NFL
By Monte Perez
It is that time of year again. When the Sports Whisperer previews and predicts each division winner. Last season I picked 6 out of 8. The two I did not see winning? The Washington Football Team and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Drum roll please …Let us start with the AFC East.
AFC East Preview and Prediction:
This is a division that has been dominated by the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. They won 17 division titles from 2001-2019. With Brady in Tampa Bay, the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East last season.
Buffalo Bills (Projected record, 12-5):
The Bills were 16th on defense last season, giving up 24.4 points per game. The Good news, they were 2nd in scoring, averaging 31.3 points per contest. Buffalo did this with little to no help from their running backs. Devin Singletary led the team with 687 rushing yards on the year. This team is led by the scrambling ability and passing of quarterback Josh Allen. In just his 3rd season, Allen became an MVP candidate. He completed 69% of his passes, threw for 37 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley were a perfect duo at the WR receiver last season. They caught 209 passes combined and had 12 touchdowns on the year. The additions of veteran wide-out Emmanuel Sanders should only add to this explosive passing attack.
Getting younger along the defensive line was a priority. The club elected to go with a pair of edge-rushers with its first two picks in the draft, a solid complement to 2020 second-round pick A.J. Epenesa.
Buffalo Bills 2021 NFL Draft Picks:
- Round 1: No. 30 – Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami.
- Round 2: No. 61 – Carlos Basham Jr., DE, Wake Forest.
This team should be dominant at home and win the AFC East.
Miami Dolphins (Projected Record, 11-6):
In 2019, Head Coach, Brian Flores led the Dolphins to a 5-11 season. In 2020, Miami finished with a 10-6 record. Flores is a good coach, but he might be the 3rd best coach in his own division. Bill Belichick and Sean McDermott could be the two best defensive coaches in the NFL. Tua Tagovailoa struggled in his rookie campaign. He was benched several times for veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. With Fitzpatrick in Washington, this is now Tua’s team. Coming off an injury and having a full training camp should help the former Alabama star. In 2020, Tagovailoa completed 64% of his passes, threw 11 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Wide Receiver DeVante Parker and Tight End Mike Gesicki combined for 116 receptions and 10 touchdowns. The Dolphins selected Jaylen Waddle with the No.6 overall pick in the 2021 draft. Waddle should add speed, depth, and playmaking ability at the WR position.
On defense, the Dolphins could have one of the best secondaries in the NFL. If they want to compete for a division title, they must do a better job in putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They drafted Jaelan Phillips out of the University of Miami with the 18th overall selection. Last season Phillips had
45 tackles, 15.5 for loss, 8 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass deflections.
This is a team that has a high ceiling. All that is predicated on their pass rush and their quarterback getting better.
New England Patriots (Projected Record, 9-8):
In 2020, The New England Patriots had a league-high eight opt-outs, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Tackle Marcus Cannon.
- Linebacker Dont’a Hightower.
- Safety Patrick Chung.
- Tight end Matt LaCoss.
- Running back Brandon Bolden.
- Fullback Dan Vitale.
- Receiver Marqise Lee.
- Guard Najee Toran.
This team struggled to score points under Cam Newton and offense with very few playmakers. Coach Belichick is going back to what he knows, running the ball and acquiring skilled Tight Ends. Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith should be the featured receivers in New England’s passing attack. Sony Michel, Damien Harris, and James White should be a three-headed monster in their running game. All these players should help Cam Newton have a much better season than he did in 2020. Newton threw for only 8 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. If Cam struggles to score with this offense, look for Rookie Mac Jones to take over the reins at the quarterback position early in the season.
Defensively, the Patriots could be a top 5 unit in the NFL. If they can find a way to score points, they can be a playoff team.
New York Jets (Projected Record, 5-12):
The New York Jets did everything right this off-season. They hired San Francisco defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, to be their head coach. They addressed several needs in the 2021 NFL Draft.
- Round 1, Pick 2: QB Zach Wilson.
- Round 1, Pick 14: OL Alijah Vera-Tucker.
- Round 2, Pick 34: WR Elijah Moore.
- Round 4, Pick 107: RB Michael Carter.
The Jets are a team that should be trending up, but they are too inexperienced to win consistently. Saleh is entering a division where he will be the 4th best coach out of 4 teams. New York will be competitive and are moving in the right direction. They are 2-3 years away from competing for a playoff spot.
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