyler Kroft at TE, but he is on the PUP list at this time. Kevin Johnson, CB (HOU) is a nice addition to the secondary, a former 1st round pick.
  • Draft: Ed Oliver (U of Houston) was a steal for this team at 9th overall – Oliver is a powerful and versatile defensive lineman and will be another force on this stout defense. Cody Ford from Oklahoma fell to the 2nd round for the Bills, and he will start at Offensive Tackle. Two 3rd round picks could contribute in RB Devin Singletary, a small but mighty back from Florida Atlantic, and TE Dawson Knox from Ole Miss to replace Clay.
  • Final Analysis: The Bills will be a tough team to play, but they are a .500 team at best. The defense will keep them in games, but unless Josh Allen makes a big leap, then the Bills should miss the playoffs again.

Jets

New Faces in New Places – Bell in NY
  • Coaching: A new staff with the Todd Bowles regime being ousted. Enter HC Adam Gase who left Miami. In fact, there has been calamity with the firing of the GM who hired Gase. Gase continues bringing the diminutive one – Dowell Loggains at Offensive Coordinator with him. He hired DC Greg Williams who has bounced around a lot. Williams is known for pressure defenses that take chances a lot. Gase and Loggains have had some success in Chicago and Miami, but not sure I can say their actual scheme beyond – Get the Ball to Bell.
  • Key Departures: The Jets lost RB Isaiah Crowell, but that isn’t a big deal with his replacement.
  • Key Additions: The big prize was RB Le’Veon Bell, the extremely dynamic runner from Pittsburgh. Bell sat out all of 2018, so he should be fresh, but let’s see if he can be the center piece Gase wants. Around Bell and 2nd year QB Sam Darnold, they have attempted to assemble a team. They signed solid slot WR Jamison Crowder from WAS, Kelechi Osemele at OT from OAK, Ryan Griffin at TE (HOU), WR Kelvin Benjamin from BUF, and another RB Ty Montgomery from BAL. On defense, they signed CJ Mosley at LB from Baltimore.
  • Draft: The Jets add a top defensive lineman to the mix at Quinnen Williams from Alabama with the 3rd pick overall. Jachai Polite from Florida could contribute as a pass rusher and Chuma Edoga an OT from USC were selected in the 3rd round.
  • Final Analysis: The Jets do have a lot of young talent, but QB Sam Darnold needs to vastly improve for this team to be good. I actually think they could win some games (6-8), but not a playoff team.

Dolphins

Doesn’t Josh Rosen Look like Aaron Rodgers?
  • Coaching: Another new unit here with former Pats’ DC, Brian Flores, at the helm. I think he is great, but this team is not. He has Chad O’Shea at OC – another Patriots defector coached the WRs in NE. So, not sure the scheme they will implement without #12 in the backfield. At DC, Patrick Graham is the guy. Graham has been on several staffs – NE, GB, and NYG. Flores will run the defense for sure. Flores employed a more aggressive, blitzing attack than his predecessors in NE. I think it will be a risk/reward defense.
  • Key Departures: Miami traded QB Ryan Tannehill to TEN for draft picks. They didn’t re-sign Frank Gore at RB. They also traded DE Robert Quinn to Dallas.
  • Key Additions: Dolphins signed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (TB) and made the big trade for 2nd year QB Josh Rosen from AZ. They signed TE Dwayne Allen (NE) and recently WR Allen Hurns (DAL).
  • Draft: The Dolphins drafted Christian Wilkins DT from Clemson at #13 overall and Guard Michael Dieter (Wisconsin) in the 3rd round.
  • Final Analysis: This is one of the worst teams in the NFL. There have already been rumors they will tank for the 1st pick in the Draft in 2020. Ryan FitzMagic could lead them to some victories early, but the offense is not great with the defense even worse. They will be a bottom 5 team all year. They could go 1-5 or 0-6 in this division.

There is our first division. Yes, the easiest one to predict, but you have to start somewhere. Next up NFC East later this week.

Wegs

About the author

I'm a 49 year old, twice divorced guy with a 20 year old. The blog has morphed a bit lately. Not just sports or dating, social commentary and now some stories from my past experience.