Josh Frey’s NFL Standings Predictions: AFC East
Josh Frey
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The NFL regular season is upon us, and we are in the final week without regular season football for the rest of 2022. As we get closer and closer, I’ll be making some predictions every day for how each division will end up. Today, we begin the NFL standings predictions with the AFC East.
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1. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
The Buffalo Bills should run away with this division. Josh Allen is one of the favorites to win the MVP, and their defense added Von Miller to a crew that was already one of the top units in the league. On top of that, James Cook, the brother of Dalvin, should provide an added element to their backfield as a rusher and a receiver.
Considering they catch the Packers and Vikings at home while also getting the Ravens and Steelers early in the season, the Bills not only seem like a team that will win the AFC East, but they could have the best record in the AFC.
2. Miami Dolphins (7-10)
The Miami Dolphins have a few fun names on their team like Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert, but it all comes down to whether or not Tua Tagovailoa can become a franchise QB this year. Things started to click down the stretch of the 2021 season, but we must keep in mind that their wins included against the Texans, Jets (twice), Giants, and extremely injured Ravens and Saints teams.
We could see very easily see another slow start with three of their first four games coming against Baltimore, Buffalo, and Cincinnati. However, they also have road games against the LA Chargers and San Francisco 49ers later in the year, so a late-season push will be difficult to come by. Ultimately, this could be a feisty, talented team, but the schedule-makers were not kind to them.
3. New England Patriots (7-10)
The Patriots were a surprise playoff team in 2021 after drafting Mac Jones in the first round of the draft. This year looks very different though. The team lost star cornerback JC Jackson in free agency while the offense has already seen injuries to multiple skill position players, including rookie WR Tyquan Thornton.
At the end of the day, this team’s success is going to come down to how well Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia can form an effective offensive scheme. I’m not too confident in this coming to fruition, so I’m selling on the Pats in 2022. In usual New England fashion, they’ll probably prove me wrong.
4. New York Jets (5-12)
The Jets are certainly a franchise on the rise, and they could keep games interesting against some of the top dogs this year, but it feels like they are a year or two away from truly competing in the AFC. On top of that, their road schedule is brutal, with games in Denver, Green Bay, and Minnesota. If Zach Wilson can come back fully healthy and improve upon his rookie year, perhaps they get a little closer to Miami and New England, but they’re still a below-.500 team in 2022.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing as well as minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh can often be found training for a marathon, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his takes, NFL and otherwise, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken