Heading into this upcoming season, we can confidently say that the Buffalo Bills are expected to run the AFC East once again with no problem. While they might trip up once or twice, they should easily win their sixth consecutive division title before Week 18. If there is one team that could give them a little bit of a challenge, it’s the New England Patriots.
With a new regime and a young rising quarterback in Drake Maye, the Patriots are a lot better than they were a year ago. However, they still have a lot to overcome to seriously contend for the AFC East. As for the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, well that is a different story for the worst (for them anyways).
The Dolphins are a bit of a mess overall and they are just hoping that Tua Tagovailoa can help the team overcome those issues, which he most likely won’t. As for the Jets, they are starting from the ground again with a brand new regime and a new quarterback in Justin Fields after moving off of Aaron Rodgers.
In Fields’ defence, he hasn't had a great setup around him other than last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now he will look to kickstart his career on a great note in an organization that has historically been bad at quarterback overall.
Justin Fields and Tua Tagovailoa face a lot of pressure in 2025 (and Bills fans should be excited)
Joshua Watt from NFL Spin Zone recently said that both Tagovailoa and Fields are some of the quarterbacks that are under the most pressure heading into the 2025 season.
Here’s a bit of what Watt said about Tua Tagovailoa:
"He is the sixth-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, yet he has struggled to stay healthy or elevate the talent around him. Miami has invested heavily in Tua, and 2025 could be a make or break year for his future with the team. If he cannot stay on the field or lead the team to success against winning rosters, Miami could look for alternative starters."Joshua Watt, NFL Spin Zone
Here’s a bit of what Watt said about Justin Fields:
"Now on his third team in just a few years, Justin Fields seems to be running out of time to prove his worth as a starting-level quarterback in the NFL. Despite his athleticism and occasional big play ability, Fields has mightily struggled with decision-making and consistency throwing the football."Joshua Watt, NFL Spin Zone
The Bills are very familiar with Tua and what he can do and what he can’t do. While he has a great field IQ and makes great throws from time to time, he cannot lead the Dolphins to get ahead of the Bills. He’s only beaten the Bills once in his career and has a long injury history. With the pressure that he faces this upcoming season, this could easily be the last season that the Bills will see Tua in the AFC East.
As for Fields, he is running out of time to have a job in the league if he wants to be a starter. I understand that he is entering a bit of a better situation with the Jets than what the Jets were a year ago, but look at the overall history. Not even Aaron Rodgers could light a spark with the Jets the last two seasons. Now Fields will be expected to not waste this defense that New York has that could arguably be a top five unit.