3GML AFC East Preview

2016 AFC East Recap
The 2016 season nearly saw the division place three teams into the AFC playoff field. After a sluggish start to the season, the New York Jets came on strong and were arguably playing the best football in the NFL prior to their Week 17 loss to Buffalo. The Jets lost the tiebreaker for the conference's final playoff spot and had to put their Super Bowl aspirations on hold for another season.

Down south, in Miami, the team put together another solid campaign after their 2015 championship run. The Dolphins fell to the red hot Jets in a 13-6 slugfest before finishing with wins over the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots the final two weeks of the season to run their record to 14-2. The team had to settle for the AFC's 5th seed after losing the division tiebreaker to the Bills. In their Wild Card matchup at Houston, rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett did just enough to outlast a tough Texans squad to setup his team's trip to #1 seeded Buffalo.

With their 23-20 Week 17 win over the Jets in, what has become, THE NFL rivalry, the Bills not only secured the AFC East crown and the conference's top seed, but they also ended New York's season. This led the Jets front office to jettison Jimmy Garoppolo, trade from their war chest of draft picks to acquire Earl Thomas & Lane Johnson (from Miami), Desmond Trufant (from Atlanta), and most importantly Derek Carr (from Oakland). In addition to spoiling the playoff dreams of the Jets, the Bills also ended the season of their rivals from Miami with their 13-9 victory in blizzard-like conditions. A week later, the team dismantled the Andy Dalton led Cincinnati Bengals before embarrassing the Carolina Panthers 38-9 in Super Bowl LI.

After their first playoff-less season in what seemed like an eternity, the New England Patriots shook up their front office, moved Tom Brady to Dallas, and reloaded their entire team behind rookie Dak Prescott during the offseason. The team will look to re-establish themselves as the Patriots of old during the upcoming campaign.

2017 AFC East Preview: New England Patriots (8-8, 3-3 AFC East)
Week 1: KC L
Week 2: @ NO L
Week 3: HOU L
Week 4: CAR W
Week 5: @ TB L
Week 6: @ NYJ L
Week 7: ATL W
Week 8: LAC W
Week 9: Bye
Week 10: @ DEN L
Week 11: @ OAK W
Week 12: MIA W
Week 13: @ BUF L
Week 14: @ MIA L
Week 15: @ PIT W
Week 16: BUF W
Week 17: NYJ W

With all the institutional & personnel changes, expect the Patriots to struggle early in the season before coming on strong to finish the year. This team is talented and if the new staff can keep games close, this could easily be a 10-6 team with a legitimate playoff chance later in the season.

Game we are most looking forward to: Week 8 vs Los Angeles Chargers. This game feels like it could be a Wild Card 'eliminator' for either the Patriots or the Chargers. A win here for New England would shoot them into their Bye week with confidence as they prepare for Drew Brees and his Denver Broncos. New England will control their own division fate with five of their last six games against division opponents.

2017 AFC East Preview: Miami Dolphins (9-7, 2-4 AFC East)
Week 1: TB L
Week 2: @ LAC W
Week 3: @ NYJ L
Week 4: NO L
Week 5: TEN W
Week 6: @ ATL L
Week 7: NYJ L
Week 8: @ BAL W
Week 9: OAK W
Week 10: @ CAR W
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: @ NE L
Week 13: DEN W
Week 14: NE W
Week 15: @ BUF W
Week 16: @ KC W
Week 17: BUF L

Each year we pick the Dolphins to finish last in the AFC East and they surprise us with a positive record. This year, picking them third, there is no telling how this team turns out. Will their one-dimensional style finally cease to work or will their strong, attacking defense continue to bail them out? This feels like a team that could easily finish 4-12 or 12-4. At 9-7, the team has an outside shot at the postseason if the cards fall their way.

Game we are most looking forward to: Week 15 @ Buffalo. The weather could be similar to their playoff matchup from a year ago. This game screams 'revenge factor' for Miami. Will the team play within themselves or be overwhelmed (again) by the moment?

