AFC East Power Rankings

The shocking start in western New York has the rest of the AFC East befuddled. By Hunter Simon


1. Buffalo Bills 

Yes, that’s right. The Patriots are not number one. The Bills and their fans once dreamed of a 3-0 start, but now it’s a reality. The Bills sport a well-balanced offense that plays as a unit and believes in head coach Chan Gailey’s system. But the defense must step up to maintain their winning ways—the offense will not always score 30+ points. Linebacker Shawne Merriman and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus are leading a ferocious pass rush that rattled even the legendary Tom Brady. This week’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals should only boost their rep.


2. New England Patriots

The Pats could not hold onto their 15-game winning streak against Buffalo last week, but Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady have always been sharp after losses. The problem? Turnovers. New England rarely commits the mistakes it did against the Bills last Sunday. Receivers need to do a better job catching balls instead of letting them bounce off their hands. The defense is also a huge liability moving forward, ranking among the league’s worst. Running the ball should solve most of these problems by balancing the offense and keeping the defense off the field. Nonetheless, a game against Oakland is no cake walk.


3. New York Jets

Rex Ryan suffered one of the worst losses of his head coaching career last week against Oakland. Darren McFadden and the Raiders ran for nearly 200 yards on the over-hyped Jets defense. The front seven was gassed like no other—they were slow hitting holes and looked timid throughout the game. It’s time for the defense to live up to their vaunted status. While much of the blame rests with the defense, quarterback Mark Sanchez has yet to become the difference maker the offense needs. Facing the Baltimore Ravens this week will probably not raise their confidence or ranking either.


4. Miami Dolphins

Miami needs to develop a ground attack to dig its way out of the division cellar. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has to think of more creative ways for Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas to get the ball because neither are getting the touches they need. Improving the running game would set up the play-action, which quarterback Chad Henne is very comfortable with. A solid commitment to the run just might pull an upset against the San Diego Chargers this weekend.