The AFC East is the best division in the NFL, one that has multiple Super Bowl contenders and could send three teams to the playoffs.
The New England Patriots have dominated this division in the 21st century. They have won 17 of the 23 division titles in that span. But the Patriots' era of dominance is over, and the Buffalo Bills have emerged as the new kings. The Bills are aiming for their fourth consecutive division title, but they have plenty of competition from the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
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The AFC East also is the only division with three teams in the top 10 of the preseason Super Bowl odds.
Here's a complete betting guide to the AFC East. The competition in this division should be intense throughout the season. All odds are from PointsBet.
Division winner
New England Patriots
The Patriots haven't been this much of a long shot to win the Super Bowl since 2001, when they opened the season with +6000 odds following a 5-11 record in 2000. If Patriots fans are looking for some hope, they won the Super Bowl during that 2001 campaign. The chances of history repeating itself seem pretty slim, though. The Patriots play in the league's toughest division and their schedule is the hardest in the league according to ESPN's Football Power Index.
The real debate is whether the Patriots will make the playoffs. They made the postseason 17 times during Tom Brady's 20-year career from 2000 through 2019. But they've failed to qualify for the playoffs in two of the three years since Brady left. New England hasn't missed the postseason in consecutive seasons since 1999 and 2000.
Buffalo Bills
Few teams have more pressure on them to reach the Super Bowl than the Bills. They have reached the playoffs four straight years but have just one AFC Championship Game appearance to show for it. Buffalo has been knocked out in the AFC Divisional Round in back-to-back years, including a lackluster defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals at home last season. The Bills have a ton of talent, and one of the league's best quarterbacks in Josh Allen. The pieces are in place, but can they rise to the occasion under the pressure of the postseason? The first step is winning the division, which they've done three seasons in a row. The last time the Bills won four straight division titles was 1988-91.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins got a taste of the playoffs last year but didn't have starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the AFC Wild Card Round due to injury. If Tagovailoa is healthy, the Dolphins should be among the AFC contenders. The Dolphins have built a solid roster, and as a result, they have won nine or more games in three consecutive seasons. The last time the franchise accomplished that feat was 1999, 2000 and 2001. Miami has some question marks on defense, but few teams can match its firepower offensively. Miami's last division title came in 2008.
New York Jets
What a difference a year makes, right? The Jets were +13600 to win the Super Bowl before last season. Now they are +1300 to win the Lombardi Trophy. The biggest change is, of course, the arrival of four-time league MVP and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Even at 39 years old, Rodgers is still a very good player and a massive upgrade over every Jets starting quarterback of the last 20 years.
The last time the Jets reached the playoffs was 2010, and their 12-year postseason drought is the longest in the league. They last won the AFC East in 2002. Expectations couldn't be higher for the Jets in 2023, and it'll be fascinating to watch how they handle that kind of pressure.