AFCE off season - better or worse?

[BuffaloBill]

The poll function only allows for three questions. So, in your comments please also discuss for the AFCE teams that you believe are better, have they gained ground on the Bills? Do any of them pose a real threat to take the AFCE in 2022?

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

13 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

The poll function only allows for three questions. So, in your comments please also discuss for the AFCE teams that you believe are better, have they gained ground on the Bills? Do any of them pose a real threat to take the AFCE in 2022?

it’s too early to tell 🦬 B. 
 

If I voted, I’d  have to vote Push on all 3.  
The homer in me say WORSE. 

But that’s not what you want 

 

Who did they get that will actually make their QB better,

or allow them to overcome the 2 TD plus margin of Victory in their defeats?

 

The 40 + winds and 3 pass game for Mac was an anomaly.

To that point. Have the Bills improved their run defense?

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by SlimShady'sSpaceForce

[atomicpwrd]

I am not gonna lie - the Dolphins worry me a bit on offense.  Tua is coming into is 3rd year, and they have a ton of speed on offense.  On defense, I still don't think they can stop us.  I will also say, I am not worried much though...we beat the Chiefs who were still better than the current Dolphins.

 

The Jets got much better, but that is not saying much...they were super bad.  Wilson looked downright awful last year.  They went from way below to average to below average if that makes sense.

 

There is a good chance the Patriots will be the last team in the division next year.  The tape is out on Mac Jones...I think he takes a big step back this year.

[No_Matter_What]

This a good question. After couple of votes it is clear that people think what I think - Dolphins and Jets got better, while Patriots got worse.

 

So that begs a question. Is there a realistic chance that Patriots will end up last in the division?

 

I'd say its fairly possible, but it depends on Zach Wilson a lot.

[Alphadawg7]

Jets got better simply by experience for their rookies last year, especially Wilson, and strong draft.  But that’s on paper.

 

Pats got worse based on who they lost and didn’t do much to counter the losses.

Mia got better adding elite weapon and Tua entering his third year should help and Waddle has a season under his belt too.  But harder to tell if it will translate to the field because coaching is unknown after letting go of a good staff who got the most out the roster.  

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

6 minutes ago, atomicpwrd said:

Tua is coming into is 3rd year,

just end it there. 
No need to continue 

 

QB, QB, QB

 

Speedy WR for guys who don’t have a rocket arm .. He’d outrun every deep pass.  IF there is a deep pass. 
 

Will it be Tua or Teddy? 
The HC hasn’t proved he committed to Tua.

Edited May 1, 2022 by SlimShady'sSpaceForce

[goldenboy81]

As long as there is 3 noodle arm quarterbacks in our division, I don't see any of them as a threat.

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, goldenboy81 said:

As long as there is 3 noodle arm quarterbacks in our division, I don't see any of them as a threat.

Wilson doesn’t have a noodle arm.  I’m not saying he’s very good, rookie year was rough, but he can sling it. 

[KDIGGZ]

Jets and Dolphins got better but until they change the guy under center, who cares? Pats got worse and I don't know what their plan is. Belichick makes his team worse and everyone thinks he's a genius he probably has an amazing plan and this is all part of it. Or maybe he doesn't have a QB and he doesn't know what to do like every other NFL team lol

[BarleyNY]

11 minutes ago, No_Matter_What said:

This a good question. After couple of votes it is clear that people think what I think - Dolphins and Jets got better, while Patriots got worse.

 

So that begs a question. Is there a realistic chance that Patriots will end up last in the division?

 

I'd say its fairly possible, but it depends on Zach Wilson a lot.

The Dolphins are a QB away from being able to challenge Buffalo IMO.  I’m not saying they’d be better than us with one, but they’d be very competitive as their roster is otherwise very, very good.  The wildcard is their new coaching staff.  That could be a bump in either direction. 
 

The Jest got a lot better, but they were trash.  They don’t have a QB and their ownership sucks.  Saleh is a good coach though.  They’ll be better, but that means they will have a chance to not finish last in the AFCE.

 

NE’s ceiling is an asskicking in the first round of the playoffs like last year.  Their floor is last place in the AFCE.  I expect them to be .500ish.  It’ll be interesting to see if they continue to decline without the lure of Brady.  

[buffblue]

Jets better, Pats worse, Dolphins push.

