State of the AFC East

Van Everyman · Sep 12, 2023

@BaseballJones – I feel like your inner optimist has been shamed into hiding by posters and now you feel compelled to qualify anything good you say about the Pats which ends up coming out negative.

Fight back against those negative nancies. Release the optimist again!

johnmd20 · Sep 12, 2023

Van Everyman said:
@BaseballJones – I feel like your inner optimist has been shamed into hiding by posters and now you feel compelled to qualify anything good you say about the Pats which ends up coming out negative.

Fight back against those negative nancies. Release the optimist again!

With all of that said, the Pats are still 4th in the power rankings on September 12th. Hard to argue otherwise.

Things could change. But it's where they are right now.

Van Everyman · Sep 12, 2023

johnmd20 said:
With all of that said, the Pats are still 4th in the power rankings on September 12th. Hard to argue otherwise.

Things could change. But it's where they are right now.

Yeah it was more the commentary than the rankings itself.

Van Everyman · Sep 12, 2023

BaseballJones said:
Ha! No, I'm not shamed by anyone. I said these things in the post-game commentary. Loved lots of what I saw, but at some point Mac especially needs to find a way to WIN one of these games against a quality opponent. And I said that once he does, it could start to CLICK for him. Until then, however...

Ok but you are on notice. The board needs more people who aren’t salty about 20 years of unprecedented success coming to an end.

Also, as @Deathofthebambino said, Mac did his job yesterday. He was let down by Boutte/Bourne/Henry in some big moments. At some point his TEAMMATES need to find a way to win.

rodderick · Sep 12, 2023

No way are the Patriots behind the Jets. I think their defense is for real, but Mac Jones is in another stratosphere of competence when compared to Wilson. We'll sweep them again, no doubt in my mind.

Eck'sSneakyCheese · Sep 12, 2023

rodderick said:
No way are the Patriots behind the Jets. I think their defense is for real, but Mac Jones is in another stratosphere of competence when compared to Wilson. We'll sweep them again, no doubt in my mind.

This is kind of where I'm at. The most complete team this weekend was New England. They looked competent on both sides. None of the other teams in the division were close. If the Pats beat Miami this weekend wouldn't they clearly be number 1?

rodderick · Sep 12, 2023

Eck'sSneakyCheese said:
This is kind of where I'm at. The most complete team this weekend was New England. They looked competent on both sides. None of the other teams in the division were close. If the Pats beat Miami this weekend wouldn't they clearly be number 1?

I think counting on Buffalo's demise due to a Week 1 game against an opponent they have struggled with is a bit foolish. Until they 100% implode I'd have them number one in the division.

Time to Mo Vaughn · Sep 12, 2023

I think one of the biggest factors with Miami is that they have a higher likelihood than most (all?) teams in the NFL of losing their QB1 for extended periods of games or the season.

Wyatt do we think their win difference is if they play a whole season with vs without Tuna? I'd say 3-4 games. Could they win a playoff game without him?

Eck'sSneakyCheese · Sep 12, 2023

rodderick said:
I think counting on Buffalo's demise due to a Week 1 game against an opponent they have struggled with is a bit foolish. Until they 100% implode I'd have them number one in the division.

I had Buffalo having a down year since the end of last season. I think Allen may turn back into a pumpkin.

Justthetippett · Sep 12, 2023

BaseballJones said:
If, if, if. Let's see how it goes this weekend. Obviously, as you all know, power rankings are fluid depending on results and circumstances. For now, I think I have it right.

I would agree. Pats are looking up at the rest until they show they can beat a good team, which they'll have an opportunity to do Sunday (and the two weeks that follow). If we're ranking QBs it's Mac over Zach for now.

Eddie Jurak · Sep 12, 2023

Eck'sSneakyCheese said:
This is kind of where I'm at. The most complete team this weekend was New England. They looked competent on both sides. None of the other teams in the division were close. If the Pats beat Miami this weekend wouldn't they clearly be number 1?

This is why failing to pull out that win will likely come back to bite them. Being up a game on the Bills would have been great.

Silverdude2167 · Sep 12, 2023

Putting the Jets above the Pats when Wilson is the Jets QB is laughable.

johnmd20 · Sep 12, 2023

Eck'sSneakyCheese said:
I had Buffalo having a down year since the end of last season. I think Allen may turn back into a pumpkin.

