Buffalo Bills: AFC East ranked high in divisional power rankings
By Connor Price
The Buffalo Bills reside in one of the most underrated divisions in recent years, but may finally be getting the respect it deserves.
The AFC East has been dominated by one team for the past 15 years, but it’s what the other three teams bring to the table which makes it a tough division. CBS Sports recently ranked the AFC East fourth of eight divisions in the NFL.
The glory is given to the New England Patriots and rightfully so. What gets shadowed in the Patriots’ glory are the other AFC East teams that make it to the playoffs. That does not include the Bills, but that’s not to say they haven’t challenged inter-division opponents.
"“The AFC East is almost always the most difficult division to rank. Do you rank it high because it has the best team in the NFL (Patriots) or do you rank it low because the three other teams haven’t been that good and they have no idea how to stop New England? “"
I declare the former. The AFC East is not the division it is solely because one team has dominated it for so long. The Seahawks have been in control of the NFC West for years, yet they’re still ranked last on the list.
If there is one thing all four AFC East teams have in common, it is a dominant defensive line. It is tough to navigate the field on offense when you’re facing standout D-lineman such as Ndamukong Suh, Cameron Wake, Leonard Williams, Kyle Williams, and Rob Ninkovich.
With the decimation of the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills should be able to avoid the basement of the division.
CBS Sports claims they were unable to rank the division any higher because of the Jets offseason woes. They also believe they’ve begun the tanking process. Wow.
Here is their description of the rest of the division:
"“However, things might change in 2017 because the AFC East has three teams that could compete for a playoff berth. Yes, the Patriots had arguably the best offseason of any defending Super Bowl champion ever and will likely win the division for the ninth straight season, but you can argue that the Bills and Dolphins got better this offseason, which is why we’re ranking the AFC East so high.”"
I agree with this 100%. The Dolphins and Bills have both improved this year, which will make the AFC East even tougher.
If The Buffalo Bills can go .500 in divisional play, that would be a step in the right direction. Whether that means getting swept by the Patriots and sweeping the Jets or splitting games with all three teams.
I am most intrigued about how the team matches up with the Miami Dolphins this year, especially in their late-season games.
At least the foes in the AFC East can agree on one thing this year. The division is getting tougher.
Next: Buffalo Bills 2017 Schedule Analysis: Weeks 5-9
Do you think the AFC East was ranked too high or too low? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!