09-05-2021 Ravens Preview - Flipbook - Page 24
NFL2021
AFC East
BUFFALO BILLS
(15-4)
Projected 2021 win
total: 10.5
LAST YEAR: Josh Allen’s breakout
season propelled the Bills to their
first AFC East title since 1995, and to
their deepest playoff run in 27 years.
Buffalo’s season ended with 38-24 loss
to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC
championship game. The Bills’ defense
sagged in losing to the Chiefs for a
second time last year. Allen set numerous
single-season team records, including
yards passing (4,544 yards passing) and
touchdowns passing (37). The third-year
starter teamed with offseason addition
Stefon Diggs, who became Buffalo’s first
player to lead the NFL in yards receiving
(1,535) and receptions (127).
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: WR
Emmanuel Sanders, RB Matt Breida, TE
Jacob Hollister, QB Mitchell Trubisky, P
Matt Haack, DE Greg Rousseau (1stround draft pick).
IMPORTANT LOSSES: WRs John Brown
and Andre Roberts, DE Trent Murphy, DL
Quinton Jefferson, S Dean Marlowe, CB
Josh Norman, TE Tyler Kroft, QB Matt
Barkley, RB T.J. Yeldon, OLs Ty Nsekhe and
Brian Winters, P Corey Bojorquez.
NOTES: The Bills need to improve a
defense which sagged for parts of last
season, and had difficulty applying
pressure. Veteran defensive tackle Star
Lotulelei’s return should help after he
opted out from playing last season due to
COVID-19 reasons. Buffalo is also counting
on Rousseau and second-round pick
Carlos Basham to improve its pass rush.
EXPECTATIONS: The Bills are bona fide
contenders, with little to suggest they’ll
take a step back. They have a majority of
offensive starters back, plus coordinator
Brian Daboll, putting Buffalo in position
to match and even build upon last year’s
production. The question is whether the
defense can shore up its inconsistencies
to contain some of the NFL’s more
dynamic offenses. The schedule features
a December matchup against Buffalo’s
former AFC East nemesis Tom Brady and
the defending Super Bowl champion
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
(10-6)
Projected 2021 win
total: 9
LAST YEAR: The Dolphins missed the
playoffs for a fourth consecutive season
and are still without a postseason victory
since 2000. But in Year 2 under coach
Brian Flores, they doubled the win total
and improved the point differential by
254. Rookie Tua Tagovailoa took over at
quarterback at midseason and went 6-3
as the starter, but Flores benched him in
two games. After allowing a franchiserecord 494 points in 2019, Miami led the
NFL in scoring defense entering Week 17.
But a 56-26 loss at Buffalo in the finale
cost the Dolphins a postseason spot and
was a brutal backslide to end what had
been a season of progress.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: WR Will
Fuller, WR Jaylen Waddle, C Matt Skura,
QB Jacoby Brissett, DT Adam Butler,
RB Malcolm Brown, DE Jaelan Phillips,
OL Jermaine Eluemunor, LB Benardrick
McKinney, OL Jermaine EluemunorTE/
FB Cethan Carter, CB Justin Coleman,
WR Robert Foster, DB Jason McCourty,
S Jevon Holland, T Liam Eichenberg, NT
John Jenkins, TE Hunter Long, OL D.J.
Fluker, P Michael Palardy.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: QB Ryan
Fitzpatrick, S Bobby McCain, LB Kyle Van
Noy, C Ted Karras, DE Shaq Lawson, DT
Davon Godchaux, RB Matt Breida, T Julien
Davenport, G Ereck Flowers, LB Kamu
Grugier-Hill, P Matt Haack.
NOTES: Eric Studesville and George
Godsey will team to replace offensive
coordinator Chan Gailey, who departed
after one season. Tagovailoa must get
acclimated to their play calling while he also
bonds with new targets Will Fuller, top draft
pickJaylen Waddle and Robert Foster.
EXPECTATIONS: For years the Dolphins
chased the Patriots in AFC East. Now
they’re chasing the Bills, and the 2020
finale showed there’s plenty of ground to
make up. Much depends on the progress
of Tagovailoa. His WR corps has been
upgraded, but pass protection could be an
issue, and Miami did little in the offseason
to improve a ground game that ranked
fourth worst in yards per carry last year.