 

The Fins get a lot of hype but they will have a 1st year coaching staff with new schemes to implement. Their defense was pretty solid towards the end of last year. Who's to say that the improved personnel on offense won't be offset by a regression on the other side of the ball? 

[SCBills]

If Tua and Wilson make any kind of jump, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see NE finish last in the AFCE. 

 

Unless NE builds Mac a dome and Kraft can pay schedule makers to schedule all Northeastern away games in the early Fall, he’s going to struggle.  
 

Mac might get somewhat better, but high floor, low ceiling and once it got cold, he turned into a pumpkin.   Doesn’t help that NE easily has the least amount of top end talent of anyone in the Division. 

[atomicpwrd]

20 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

just end it there. 
No need to continue 

 

QB, QB, QB

 

Speedy WR for guys who don’t have a rocket arm .. He’d outrun every deep pass.  IF there is a deep pass. 
 

Will it be Tua or Teddy? 
The HC hasn’t proved he committed to Tua.

LMAO!  You don't need a rocket arm to take advantage of speed.  Hill and Waddle can take a dump off to the house.  That said, I really agree...if we play a shell coverage, it takes those dump-offs away.  I also feel like our D will be much improved this year.

[Process]

There's really not much to debate here. The Bills Dolphins and jets each got significantly better, Patriots got worse. Bills still in a class of their own

[Rocky Landing]

It's never a good idea to hang one's hat on draft picks going into the season. But, it's hard not to think that the Jets have improved their team enormously over the last few days. They've done a great job this offseason, IMO.

 

The Dolphins did it in FA, and sacrificed their draft in the process. Good for them, I suppose. We'll see if the King's ransom they paid for Hill proves to be worth it. I suspect not. Hill may be the best WR in the league, but with such a lower caliber QB throwing him the ball behind such a crappy O-line, one has to believe his production will fall off, and with it his attitude.

 

It's been a pleasure to watch the Patriots* lose so many key pieces (CB Jackson, G Mason, C Karras, among several others), barely make a move in FA, and then screw up their draft so badly. It's all on paper, of course, but the Pats* might be in trouble. And it's not just a matter of personnel-- they lost their O-line coach, and their long-time OC Josh McDaniels, as well. It's hard to imagine how the cheating, aging GOAT Belichick* might pull this team up. 

[Generic_Bills_Fan]

41 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

The Dolphins are a QB away from being able to challenge Buffalo IMO.  I’m not saying they’d be better than us with one, but they’d be very competitive as their roster is otherwise very, very good.  The wildcard is their new coaching staff.  That could be a bump in either direction. 
 

The Jest got a lot better, but they were trash.  They don’t have a QB and their ownership sucks.  Saleh is a good coach though.  They’ll be better, but that means they will have a chance to not finish last in the AFCE.

 

NE’s ceiling is an asskicking in the first round of the playoffs like last year.  Their floor is last place in the AFCE.  I expect them to be .500ish.  It’ll be interesting to see if they continue to decline without the lure of Brady.  

I think Miami needs a full rebuild to challenge us honestly…josh torches them pretty much every time and they didnt do much on the defensive side. Now they’ve got a ton of resources tied up in a receiver too.  They might have gone from losing in a blowout to losing in a shootout but they’re still gonna lose lol

 

the tyreek hill trade still makes no sense to me if they’re trying to compete for the division title

Edited May 1, 2022 by Generic_Bills_Fan

[Rocky Landing]

I think it's worth mentioning the Bills in this thread.

Bills going by position (IMO):

QG: Push. At an elite level!

OL: Push. I'm not willing to call Saffold an upgrade over Williams, and the loss of Mongo means we have a need at backup C. But, Kromer is an upgrade, IMO.

RB: Slight upgrade. At the very least, the RB squad is deeper.

TE: Clear upgrade. Can't wait to see Knox, and Howard on the field at the same time.

WR: Slight upgrade. My bild prediction: Crowder will have a career-high season with Allen throwing him the ball.

DL: CLEAR upgrade.

LB: Slight downgrade. AJ Klein was legit.

DB: Slight upgrade. Cautiously optimistic that White will start the season, and Elam will start as an upgrade over Wallace. 

 

Overall? Bills got better.

[Success]

I think the Jets have taken a huge step over where they were.  I also think Wilson has the most potential over Jones or Tua.

 

Pats seem to be intentionally tanking.  That draft was inexplicable. They got older & worse.