Allen will be fine. The conditions yesterday were not good and the Jets defense is excellent. One of the best overall units in the league.

Devizier · Sep 12, 2023

Suddenly, this division looks very mediocre, which is good for the Patriots. It’s also another example of “no plan survives the battlefield”. I do think the Bills are better than they showed and that Miami is better than they’re being given credit for.

cshea · Sep 12, 2023

Not sure I'd shovel too much dirt on the Bills just yet. The Jets beat them in MetLife last year in a similar game (came from 14-3 down to win 20-17) with Wilson at the helm. Held Buffalo to 20 points in Buffalo with Mike White at QB. The Jets defense is really good and the Bills haven't been able to solve it.

We'll see how the season progresses but once area of concern is that it appears the Bills still haven't solved their running game issues. Allen was once again their most effective runner, and you don't really want that because he tends to take a lot of unecessary hits, like the weird diving flip on 3rd and a mile when he was at least 7 yards shy of the marker. Cook/Murray/Harris (I would've used him more) combined for 63 yards on 16 carries.

The receiving corp is also potentially a problem. It's Diggs...then what? Gabe Davis has his moments but not sure he's really developed into a reliable #2. He was only targeted 4 times last night. WR3 is Hardy who was also targeted 4 times, some of those quick screens. Just seems like if Diggs were to go down, they are totally porked.

Justthetippett · Sep 12, 2023

cshea said:
Not sure I'd shovel too much dirt on the Bills just yet. The Jets beat them in MetLife last year in a similar game (came from 14-3 down to win 20-17) with Wilson at the helm. Held Buffalo to 20 points in Buffalo with Mike White at QB. The Jets defense is really good and the Bills haven't been able to solve it.

We'll see how the season progresses but once area of concern is that it appears the Bills still haven't solved their running game issues. Allen was once again their most effective runner, and you don't really want that because he tends to take a lot of unecessary hits, like the weird diving flip on 3rd and a mile when he was at least 7 yards shy of the marker. Cook/Murray/Harris (I would've used him more) combined for 63 yards on 16 carries.

The receiving corp is also potentially a problem. It's Diggs...then what? Gabe Davis has his moments but not sure he's really developed into a reliable #2. He was only targeted 4 times last night. WR3 is Hardy who was also targeted 4 times, some of those quick screens. Just seems like if Diggs were to go down, they are totally porked.

Diggs definitely stirs the drink. They do have some good TEs, so there's a bit of potential there for adjustment if their WR corps was limited, but yeah, no Diggs probably ends with Allen improvising a lot and getting crunched. He's a beast but he needs to avoid those hits, especially early in the season.

Eck'sSneakyCheese · Sep 12, 2023

johnmd20 said:
Allen will be fine. The conditions yesterday were not good and the Jets defense is excellent. One of the best overall units in the league.

His decision making under pressure is still a question mark. He's yet to show me he can do it when the lights are brightest. Allen has complete lapses in confidence that last for games. Elite QBs don't do that. Same issue with Mac unfortunately.

rodderick · Sep 12, 2023

Eck'sSneakyCheese said:
His decision making under pressure is still a question mark. He's yet to show me he can do it when the lights are brightest. Allen has complete lapses in confidence that last for games. Elite QBs don't do that. Same issue with Mac unfortunately.

Yeah, that career 350 total yards per game with 20 TDs and 6 turnovers in the playoffs just won't cut it.

Eck'sSneakyCheese · Sep 12, 2023

rodderick said:
Yeah, that career 350 total yards per game with 20 TDs and 6 turnovers in the playoffs just won't cut it.

The 2021 AFC Championship was an amazing game. Other than that? meh

pdaj · Sep 12, 2023

rodderick said:
No way are the Patriots behind the Jets. I think their defense is for real, but Mac Jones is in another stratosphere of competence when compared to Wilson. We'll sweep them again, no doubt in my mind.

I’m high on Mac Jones. I like him a lot.

