AFC East Preview: ‘Looking At A Division That Could Have Four Really Good Quarterbacks For The Next 10 Years,’ Says CBS Miami’s Michael Cugno

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(CBS Miami) – The AFC East was taken implicit by caller absorption successful 2020, arsenic the Bills were crowned part champs. Buffalo’s emergence snapped a streak of 11 consecutive years atop the part for the New England Patriots, who had besides won 17 of the erstwhile 19 titles. For astir 2 decades, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick held the AFC East successful a stranglehold. But now, similar galore others from the northeast, Brady has moved to Florida to thrust retired his aureate years. Belichick is coming disconnected his archetypal losing play since the crook of the century.

Adding to the intrigue wrong this part is the abrupt influx of younker astatine the astir important presumption successful sports, quarterback. The New York Jets and Patriots some drafted what they anticipation to beryllium their franchise QBs, successful BYU’s Zach Wilson and Alabama’s Mac Jones, this past spring. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins are rolling into twelvemonth 2 with their ain young awesome caller successful Tua Tagovailoa, who was Jones’ predecessor successful Tuscaloosa.

Then of people we person the reigning champs, the Bills, who look to person recovered their reply astatine quarterback. Josh Allen is coming disconnected his property 24 season, wherever helium had 46 full touchdowns and led the squad to a 13-3 record, yet finishing 1 triumph abbreviated of a travel to the Super Bowl.

CBS Miami’s Michael Cugno has spent a bully magnitude of clip covering the AFC East, and heading into 2021, helium believes Buffalo is the squad to bushed erstwhile again. But it whitethorn not beryllium arsenic overmuch of a foregone decision arsenic galore believe.

“I don’t deliberation [Buffalo] is retired acold successful beforehand of the tract arsenic overmuch arsenic everyone other whitethorn think,” Cugno said erstwhile asked astir his prime for this year’s part winner. “I deliberation the Dolphins are a precise adjacent second. But Buffalo past year, if you conscionable instrumentality from the bye week to the playoffs, they started beating each hostile by double-digits. And that’s hard to bash successful the NFL. Usually NFL games are those one-score games that travel down the 4th quarter. But the Bills were handily beating radical down the stretch. I deliberation if Josh Allen continues to marque adjacent much improvements with that offense, with Stefon Diggs, and helium keeps connected progressing, I deliberation the Bills are inactive the apical canine successful the AFC East. I deliberation the Dolphins are coming for them. They whitethorn propulsion them for that apical spot this year.”

If the Dolphins are going to instrumentality a measurement guardant and amended upon their 10-6 grounds from a twelvemonth agone Cugno believes it volition beryllium acknowledgment to the near limb of their second-year quarterback.

“As Tua Tagovailoa goes, truthful excessively volition this team. And you’re starting to spot those improvements helium promised he’d marque successful the offseason. And close present they’re coming to fruition. So if helium stays connected this track, it looks similar the Dolphins could beryllium successful for different bully season.”

The Patriots and Jets rounded retired the bottommost of the part past season, and each squad had a precise progressive offseason trying to debar a akin destiny successful 2021. New York hired first-year caput manager Robert Saleh, formerly antiaircraft coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, to instrumentality implicit for Adam Gase coming disconnected a 2-14 campaign.

While the Jets were brining successful a caller face, New England saw immoderate caller tricks from their aged shot coach. Wearing his General Manager’s hat, Belichick handed retired a grounds $159.6 cardinal successful guaranteed wealth during escaped agency, an NFL record, straying acold from franchise’s frugal reputation. Once again however, it each comes down to the QBs.

“I look astatine the Patriots, they had a top-10 defence successful presumption of points per crippled allowed past year,” Cugno said. “And if their backmost concern gets nether power with Mac Jones, they tin beryllium different chaotic paper team. (Note: The Patriots released Cam Newton connected Tuesday, aft the supra video was made, handing the squad to Mac Jones.) You look astatine the Jets, evidently Zach Wilson coming successful there. If they tin get things rolling with him, each of a abrupt you’re looking astatine a part that could person 4 truly bully quarterbacks for the adjacent 10 years. So it’s thing to support an oculus on. The AFC East is decidedly 1 of the much entertaining divisions to watch, possibly for the adjacent decade.”

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Thanks to the NFL docket makers, fans won’t person to hold agelong for a bully measuring instrumentality of however the part volition shingle out. Week 2 volition diagnostic the Jets hosting the Patriots astatine MetLife Stadium and the Bills traveling down to Florida to look the Fins.

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