 

[Alphadawg7]

1 hour ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

just end it there. 
No need to continue 

 

QB, QB, QB

 

Speedy WR for guys who don’t have a rocket arm .. He’d outrun every deep pass.  IF there is a deep pass. 
 

Will it be Tua or Teddy? 
The HC hasn’t proved he committed to Tua.

Tua doesn’t need to throw deep though, just hit Waddle and Hill on quick strikes and let them bust plays.  Dolphins have a lot of speed on offense now at WR, RB, and even TE

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBill said:

The poll function only allows for three questions. So, in your comments please also discuss for the AFCE teams that you believe are better, have they gained ground on the Bills? Do any of them pose a real threat to take the AFCE in 2022?

 

The Patriots have clearly gotten worse, they lost all pro G Shaq mason in a very questionable trade. All Pro CB Tretter also left to the Chargers and they haven't given Mac Jones a legit #1 WR, Devonte Parker has been a disappointment for the most part.

 

The Dolphins have really upgraded the roster but I just don't see Tua as a top flight QB in this league but if he proves that wrong then they should be contending with us but I don't see them winning the division, that will still be ours.

 

The NYJ are starting to get incredibly talented as I thought they had the best draft of any team this year and if Zack Wilson takes the next step this year then I'll go out on a limb and say the NYJ and Bills will be the 2 teams battling for that spot each year as soon as next season. They are putting together a solid WR core with Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios plus add Uzumah at TE. The OL was upgraded with Becton, Tomlinson, McGovern and vera-Tucker. That run game should be as good as any other if the 2 backs pan out as I liked Michael Carter that they selected last season and now add in Breece Hall and that could give defenses headaches real soon. The defense needs to improve more but the additions of Jermaine Johnson and Sauce Gardner were excellent which again is why I think this team will be competing with us for sure but that's only if Wilson turns into a franchise QB which didn't appear to be the case in year 1.

[buffalo2218]

I think the Jets did well in addressing their needs, gotta give them credit for having such a strong draft. I think the thing with the Dolphins is while they may have upgraded their WR core, losing Flores may hurt that defense more than they realize. Them having an injury prone QB may actually be beneficial later. Bridgewater isn't a world beater but I think he's better than Tua, especially experience wise. One thing's for sure tho, our run defense better have their A game against all 3 of those teams. Pats can still run the ball very well, and I think the Dolphins and Jets are trying to copy that specifically for us.

[Rocky Landing]

2 minutes ago, buffalo2218 said:

I think the Jets did well in addressing their needs, gotta give them credit for having such a strong draft. I think the thing with the Dolphins is while they may have upgraded their WR core, losing Flores may hurt that defense more than they realize. Them having an injury prone QB may actually be beneficial later. Bridgewater isn't a world beater but I think he's better than Tua, especially experience wise. One thing's for sure tho, our run defense better have their A game against all 3 of those teams. Pats can still run the ball very well, and I think the Dolphins and Jets are trying to copy that specifically for us.

Ideally, the key will be that all three of those teams will be playing from behind.

[chris heff]

1 hour ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Tua doesn’t need to throw deep though, just hit Waddle and Hill on quick strikes and let them bust plays.  Dolphins have a lot of speed on offense now at WR, RB, and even TE

Waddle average was 9.8 yards, that’s not a lot, it was the worst number in the top 50 receivers. Played in 16 games had 1015 yards caught 104. Hill will take off some pressure, but when teams know that the QB can’t throw it down field fast guys are easier to defend.

[BuffaloBill]

On 5/1/2022 at 12:18 PM, buffalo2218 said:

I think the Jets did well in addressing their needs, gotta give them credit for having such a strong draft. I think the thing with the Dolphins is while they may have upgraded their WR core, losing Flores may hurt that defense more than they realize. Them having an injury prone QB may actually be beneficial later. Bridgewater isn't a world beater but I think he's better than Tua, especially experience wise. One thing's for sure tho, our run defense better have their A game against all 3 of those teams. Pats can still run the ball very well, and I think the Dolphins and Jets are trying to copy that specifically for us.

It will be telling to see if the Bills get better both running the ball and defending the run.  If they do, it will be a very fun season.  If not, it could become a very heartbreaking season again.  Josh Allen obviously plays huge but the Bills over rely on him.  If the run game (and stopping the run) can take some of this pressure off of JA there is no doubt that the Lombardi may finally make it to Buffalo.  The teams we had the most difficulty against last year generally ran over us (literally and figuratively).