Maybe it’s because, as a Dolphins fan, I saw an organization do just about everything in their power early in Tua’s career to sabotage him, and the Patriots said, “Hold my beer,” with Jones. Part of it also seems to be how the NFL is covered nowadays. If you don’t pop off the screen with physical tools as a QB, you’re dogshit. The media analysts harp on your negatives, as opposed to highlighting the many more positives. And this is despite TOM FUCKING BRADY being a subpar “athlete" and a dude who began his career as a game-manager.

Mac’s tough, smart, and accurate. He’s also going to get better with time, especially if he’s able to operate in the same offense year after year.

I prefer Tua over Mac (more athletic, elite anticipation), but I think if both QBs swapped places, Jones would have Miami’s offense operating similarly. As would Brock Purdy.

The Patriots should have beaten the Eagles on Sunday. Mac wasn’t perfect, but the loss wasn’t his “fault.” I think the Patriots are dangerous and am thrilled that BB hasn’t surrounded Jones with gamechangers.

BaseballJones said:
Without Tua, Miami is toast. And no, I don't think he'll last the season without another concussion.

But for now....I think they're #1 in the division. But Buffalo, when all is said and done, has the most complete team, I think.

Somehow, this fact seems to endure as one of the game’s dirty little secrets: All QBs get concussed. Often.

Kenny Pickett had 2 concussions last season and was quite possibly concussed on Sunday, although we’ll likely never know. (He wasn’t checked despite a body slam resulting in his head hitting the ground very hard.) Why isn't he being talked about as a health liability? Josh Allen has been in concussion protocol more than once throughout his still relatively young career and may have been concussed last night, too. (See link below.)

Did the NFL Miss a Josh Allen Concussion During Bills Loss to the Jets? (msn.com)

And what about a guy like Burrow when asked about concussions?

”Speaking on ‘The Colin Cowherd Podcast,’ the other quarterback in that game, Joe Burrow, shared that while he hasn’t suffered long-term from a concussion, he has forgotten portions of games in the past. ‘I’ve been hit and forgot the rest of the game before, that’s happened a couple of times,’ Burrow said.”

Joe Burrow admits he has forgotten games after head injuries (on3.com)

Tua’s concussion against Cincinnati last season was visually frightening, which is why it’s possibly talked about so differently. Then again, so was Russell Wilson’s last year.

Russell Wilson SCARY head injury after taking HUGE HIT vs. Chiefs - YouTube

So, why isn’t the risk of another concussion being brought up for him? For some reason, Tua’s being treated as a special case, and I’m not quite sure that’s accurate.

What we’re often told by professionals in the neuro field regarding concussions is that once you’ve had one … you’re likely more susceptible to being concussed again. And that rest following a return to physical contact minimizes that risk, to some degree. This really means that ALL NFL QBs are probably more prone to concussions.

Part of my clinical work involved supporting adults with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI); and in doing this, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to many doctors regarding concussions with athletes. From what I’ve been told, not all concussions are “the same,” and a big factor is the area of the brain impacted.

As an example, if you were to sustain a concussion following whiplash (trauma to the back of the head), you’d likely be more liable to having another concussion due to whiplash in the future. However, you wouldn’t be more sensitive than the average person if enduring contact to the front of the head (prefrontal cortex), as with an NFL running back slamming into a linebacker.

I bring this up because Tua’s two concussions were topographically the same – the back of his head hitting the surface. Based on what I detailed earlier, this is why Tua’s offseason focusing on falling more strategically makes sense. During the preseason, Tua threw an interception and made a tough tackle. He also was tackled hard (piled on) after a high snap. No concussion. Yet, the narrative persists that “if the wind blows hard,” he’s “done.” We’ll see.

Deathofthebambino · Sep 12, 2023

pdaj said:
I’m high on Mac Jones. I like him a lot.

Maybe it’s because, as a Dolphins fan, I saw an organization do just about everything in their power early in Tua’s career to sabotage him, and the Patriots said, “Hold my beer,” with Jones. Part of it also seems to be how the NFL is covered nowadays. If you don’t pop off the screen with physical tools as a QB, you’re dogshit. The media analysts harp on your negatives, as opposed to highlighting the many more positives. And this is despite TOM FUCKING BRADY being a subpar “athlete" and a dude who began his career as a game-manager.

