Buffalo Bills
This is the year of reckoning for the Bills. Since Josh Allen’s breakout year in 2020, Super Bowl expectations have been high, but the cycle of heartbreak has continued. Postseason losses to the Chiefs and Bengals in three consecutive seasons have only raised tensions in the locker room. Allegedly, Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen have a rift between them, while Allen denies this rumors, there has been little input on the behalf of Diggs. Additionally, Buffalo has added a new defensive coordinator following the departure of Leslie Frazier. Therefore, top draft picks Dalton Kincaid (TE) and O’Cyrus Torrance (G) will be required to make an early impact. Moreover, the injury bug struck early for Buffalo after Nyheim Hines suffered a season-ending injury following a jet-ski accident. Hines was expected to have a big role as a gadget player and return specialist for the Bills. Can the Bills overcome early turbulence and have a successful season, or will the window close sooner than expected?
New England Patriots
2022 was a disappointment in Foxborough, especially after a solid 2021 campaign ending in a Wild Card spot for Mac Jones and company. Jones, like other Patriots, had a down year in 2022 and faced pressure from rookie 4th rounder Bailey Zappe. On the other hand, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, WR Devante Parker, and TE Hunter Henry were the few bright spots on a rather stagnant offense. Now with Matt Patricia out as OC and former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien in as OC plus the additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki, expect a stronger offense in 2023. Meanwhile, defense has always been a Bill Belichick staple. And 2022 brought more defensive success for the Pats and EDGE Matthew Judon who had a career season and was in running for the DPOTY. With promising rookies Keion White and Christian Gonzalez, the Pats could improve an already solid defensive core.
Miami Dolphins
2022 was the epitomy of a roller-coaster season for the Fins. QB Tua Tagovailoa looked like a MVP candidate for the majority of the season until serious concussion concerns derailed his plans. However, the acquisition of Tyreek Hill paid dividends throughout the season, as Hill racked over 1500 yards. Jaylen Waddle also continued his breakout, but the lack of a reliable third option hampered the Dolphins’ offense. Now with Trent Sherfield out the door, the search for a WR3 begins. On a positive note, key additions Devon Achane and Jalen Ramsey will contribute on their respective sides of the ball. So if the Fins can stay relatively healthy in 2023, they can be serious contenders.
New York Jets
There hasn’t this much hype surrounding the Jets since the drafting of Mark “The Sanchise” Sanchez. 2022 was very solid for a rebuilding franchise with many promising rookies making their marks. Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, and Garrett Wilson all had phenomenal seasons, even though Hall had his cut short due to injury. The QB role was the most glaring need for the Jets after Zach Wilson has shown that he does not have the ability to be a NFL QB. Now enter Aaron Rodgers, who has expressed interest in playing multiple seasons in New York. Additionally, Rodgers is also responsible for the majority of the Jets’ free agents, including Green Bay teammates Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. All is well in New York, but with Rodgers’ off the field reputation, the honeymoon may be over soon.