[frogger]

Buffalo also got better. 

[Rc2catch]

I think everyone sleeps on Miami based off Flores tenure and how bad tua has looked. 
I think people are forgetting they NEVER could run the ball under Flores. This new guy is gonna run the ball. And it will probably be effective. Giving Tua a run game and teams actually biting on play action might be a bigger deal than we think. I don’t think anyone needs to overly fear them or nothing crazy but they shouldn’t just be dismissed either as the same ole dolphins 

[The Jokeman]

On paper the Dolphins got better yet I have reservations about the "genius" HC. As to me he rode Shanahan's curtails and only has one season as a OC experience. I know Hill gets a lot of play but to me the Dolphins were weak at RB, have they i.proved there? I can't say they have. 

 

New England without McDaniels at OC looks like a disaster. Parker helps their weak WR group but not significantly. The might middle out this year 

 

Jets, we see every year it seems that Jets make splashes and ready to turn the corner. Yet they failed to address their Oline or bring in a veteran WR to help Wilson. They might reach 6 wins this season which I guess is improvement.

[Awwufelloff]

Pats have the best coach but the worst team. 

Jets have the best QB but the worst coach.

Dolphins have the worst QB but the best team. 

 

 

If including our team the Bills have the best Team, QB, and coach. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by Awwufelloff

[Nextmanup]

On 5/1/2022 at 11:04 AM, goldenboy81 said:

As long as there is 3 noodle arm quarterbacks in our division, I don't see any of them as a threat.

I believe you mean "raaag aaaaaahhhhm."

 

😛

 

 

[Success]

I'm always surprised checking the Pats boards. They still think Mac Jones has potential to be elite.

 

I mean, I don't want to hot take that he can't be after 1 season, but it would definitely shock me.

 

All 3 teams in the division have very solid rosters at this point. I think who emerges as our main competition depends entirely on which of the QB's really pans out.  If I had to put a bet on it, it would be Wilson. He had games last season where he looked like a disaster, but he has the most skills and with proper coaching could be excellent (imo).

 

Not seeing it w/ Tua or Jones, but who knows.

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

On 5/1/2022 at 12:09 PM, Alphadawg7 said:

Tua doesn’t need to throw deep though, just hit Waddle and Hill on quick strikes and let them bust plays.  Dolphins have a lot of speed on offense now at WR, RB, and even TE

When Tua proves himself I’ll change my opinion of him.  Until then it’s still all hype and Imo he’s the weak link.  

I’d bet Teddy play sometime during the season and w/o an injury to Tua. 
 

[Alphadawg7]

2 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

When Tua proves himself I’ll change my opinion of him.  Until then it’s still all hype and Imo he’s the weak link.  

I’d bet Teddy play sometime during the season and w/o an injury to Tua. 
 

I’m on the same page, not sold on Tua yet.  Just saying with Hill and Waddle being so dangerous with ball in their hands, who ever is playing QB just needs to get the ball to then even on short routes for them to be dangerous

[GunnerBill]

The Jets and Dolphins have had good offseasons IMO. If I have a remaining question on the Jets it is oline if they can't get Becton back to what he was as a rookie. I know Zach was a bit all over the place at times last year but in some ways his rookie year reminded me of Josh's because there were some special flashes among lots of naivety, mistakes and struggles. I am not saying he is going to be Josh Allen just before anyone jumps on that, but I think his highs in 2021 were higher than any other QB from his class personally. If the Jets can keep him upright and with upgraded pass catching options the Jets could be around a .500 football team and one that is still ascending at that. 

 

The Dolphins now have a terrific offensive arsenal and they have finally solved the left tackle question so long as Terron Armstead can stay healthy. The issue I see with them is defensive line, I am not sure about their pass rush, and obviously Tua. I do think the offensive scheme that they are bringing in is a fit. I said last offseason when they fired Chan Gailey they should go to a Shanahan offense and one presumes they now will. 

 

At the other end of the scale I think New England are one of the worst teams in football on paper. The last two years since Brady left the two units that have kept that team affloat are offensive line and defensive backfield. So they have traded away their best OL and let their best DB walk in FA. If there is a masterplan I don't see it. I said they wouldn't be as bad as people were predicting in 2020 and they weren't. I said they'd make the playoffs in 2021 and they did. I am going to call it now... the Patriots will earn a top 5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

 

What does that mean for the Bills? We went 6-0 in division in 2020, 5-1 in division last year. I think 5-1 feels about right again with either Miami or the Jets upsetting us somewhere. We will bash the Patriots twice. No problem about that. 