Mac’s tough, smart, and accurate. He’s also going to get better with time, especially if he’s able to operate in the same offense year after year.

I prefer Tua over Mac (more athletic, elite anticipation), but I think if both QBs swapped places, Jones would have Miami’s offense operating similarly. As would Brock Purdy.

The Patriots should have beaten the Eagles on Sunday. Mac wasn’t perfect, but the loss wasn’t his “fault.” I think the Patriots are dangerous and am thrilled that BB hasn’t surrounded Jones with gamechangers.

Somehow, this fact seems to endure as one of the game’s dirty little secrets: All QBs get concussed. Often.

Kenny Pickett had 2 concussions last season and was quite possibly concussed on Sunday, although we’ll likely never know. (He wasn’t checked despite a body slam resulting in his head hitting the ground very hard.) Why isn't he being talked about as a health liability? Josh Allen has been in concussion protocol more than once throughout his still relatively young career and may have been concussed last night, too. (See link below.)

Did the NFL Miss a Josh Allen Concussion During Bills Loss to the Jets? (msn.com)

And what about a guy like Burrow when asked about concussions?

”Speaking on ‘The Colin Cowherd Podcast,’ the other quarterback in that game, Joe Burrow, shared that while he hasn’t suffered long-term from a concussion, he has forgotten portions of games in the past. ‘I’ve been hit and forgot the rest of the game before, that’s happened a couple of times,’ Burrow said.”

Joe Burrow admits he has forgotten games after head injuries (on3.com)

Tua’s concussion against Cincinnati last season was visually frightening, which is why it’s possibly talked about so differently. Then again, so was Russell Wilson’s last year.

Russell Wilson SCARY head injury after taking HUGE HIT vs. Chiefs - YouTube

So, why isn’t the risk of another concussion being brought up for him? For some reason, Tua’s being treated as a special case, and I’m not quite sure that’s accurate.

What we’re often told by professionals in the neuro field regarding concussions is that once you’ve had one … you’re likely more susceptible to being concussed again. And that rest following a return to physical contact minimizes that risk, to some degree. This really means that ALL NFL QBs are probably more prone to concussions.

Part of my clinical work involved supporting adults with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI); and in doing this, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to many doctors regarding concussions with athletes. From what I’ve been told, not all concussions are “the same,” and a big factor is the area of the brain impacted.

As an example, if you were to sustain a concussion following whiplash (trauma to the back of the head), you’d likely be more liable to having another concussion due to whiplash in the future. However, you wouldn’t be more sensitive than the average person if enduring contact to the front of the head (prefrontal cortex), as with an NFL running back slamming into a linebacker.

I bring this up because Tua’s two concussions were topographically the same – the back of his head hitting the surface. Based on what I detailed earlier, this is why Tua’s offseason focusing on falling more strategically makes sense. During the preseason, Tua threw an interception and made a tough tackle. He also was tackled hard (piled on) after a high snap. No concussion. Yet, the narrative persists that “if the wind blows hard,” he’s “done.” We’ll see.

I think with Tua, it's more than just concussions though. He has had two different tightrope procedures on his ankle, he had the horrible, Bo Jackson-like hip injury that ended his college career. He's had other nicks and injuries (fingers, ribs, etc.) that don't seem predictable.

But he had 3 concussions last year, not just two. In the game against the Bills last year, he left the game with a "head" injury. It was later called a "back" injury, and he returned to the game. It was extremely questionable. Then the same week (Thursday night), he got taken down and that was the scary one where he went into the fencer's pose on national television. Then in week 16, he hit the back of his head again, and didn't leave the game and threw 3 picks in the 2nd half and anyone watching that game knew he wasn't right, at all. I think part of the Tua concussion concerns have been exacerbated by the way he's been handled publicly, which may not mean anything and he could go on to have a long, healthy career, but I think that's probably why folks talk about his head injuries so much (short time span between them, questionable management by the team and their doctors).

amfox1 · Sep 12, 2023

I agree with the OP's ranking. For week 2, if NE beats MIA, BUF beats LV and DAL beats NJJ, I'd rank them BUF, NE, MIA, NJJ (all teams being 1-1).

