The New England Patriots have won 11 straight AFC East titles, but some expect that impressive streak to come to an end in 2020 as the post-Tom Brady era begins.
Their biggest competition is expected to be the Buffalo Bills, who finished 10-6 in 2019 and added some talent in the offseason, most notably star wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
With Brady gone and Buffalo seemingly getting better, Hall of Fame Bills quarterback Jim Kelly believes this is the year his former team overtakes New England for the division crown.
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“If they don’t, then something’s wrong,” Kelly said on CBS Sports Radio's The Zack Gelb Show. “I mean, Tom Brady is not there to block you anymore. So that, to me, is huge. I think Tom of course is getting older, getting old, but he still can play. I tried to talk him into retirement like two, three years ago, but he just wouldn’t listen to me. I don’t know why.
"But now that Brady’s gone, I definitely do think the Bills are the team to beat, even though you look at the Jets, they’re getting better. Miami with Tua (Tagovailoa) coming in, I think they’re going to be better. And of course, (Bill) Belichick will have his team ready to play. So we’ll see what happens at the quarterback position in New England."
Despite Kelly's confidence, the Bills have been cautiously optimistic as they ready for life without Brady in the division. Head coach Sean McDermott still believes New England should be considered the favorite, and general manager Brandon Beane has been wary of counting out Bill Belichick's team.
New England Patriots
Barring any surprises, it'll be 2019 fourth-round draft pick Jarrett Stidham replacing Brady at quarterback and looking to extend that AFC East title streak to 12. Stidham has taken only a handful of snaps as an NFL QB, but he's made quite the impression on his teammates behind the scenes. His former teammates at Auburn also have raved about his work ethic.
The Patriots (+115) are still favored over the Bills (+145), according to DraftKings Sportsbook.