[buffalo2218]

I will say this about the Jets. Sauce may regret getting drafted in this division. Nickname may end up being burnt sauce after playing the Bills and possibly the Dolphins. He may have made a mistake throwing Diggs' name out there, somewhat similar to what Tua said about the NFL not being as hard as he thought

[Fr. Jerk]

Everyone will be better but still should be dirt under our boot, ya dig?

[SoTier]

On 5/1/2022 at 11:04 AM, goldenboy81 said:

As long as there is 3 noodle arm quarterbacks in our division, I don't see any of them as a threat.

 

On 5/1/2022 at 11:08 AM, SCBills said:

Wilson doesn’t have a noodle arm.  I’m not saying he’s very good, rookie year was rough, but he can sling it. 

 

I would take "noodle arm" with good "other desirable QB traits" over "non-noodle arm" with mediocre/poor "other desirable QB traits".  The question for the AFCE QBs not named Allen is, do they get better in their second and third seasons, and if they do, how big are their step ups?  

 

I expect that Mac Jones will improve because he reminds me of Tom Brady in 2001/2002.  We tend to forget that Brady wasn't always the Tom Brady of 2007.  Early in his career, he was considered a "system QB" with modest talent by many, especially football message board gurus who were fans of other AFCE teams.

 

I think that Zach Wilson has to improve significantly as a sophomore or the Jests will be QB hunting again in 2023. 

 

I don't think that Tua changes much.  He was a dink and dunker in college, and he's still a dink and dunker in the pros.   I don't know if he can really get the most out of Hill and Waddle with his style but it might be enough for the Fins to make a WC spot.   There's also a new coaching staff in Miami which might or might not be an improvement over the previous regime, which did get a lot out of the talent it had.

 

I voted for the Pats being a push and the Jests and Fins being improved.

Edited May 4, 2022 by SoTier

[Greg S]

I take comfort in the fact that at the most important position its Allen, Moe, Larry, Curly in the AFCE.

[GunnerBill]

On 5/1/2022 at 4:04 PM, goldenboy81 said:

As long as there is 3 noodle arm quarterbacks in our division, I don't see any of them as a threat.

 

Wilson is not a noodle arm. The other two are, but Wilson has a good arm. It isn't Allen or Mahomes, but his arm is comparable with Justin Herbert for example and he has a stronger arm than Joe Burrow. If you are looking for reasons not to worry about Wilson they do exist. But it isn't a lack of arm. 

[The Red King]

I think the Jets and Phins got better.  I'd be shocked if not.  How much remains to be seen.  NE...is...well...kinda right where they were.  How they do comes down to how much the hoodie squeezes out of them again, like blood from a stone and he's still the best at that.

[DCofNC]

I went push for the Pats, I don’t see a major change in talent, but I also don’t think they will be anything special at all.  I don’t see Mac taking a big step forward, which is the real issue for them.

 

Dolphins added a lot, still hinges on Tua, it’s do it die for him this year.

 

Jets added A LOT of talent, if Wilson can be respectable this year, they will sneak out a few more wins than people think.  I see a 6-8 win season for them, IF Wilson puts it together, they are not going to be a fun team to play, especially late in the year when the Rookies hit stride.

 

The Bills honestly are just a little better, the OL didn’t get addressed in a meaningful way, sorry not buying it.  The only REAL addition is Saffold and he’s a major injury concern.
 

The WR core got torn apart, time will tell on that, it hinges on Davis breaking out.  I think he can/will, but he has to do it or the O will slow down.  

 

I know people are all excited about Cook, but he’s going to struggle to get on the field, he couldn’t block me coming as a blitzer and that’s a big deal.  If I had to bet, at least early on, he is going to see more time out wide than actually running the ball, cool, but doesn’t address RB still. 

 

The D is relying on Groot to step up big and an aging Miller to get some pressure, I expect them to be better.  We shall see, especially early when we are running a very inexperienced secondary out there.  Once Tre gets back and hopefully Elam claims his spot, it should be better than last year.  I expect the first 6 weeks or so to be a little rough. 
 

The best thing, Josh Allen is still in the house and looks stronger than ever, he will make up for a lot of the questions.  I don’t really expect the Bills record to improve much, if at all, this season.  The division got harder and there are plenty of challenges on the schedule.