Gash Prex · Sep 12, 2023

I have a hard time seeing any logical reason for the Jets being ranked ahead of the Pats with Wilson as their QB. Until the Pats can beat Miami and Buffalo I think we are clearly #3.

Cellar-Door · Sep 12, 2023

Gash Prex said:
I have a hard time seeing any logical reason for the Jets being ranked ahead of the Pats with Wilson as their QB. Until the Pats can beat Miami and Buffalo I think we are clearly #3.

Presumably because they already have a win... when you're talking about teams who are likely looking at 5-8 wins (Patriots win total in Vegas was 6.5) having one already is pretty big.

Time to Mo Vaughn · Sep 12, 2023

pdaj said:
I’m high on Mac Jones. I like him a lot.

Maybe it’s because, as a Dolphins fan, I saw an organization do just about everything in their power early in Tua’s career to sabotage him, and the Patriots said, “Hold my beer,” with Jones. Part of it also seems to be how the NFL is covered nowadays. If you don’t pop off the screen with physical tools as a QB, you’re dogshit. The media analysts harp on your negatives, as opposed to highlighting the many more positives. And this is despite TOM FUCKING BRADY being a subpar “athlete" and a dude who began his career as a game-manager.

Mac’s tough, smart, and accurate. He’s also going to get better with time, especially if he’s able to operate in the same offense year after year.

I prefer Tua over Mac (more athletic, elite anticipation), but I think if both QBs swapped places, Jones would have Miami’s offense operating similarly. As would Brock Purdy.

The Patriots should have beaten the Eagles on Sunday. Mac wasn’t perfect, but the loss wasn’t his “fault.” I think the Patriots are dangerous and am thrilled that BB hasn’t surrounded Jones with gamechangers.

Somehow, this fact seems to endure as one of the game’s dirty little secrets: All QBs get concussed. Often.

Kenny Pickett had 2 concussions last season and was quite possibly concussed on Sunday, although we’ll likely never know. (He wasn’t checked despite a body slam resulting in his head hitting the ground very hard.) Why isn't he being talked about as a health liability? Josh Allen has been in concussion protocol more than once throughout his still relatively young career and may have been concussed last night, too. (See link below.)

Did the NFL Miss a Josh Allen Concussion During Bills Loss to the Jets? (msn.com)

And what about a guy like Burrow when asked about concussions?

”Speaking on ‘The Colin Cowherd Podcast,’ the other quarterback in that game, Joe Burrow, shared that while he hasn’t suffered long-term from a concussion, he has forgotten portions of games in the past. ‘I’ve been hit and forgot the rest of the game before, that’s happened a couple of times,’ Burrow said.”

Joe Burrow admits he has forgotten games after head injuries (on3.com)

Tua’s concussion against Cincinnati last season was visually frightening, which is why it’s possibly talked about so differently. Then again, so was Russell Wilson’s last year.

Russell Wilson SCARY head injury after taking HUGE HIT vs. Chiefs - YouTube

So, why isn’t the risk of another concussion being brought up for him? For some reason, Tua’s being treated as a special case, and I’m not quite sure that’s accurate.

What we’re often told by professionals in the neuro field regarding concussions is that once you’ve had one … you’re likely more susceptible to being concussed again. And that rest following a return to physical contact minimizes that risk, to some degree. This really means that ALL NFL QBs are probably more prone to concussions.

Part of my clinical work involved supporting adults with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI); and in doing this, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to many doctors regarding concussions with athletes. From what I’ve been told, not all concussions are “the same,” and a big factor is the area of the brain impacted.

As an example, if you were to sustain a concussion following whiplash (trauma to the back of the head), you’d likely be more liable to having another concussion due to whiplash in the future. However, you wouldn’t be more sensitive than the average person if enduring contact to the front of the head (prefrontal cortex), as with an NFL running back slamming into a linebacker.

I bring this up because Tua’s two concussions were topographically the same – the back of his head hitting the surface. Based on what I detailed earlier, this is why Tua’s offseason focusing on falling more strategically makes sense. During the preseason, Tua threw an interception and made a tough tackle. He also was tackled hard (piled on) after a high snap. No concussion. Yet, the narrative persists that “if the wind blows hard,” he’s “done.” We’ll see.