2017 AFC East Preview: Buffalo Bills (10-6, 3-3 AFC East)
Week 1: NYJ L
Week 2: @ CAR W
Week 3: DEN L
Week 4: @ ATL W
Week 5: @ CIN L
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: TB L
Week 8: OAK W
Week 9: @ NYJ W
Week 10: NO W
Week 11: @ LAC W
Week 12: @ KC W
Week 13: NE W
Week 14: IND W
Week 15: MIA L
Week 16: @ NE L
Week 17: @ MIA W

Some teams have 'Super Bowl hangovers,' and some do not. We expect this team to struggle a bit early in the season, but to ride the hot hand of Aaron Rodgers back into the playoffs for a chance to defend their title. Despite the loss of Luke Kuechly, this defense is arguably much better than a year ago with the strong growth of Casey Hayward, rookie Budda Baker, the addition of Donta Hightower, and the drafting of Myles Garrett.

Game we are most looking forward to: Week 1vs New York Jets. The schedule-makers got it right here. It would have been tempting to have a Super Bowl rematch against the Panthers Week 1 (but we would expect another snooze-fest there). Pitting the Bills against the Jets as the season's opening showcase was absolutely the right call. Todd Bowles and company have had this game circled all summer. Forcing the Jets to watch the Bills players get their championship rings & the stadium to have their banners raised will be must-see-TV.

2017 AFC East Preview: New York Jets (12-4, 4-2 AFC East)
Week 1: @ BUF W
Week 2: @ OAK W
Week 3: MIA W
Week 4: JAX W
Week 5: @ CLE W
Week 6: NE W
Week 7: @ MIA W
Week 8: ATL W
Week 9: BUF L
Week 10: @ TB L
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: CAR W
Week 13: KC W
Week 14: @ DEN L
Week 15: @ NO W
Week 16: LAC W
Week 17: @ NE L

On paper, this may be as close to a 'super-team' as we may ever see - but the rest of the NFL knows this. It would surprise no one if the Jets start out 8-0 before their Week 9 showdown against Buffalo. The New York Jets will finally taste the playoffs in the third year of this new regime. Can they put it all together to give the AFC East three Super Bowl wins in a row?

Game we are most looking forward to: Week 14 @ Denver. This should be the AFC Championship preview. We are projecting Denver to runaway with the AFC's #1 seed behind Von Miller's defensive unit and Drew Brees breaking records in the Mile High air. Although we are predicting a Denver win here, a Jets victory on the road could help them be in line for the top seed in the conference.

2017 AFC Playoff Prediction
WILD CARD
#5 BUFFALO @ #4 Cincinnati - Buffalo wins 31-17
#6 MIAMI @ #3 Houston - Miami wins 20-17

DIVISIONAL ROUND
#6 MIAMI @ #1 Denver
#5 BUFFALO @ #2 NEW YORK JETS

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
???

Week 1 starts September 7th! Get your popcorn ready!!

Madden Ratings Release: Top 3GML K/Ps

1. Justin Tucker, K, Miami Dolphins (87)
98 KPW, 98 KACC, 97 Swag

5. Marquette King, P, Miami Dolphins (85)
998 KPW, 92 KACC, 100 Swag

Madden Ratings Release: Top 3GML FBs

4. Aaron Ripkowski, FB, New England Patriots (83)
84 AWR, 82 SPD, 87 ACC, 66 AGL, 74 STR

Madden Ratings Release: Top 3GML Safeties

1. Kam Chancellor, SS, New York Jets (95)
91 AWR, 87 SPD, 87 ACC, 83 AGL, 82 STR

3. Earl Thomas, FS, New York Jets (94)
91 AWR, 91 SPD, 92 ACC, 93 AGL, 65 STR

Madden Ratings Release: Top 3GML OLBs

2. Khalil Mack, OLB, Miami Dolphins (97)
94 AWR, 87 SPD, 89 ACC, 88 AGL, 85 STR

Madden Ratings Release: Top 3GML MLBs

2. Bobby Wagner, MLB, Miami Dolphins (93)
92 AWR, 88 SPD, 88 ACC, 85 AGL, 74 STR

3. D'Onta Hightower, MLB, Buffalo Bills (89)
91 AWR, 84 SPD, 89 ACC, 76 AGL, 84 STR

Madden Ratings Release: Top 3GML DEs

1. Aaron Donald, DE, New York Jets (99)
90 AWR, 83 SPD, 81 ACC, 90 AGL, 82 STR 94

Madden Ratings Release: Top 3GML DTs

2. Geno Atkins, DT, Buffalo Bills (91)
92 AWR, 78 SPD, 84 ACC, 71 AGL, 90 STR

4. Damon Harrison, DT, New England Patriots (89)
95 AWR, 54 SPD, 76 ACC, 64 AGL, 93 STR