Strengths and Weaknesses for AFC East Teams

Buffalo Bills

Strength:  Without question the strongest position on this team is at the QB position with their young stud, Josh Allen.  He is a dual threat QB that has gotten better each year.  Last year saw Allen throw for 5044 yards and 45 passing touchdowns, leading his team into a run into the playoffs.  

Weakness: In my opinion the LB position is their weakest.  In base Defense the Bills will be counting on Marquel Lee to put together a solid season.  Since he was drafted in 2017 his career high in tackles came in 2018 with 38 solo tackles and 17 assists.  He is coming off 3 solo tackles and 2 assists in 2021.  When your combined solo and assisted tackles can literally be counted on one hand, you have to be concerned. 

Miami Dolphins

Strength: With the addition of Tyreek HIll this WR corps will be fun to watch.  Tyreek Hill is arguably the most dynamic WR in football.  Adding Hill will also take the pressure off their first round selection from 2021, Waddle.  Teams will have to double Hill or at least cheat his way, which will open the field up for Waddle who collected over 100 receptions in his rookie campaign.

Weakness: The weakness on this team is in their defensive backfield, specifically their strong safety.  Brandon Jones was ranked as the 82nd out of 92 at his position by Pro Football Focus.  The former 3rd round pick out of Texas has potential but thus far has fallen short of expectations.  Other teams seemed to recognize his struggles as well last year, as he was targeted 25 times and allowed 22 receptions.

New York Jets

Strength:  The Jets have one of the best CB tandems in football.  D.J. Reed Jr. is a complete stud and is ranked 8th out of 116 by Pro Football Focus.  To pair with Reed Jr. the NYJ picked up Ahmad Gardner out of Cincinnati with the 4th overall pick.  This pair of CB’s will give opposing QBs something to think about when they drop back to pass.

Weakness: The DT position stands out as a weakness on this team.  Sheldon Rankins was ranked 95th out of 109 on Pro Football Focus last year.  The former Saints number 1 pick out of Louisville only had a run defense ranking of 34 last year.  The Jets have a weak LB group which is getting no favors when you have a poor run blocking DT in front of you.  I hope for the Jets sake the addition of Johnson and Lawson will take some of the pressure off Rankins and allow the former number 1 pick to reach his potential.

New England Patriots

Strength: The OL of the Patriots is deep.  While the Patriots received a lot of heat for taking Cole Strange late in the 1st round, they have a very good offensive line.  Their OL is very balanced so they can run behind any part of the line and have success.  Not only will the line open holes for their RB, they are a strong group for giving Mac Jones time to find open receivers down field.

Weakness:  The CB position on the Patriots needs some help.  Terrance Mitchell was ranked the 103rd out of 116 by Pro Football Focus.  He was targeted 70 times and allowed 44 receptions, giving opposing QBs an easy target to exploit on the outside.  He’s a former 7th round pick out of Oregon and doesn’t possess elite speed either.  Last year he only collected one interception.

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