I'm with you on there being a lot more concussions than players put into the protocol and taken out of the game, but the difference with Tua is that he had the very visible notable and obvious concussions especially in back to back games (as DotB pointed out within a single week as well). If we agree that all QBs have undiagnosed concussions, we can probably assume that Tua had a few of those as well.

rodderick · Sep 12, 2023

BaseballJones said:
They just beat Buffalo with Wilson as their QB.

The did that last year as well!

TFisNEXT · Sep 12, 2023

BaseballJones said:
They just beat Buffalo with Wilson as their QB.

I would probably say Buffalo beat themselves…those were some inexplicably awful decisions by Allen in the 2nd half…and Garrett Wilson bailed out Zach Wilson on that terrible goalline throw.

lars10 · Sep 12, 2023

johnmd20 said:
Allen will be fine. The conditions yesterday were not good and the Jets defense is excellent. One of the best overall units in the league.

I think the question about Allen is how long he can sustain taking as many hits as he does. He continues to refuse to go out of bounds for very little upside and usually two or three extra hits that he shouldn't take. As strong and big as he is.. continuing to think he can hurt the opposing linebackers (or whatever flawed logic he's using) is bound to eventually cause some sort of serious injury...and if not that then general wear and tear that will shorten his career.

OurF'ingCity · Sep 12, 2023

There’s no question that Jones is better than Wilson. But the Jets have better WRs and might have a better defense (as of now it seems like both teams have very good defenses so hard to draw any clear comparisons).

So, I agree with the OP rankings for now, but it’s very close, and at this point you could maybe even put the NYJ second simply given that they’ve beat the Bills, although I agree going forward the Bills should still be (perhaps significantly) better team.

BigSoxFan · Sep 12, 2023

rodderick said:
The did that last year as well!

They finished 1 game behind the Pats last year. I don’t see why putting them ahead of them this year is that controversial. They’re 1-0, we’re 0-1. Let’s see the Pats win a game before we move them up. The schedule remains quite difficult. I could see a fast rise for the Pats, if things go as we hope.

rodderick · Sep 12, 2023

BigSoxFan said:
They finished 1 game behind the Pats last year. I don’t see why putting them ahead of them this year is that controversial. They’re 1-0, we’re 0-1. Let’s see the Pats win a game before we move them up. The schedule remains quite difficult. I could see a fast rise for the Pats, if things go as we hope.

It's not super controversial, I just think if you remove Rodgers from the equation the Patriots did more to improve both in terms of talent and coaching than the Jets did, and the schedule is similarly daunting for both teams. I still can't see Wilson beating them considering how utterly clueless he's looked against this defense.

Sille Skrub · Sep 12, 2023

Van Everyman said:
@BaseballJones – I feel like your inner optimist has been shamed into hiding by posters and now you feel compelled to qualify anything good you say about the Pats which ends up coming out negative.

Fight back against those negative nancies. Release the optimist again!

I'll second this.

It has only been one week, but I feel like the division is wide open. Save for the opening miscues, the Pats stood right in with the NFC champs. Did that vaunted Philly D even get a sack? I'll also agree that they (Mac?) need to start learning to actually close out one of these close games against a more favorably regarded opponent. The Jets just suffered a huge blow and were able to pull out a game under emotionally-charged circumstances. I don't think that is sustainable, nor is winning with only defense every week. The Bills should have found a way to win that game. I didn't watch Miami so I can't comment there, but they are always a tough opponent for the Pats.

Should be a great 16 week ride to the end.

Tim Salmon · Sep 12, 2023

Sille Skrub said:
I'll second this.

It has only been one week, but I feel like the division is wide open. Save for the opening miscues, the Pats stood right in with the NFC champs. Did that vaunted Philly D even get a sack? I'll also agree that they (Mac?) need to start learning to actually close out one of these close games against a more favorably regarded opponent. The Jets just suffered a huge blow and were able to pull out a game under emotionally-charged circumstances. I don't think that is sustainable, nor is winning with only defense every week. The Bills should have found a way to win that game. I didn't watch Miami so I can't comment there, but they are always a tough opponent for the Pats.

Should be a great 16 week ride to the end.

I like your optimism, but yes, Mac was sacked twice when it mattered most, during the Pats' final two possessions in a one-possession game.

