2022 NFL Season Predictions: AFC East Edition
Here we are! After yet another boring and tedious off-season of no NFL football...we’ve finally arrived at the start of training camp for the 2022 season! Plenty of wild and unexpected moves occurred during the off-season and, while free agency and the draft is fun and exciting in it’s own right, nothing compares to that thrill of seeing your favorite team take the field for their first practice of the season.
First up it’s the AFC East, a division that has greatly improved across the board. Here are my predictions for how the division will shake out.
1. BUFFALO BILLS
The Bills have been the class of the AFC East since Tom Brady took his talents to Tampa Bay and there are no signs of the Bills relinquishing that throne any time soon. This team is loaded from top to bottom on both sides of the ball and they possess an excellent coaching staff to boot, minus the loss of former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll who took the head coaching job with the New York Giants once their season ended. In many ways Daboll was the man who unlocked the true potential of Josh Allen’s skillset. Speaking of Josh Allen, what more can be said about number 17? The man is a beast and one of the most unstoppable quarterbacks in the league. Allen has made stride after stride season after season since his rookie year and nearly won the greatest NFL playoff game of all time against the Chiefs last year until his defense ran out of gas in the closing seconds of regulation and OT. Oh by the way, that number one ranked Bills defense from last year? They just got even better with the addition of Von Miller to their defensive line. The Bills will likely continue their era of dominance in the division and repeat as AFC East champions once again. There’s no reason they can’t go 13-4 or 12-5 come January.
2. MIAMI DOLPHINS
I spent a lot of time weighing this spot between the Dolphins and Pats and ultimately went with the team I believe to have more talent top to bottom. It’s never wise to bet against Belichick but the simple fact is Mike McDaniel, even as a rookie head coach, will bring plenty of innovation and ingenuity to the Dolphins’ offense and defense that should prove to be the difference-maker once the season begins. As far as the team’s personnel goes, the Dolphins retained most of their formidable 2021 defense, bolstered their leaky offensive line with the addition of Terron Armstead and added speed demon receiver Tyreek Hill and elusive running back Raheem Mostert to a roster that already contains Jaylen Waddle. This should easily be the fastest and most elusive offense in the league. The only question mark, and it’s a big one, is Tua. Sad to say but it’s completely justified to question whether or not he will prove to be the real deal this season or not based on the inconsistency we’ve seen from him in the past. He’s always had an excuse at his disposal whether it be Flores inexplicably benching him in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick at the end of year one, the multiple injuries he endured due to his porous offensive line in year two etc. Having said that, I think having a coach like McDaniel, someone who believes in his quarterback with every fiber of his being, will be the difference this season. Former head coach Brian Flores allegedly never wanted Tua to be the QB of the team in the first place and made his life miserable as a result. If Tua is going to prove to the doubters and haters that he’s the real deal then this is the team and coach that is going to make it happen for him. If he stinks up the joint again and the team falters then the Tua era in Miami will be over by January. Having said that, I’m predicting an 11-6, 10-7 year for the ‘fins.
3. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
It’s officially year two of the Mac Jones show in New England and season two should be a vast improvement from an already impressive rookie campaign. In addition to Mac’s continued development, most of the 2021 Patriots defense that ranked second overall behind the Bills last year is returning for the 2022 season. So why am I ranking them third? Because despite the improvements to Mac’s game and the return of their stellar 2021 defense, the team’s offensive depth leaves a lot to be desired. DeVante Parker’s health, despite his production when active, is about as up and down as the stock market and Kendrick Bourne, while athletically gifted, isn’t a suitable first option on the depth chart. The Pats run game figures to be a big part of their offensive identity this year but that approach goes out the window if the Pats find themselves trailing early in games. The loss of longtime Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to the Raiders also looms large for Mac Jones and the offense as a whole. It’s no secret that McDaniels was Belichick’s right hand man during both of his tenures with the organization and he was credited with Jones’ adjustment to the speed and chaos of the NFL. Fans and media will try to underplay the loss of his presence on the sideline but it is a significant loss nonetheless. If Mac really has taken strides this summer then perhaps the lack of offensive playmakers and the lack of McDaniels won’t be as big an issue as I’m making it to be but I still think this year will be much tougher on them than their schedule was last year. I’m predicting a similar 10-7, 9-8 campaign from Belichick’s squad this season.
4. NEW YORK JETS
Another year, another season of the Jets finishing at the bottom of the AFC East. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Jets will be awful or unwatchable. I happen to be one of the people that believes in Zach Wilson and the raw talent he possesses. I also believe in head coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas, especially after the very impressive draft they just had back in April. However, you don’t go from the 28th ranked offense in points and 32nd ranked defense in yards allowed and points allowed to the top ten in one year. This team, despite the excellent draft and a couple of additions in free agency, still needs plenty of work and growth before they can be taken seriously as a legitimate top fifteen club in the league. After all this is only year two of a complete tear-down rebuild under Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas. Kyle Shanahan, Robert Saleh’s former boss with the 49ers, inherited a from scratch rebuild in 2017 and transformed the worst roster in the league into the Super Bowl squad that lost to the Chiefs in 2019 in his third season. Likewise for Zac Taylor whom inherited the lowly Bengals roster in 2019. Three seasons later they’re in the Super Bowl and are now a top ten unit in the NFL. I’m not saying that the Jets are going to the Super Bowl in year three next year but they are building the foundation of the team they have the potential to become. This year will be tough for the Jets but it’s 2023 that things may finally turn around for them. As for this year? 6-11 or 7-10 at best.