24
Can Josh Allen and the Bills repeat?
Are Tua and the Dolphins ready
to take the next step in rebuild?
Can Belichick and Pats bounce back?
Will new coach Saleh ignite the Jets?
Breaking it down, team by team.
NEW ENGLAND
PATRIOTS (7-9)
Projected 2021 win
total: 9
LAST YEAR: The first year of the
post-Tom Brady era in New England
began with high hopes after the team
signed 2015 MVP Cam Newton to a
one-year deal to succeed the six-time
Super Bowl-winning quarterback after
he signed with Tampa Bay. The Patriots
started 2-1, but things with south fast
after Newton contracted COVID-19 prior
to their Week 4 matchup with Kansas
City. New England lost that game and
four straight overall as Newton returned
but struggled to command the offense.
Injuries and inconsistencies mounted,
and the Patriots went on to lose three
of their final four games on the way to
missing the postseason for the first time
since 2008.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: TE Jonnu
Smith, TE Hunter Henry, WR Nelson
Agholor, WR Kendrick Bourne, QB Mac
Jones, DT Davon Godchaux, LB Matt
Judon, DB Jalen Mills, DL Henry Anderson,
LB Kyle Van Noy, DL Christian Barmore,
DE Ronnie Perkins, special assistant Matt
Patricia.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: WR Julian
Edelman (retired), S Patrick Chung
(retired), LG Joe Thuney, RT Marcus
Cannon (trade), DL Adam Butler.
NOTES: The status of cornerback
Stephon Gilmore is in the spotlight, with
the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the
Year possibly set to hold out to improve
a contract that will pay him a base salary
of $7 million this season. Even with a
$500,000 roster bonus, that still ranks
him 25th among NFL cornerbacks for
2021.
EXPECTATIONS: New England
spent lots of money this offseason
to plug its holes. It should pay off
immediately on defense and the
Patriots can certainly return to the
playoffs with this group. How much of a
contender they are beyond that will hinge
on Newton’s productivity in his second
year in the offense and how quickly he
can help integrate the new additions
around him.
NEW YORK JETS
(2-14)
Projected 2021 win
total: 6
LAST YEAR: In a word: awful. The Jets
had a franchise-worst 0-13 start and
finished with the second-worst record
in team history. Quarterback Sam
Darnold dealt with a shoulder injury and
struggled through the worst of his three
NFL seasons — and last with the Jets.
Other injuries to key players kept the
roster churning, the offense was inept
while ranking at the bottom of the NFL
in many categories, and the defense
was inconsistent. That got coach Adam
Gase fired after just two disappointing
seasons.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: Coach Robert
Saleh, QB Zach Wilson (No. 2 overall draft
pick), offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur,
defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, G
Alijah Vera-Tucker (No. 14 overall pick),
WR Corey Davis, DE Carl Lawson, RT
Morgan Moses, WR Elijah Moore (2ndround pick), RB Tevin Coleman, RB
Michael Carter (4th-round pick), WR
Keelan Cole, DT Sheldon Rankins, LB
Jarrad Davis, S LaMarcus Joyner, G Dan
Feeney.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: Gase, Darnold,
WR Breshad Perriman, RB Frank Gore,
LB Jordan Jenkins, LB Neville Hewitt, DE
Henry Anderson, LB Tarell Basham, LB
Harvey Langi, LB Frankie Luvu, CB Brian
Poole, S Bradley McDougald, QB Joe
Flacco.
NOTES: The focus will be squarely on
the development of Wilson, who hadn’t
yet signed his rookie deal the day before
the team was scheduled to report but
is expected to start Week 1 — especially
with no other experienced QB on the
roster.
EXPECTATIONS: The first step for a
franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs
in 10 years — the NFL’s longest active
drought — was changing the vibe within
the organization. And the Jets did that
with the hiring of the high-energy and
likable Saleh, who has experienced
winning cultures as an assistant in San
Francisco and Seattle.
— Associated Press