Sille Skrub · Sep 12, 2023

Tim Salmon said:
I like your optimism, but yes, Mac was sacked twice when it mattered most, during the Pats' final two possessions in a one-possession game.

Ah, my vision was blinded by too much alcohol, sweat from this horrible humidity and regret at the Blade on Sunday.

I may have already erased them from my brain as a coping mechanism.

BigSoxFan · Sep 12, 2023

rodderick said:
It's not super controversial, I just think if you remove Rodgers from the equation the Patriots did more to improve both in terms of talent and coaching than the Jets did, and the schedule is similarly daunting for both teams. I still can't see Wilson beating them considering how utterly clueless he's looked against this defense.

I hope you’re right but our offense is going to really struggle against this defense. Last year, we needed a Jones PR to beat them. I think these games will be very close. Wouldn’t shock me to see Pats lose in 2 weeks. I do think Pats probably have more upside though.

DJnVa · Sep 12, 2023

BaseballJones said:
They just beat Buffalo with Wilson as their QB.

They beat the Bills with Wilson last year too.

BigSoxFan · Sep 12, 2023

BaseballJones said:
We are long past the point where we can assume the Patriots will just beat any AFCE team. Even with Wilson instead of Rodgers, they're dangerous. It's not hard at all to see the Jets' D causing a couple of huge turnovers, for example, and it's also easy to see the Pats' offense really struggling to score. I can see a 13-10 Jets win without squinting at all.

But I can also see the Pats beating the Jets without too much difficulty as well. This is the NFL and it's not the Tom Brady version of the Pats so it's all on the table.

Yeah, this is the point I was making. Pats may be improved but the Jets have a really, really good defense. All it takes is for a couple key mistakes, which we already saw in Week 1, to decide a game. I need to see more improvement in the running game before I lift the ceiling on this Pats team.

Jinhocho · Sep 12, 2023

Prior to the season I thought it would be Buffalo at the top of the heap, one of the Jets or Dolpins second, the Pats 3rd, and one of the Jets and Dolpins 4th. I do not think much has changed, but maybe the Pats could sneak into the second part. Still there is a decent chance the Pats start the season 0-2 so maybe I am a homer

BusRaker · Sep 12, 2023

rodderick said:
No way are the Patriots behind the Jets. I think their defense is for real, but Mac Jones is in another stratosphere of competence when compared to Wilson. We'll sweep them again, no doubt in my mind.

Not sure if we "deserved" to sweep them but we did score more points in each of the games (lol).
But yeah we'll sweep them.
I'm really seeing the entire AFC East finishing 9-8 this year

cshea · Sep 12, 2023

Wilson in his career against NE, 4 starts, 0-4 (did leave one game early due to injury) is 54/96 (56%) 693 yards, 2 TD's 7, INT's

Anything can happen and I'm certainly not going to ink in the wins but I don't think it's an outlandish take to put the Pats ahead of the Jets until we see some forward development from Wilson. The 10-3 game was ugly but the Pats ougained the Jets by almost 200 yards (297-103) and the Jets only had 6 first downs the entire game.

Cellar-Door · Sep 12, 2023

Jinhocho said:
Prior to the season I thought it would be Buffalo at the top of the heap, one of the Jets or Dolpins second, the Pats 3rd, and one of the Jets and Dolpins 4th. I do not think much has changed, but maybe the Pats could sneak into the second part. Still there is a decent chance the Pats start the season 0-2 so maybe I am a homer

I think the Dolphins are the best team in the division if they can keep Tua healthy, healthy Tua Miami was the best team in the division last year too, and they significantly improved the D.

Humphrey · Sep 12, 2023

BaseballJones said:
They just beat Buffalo with Wilson as their QB.

The Jets will do fine if they can run the ball like they did last night. But, that's a big if w/o a qb playing competently.

Saints Rest · Sep 12, 2023

Rankings by unit?

Offense:

Miami
Buffalo
NE
NY

Defense:

NY
NE
Buffalo
Miami

Specials:
Probably too early to tell. But Bailey punting for MIA seems questionable. OTOH, Marcus Jones is probably the best PR while the Jets earned a win via specials last night. So ???

State of the AFC East

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