In predicted Order of Finish:
1) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14-1 Last Place)- The Jags have not had any success going 1-30-1 in Coach Shawn Studebaker's first two seasons. That is all about to change in a big way. Jacksonville now has one of the better rosters in football and get the nod here mostly due to their much softer schedule than the rest of the division. Young stud gun slinger Justin Herbert will be at the helm running things in Florida and stud power back Derrick Henry was acquired from divisional rival Miami. Henry is an utter beast coming off a 1700+ yard, 17 TD campaign for the Dolphins. The WRs are not spectacular but they are TNT. Chris Godfrey, Will Fuller, Darius Slayton, Scotty Miller, Denzel Mims, and Preston Williams can all stretch the field. TE is a bit of a weaker area but, veteran Jared Cook and young Adam Trautman should be adequate. The offensive line is pretty good as well especially at tackle where Jack Conklin and DJ Humphries serve as an elite pair of bookends. G Chris Lindstrom is also on the cusp of being among the very best there. The defensive line will be a load for any team to hold off. The unit has solid pass rushers, and DEs Chase Young and Montez Sweat are real demons along with interior defender Derrick NNadi. Linebacker is a bit on the light side where Tremaine Edwards is listed as the best there. Marlon Humphrey and Patrick Peterson head up an intriguing secondary that could be very good.
2) Cleveland Browns (10-6 Lost in Playoffs to Miami, 4th Place)-Coach Stanley Milton has his Browns ready to rock and roll in the Dog Pound this season and get the #2 spot due to their schedule as well. Cleveland has had back-to-back winning seasons under Stanley and have had three straight winning campaigns. QB Matt Stafford is very good as a pocket passer and the pass blocking of the offensive line will be critical. Kareem Hunt and Joe Mixon are a nice 1-2 punch at running back. WRs Stefon Diggs and Robby Anderson are a dynamic duo but the rest of the receivers are a bit lacking. Tight ends Irv Smith and Jordan Akins should be able to get it done. The offensive line could be the story and the Browns will likely have to use quite a few combinations due to injury woes. G David DeCastro and T Isaiah Wynn are the best of the gang. The defensive line could be one of the best in football. DL Aaron Doanld is tops in the business, and he will be joined by DL Casey Heyward, DE Brandon Graham, and DE Josh Sweat. The linebackers could be stronger, but Bobby Wagner and Markus Golden are solid. CBs James Bradberry and Stephon Gilmore are an outstanding pair, and the safety positions should be manned by Karl Joseph and Jabril Peppers.
3) Buffalo Bills (12-4 Lost Super Bowl to Philadelphia, 2nd Place): The Bills came up short in the title game last season after a surprising post-season run. QB Lamar Jackson had a very good year, but he will have to duplicate that for this team have a real shot in this very rugged division. Jackson is dynamic and can really run, usually forcing defenses to shadow him. That should pave the way for RB Dalvin Cook to have a big season along with Jeff Wilson. WR Robert Woods looks like the best of the group, but he is more of a possession type target so look for WR Christian Kirk and TE Mark Andrews to add big contributions. The offensive line is talented with tackles Brian O'Neill and Laremy Tunsil providing pass protection, guards Ryan Jensen and Ben Powers on the inside, and C Mitch Morse. The Bills' defensive line is the deepest in football and one of the most talented as well. Chris Jones, Michael Brockers, Calais Campbell, and Shelby Harris can play anywhere on the line and that quartet will be joined by the likes of DEs Melvin Ingram and Everson Griffen! Behind that group, you have MLB Eric Kendricks and OLBs Preston Smith and Shaquil Barrett giving Coach Derrill Richards one of the best front 7s in the PAFL. The secondary could be a little bit better. CB J.C. Jackson is the top defender back there. The Bills are another title contender in this rugged division and their schedule looks like it is favorable for their odds.
4) New England Patriots (10-6 Lost in Playoffs to Buffalo, 3rd Place)-The Patriots have piled up a 24-8 slate over the past two seasons with Coach Don Merlenbach running the show and are serious contenders yet again this season. QB Derek Carr has been spectacular the past two years tossing an incredible 95 touchdown passes with just 8 picks during that span! RB Zeke Elliott has rushed for 1500+ yards in three of his last four seasons and could get there again. He has also snagged a stunning 200 receptions in the past two years! WRs Brandin Cooks, Tyler Boyd, and Adam Thielen form an excellent trio and TEs Tyler Higbee and Kyle Randolph should enjoy solid years as well. The offensive line is not star laden but is good enough with G Graham Glasgow and C/G Joe Thuney heading the blocking duties. The defensive line should be good with DLs Fletcher Cox and Leonard Williams along with DE Frank Clark in the trenches. MLB Lavonte David is super but there are health concerns for the rest of the unit. CBs Jaire Alexander and Marcus Peters form one of the better tandems in the division while S Jordan Poyer is a top tier talent. The Pats are extremely talented and have one of the best rosters in football, but their schedule is a bit tougher, so it seems, than the other teams picked to finish ahead of them.
5) Miami Dolphins (12-4, Lost in Playoffs to Seattle, 1st Place)- No team suffered a more stunning loss in the playoffs in league history than did the Dolphins last season against Seattle. The sting of that game sits heavily on the mind of Coach Jeff Beyel. Ryan Tannehill returns for his 8th season as the QB for the franchise. Tannehill was terrific last year finishing with a 123.4 QBR. Diverse David Montgomery will be the starting tailback after the departure of Derrick Henry. Miami utilizes a 2 TE set offense so TEs Hunter Henry, Evan Engram, and Jack Doyle all figure to be major contributors. WRs Calvin Ridley, Darnell Mooney, John Brown, Braxton Berrios, and Isaiah McKenzie will all see time on the field. The offensive line can be dominant with C Maurkice Pouncey supported by guards David Edwards and Chris Reed, and tackles Mike Onwenu and Rob Havenstein. The defensive line is one of the best in the league. DEs Trey Hendrickson and DeMarcus Lawrence are special, and DT Jonathan Allen is a true force inside. The linebackers are not deep but do have DeMario Davis and Bradley Chubb heading that unit. CB Xavier Rhodes paces a very good secondary that also features Casey Heyward and Troy Hill as fellow CBs and safeties Anthony Harris and Rayshawn Jenkins. Despite a very talented roster, this could be a tough year in Miami. The schedule is, arguably, the toughest in football and just a couple of losses could easily have the Dolphins as the team without a chair when the music stops.
Posted on 21 Dec 2021 by dolphins
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