Opening Drive 2019: AFC East
Each team has one burning question that encompasses their 2019 season, and it's being asked here. Projected finish is in presentation order.
Can the New England Patriots repeat as Super Bowl champions? This organization's dominance over the last five years almost makes that a rhetorical question. Despite all the roster turnover, despite the loss of contributors of seasons past, and despite the competition being younger and more talented on paper, the Patriots continue to be not only in the conversation of title contenders, but at its epicenter. Despite the fact that betting against this team is a sure fire way to the poorhouse, one is left to ponder just how much longer they can keep this up. Tom Brady, the mortal lock for the Hall of Fame if there ever was one, is 42. Even the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game begin to slip once they reach their fourth decade, but has Brady really and truly hit the point where he's on borrowed time? Head coach Bill Belichick certainly hasn't lost his fastball when it comes to game planning, so the Pats aren't going anywhere. They will be a near lock to win the division and be an unmistakable factor in who will represent the junior conference in Super Bowl LIV.
Are the Buffalo Bills taking a step forward in 2019, or are they backsliding? 2017 was a watershed moment for the Bills, as they ended a 17 year postseason drought. However, they were a mess at quarterback (moreso to the befuddling management by head coach Sean McDermott than by the play of Tyrod Taylor), which was evident in an ugly Wild Card round loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last year, they drafted who they believe to be their franchise centerpiece in Josh Allen, who proved to be a multifaceted QB, as he ran (for his life) nearly as much as he passed. Seriously, Allen was the Bills' best rusher (631 yards, 8 TD's, with a 7.1 average yards per carry) along with struggling through a tough rookie campaign as a passer (52.8% completion, 2074 yards, 10 TD's, 12 INT's for a 67.9 passer rating). This was the epitome of the Bills offense, which was 30th in the league in both scoring and yardage. General manager Brandon Beane made his offseason strictly about improving the weapons around Allen. Some may scoff at signing 15 year veteran running back Frank Gore, but the acquisitions at wide receiver were solid. John Brown from Baltimore is a burner; Andre Roberts from the division rival Jets is a gifted runner, both in route running and after the catch; and Cole Beasley from Dallas was a security blanket for Dak Prescott and looks to have the same role with Allen. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will be tasked with the important job of developing Allen into a refined pocket passer to complement his running capability. If the offense catches up to their defense, this team could surprise and earn a wild card slot, but they will look more to be in contention as all these new parts jell.
Is head coach Adam Gase the answer when it comes to developing Sam Darnold? Once upon a time, Gase was a hot name in NFL coaching circles. As an offensive coordinator, he was a sounding board to Peyton Manning in Denver, then the mentor in Chicago who was able to coax career underachiever Jay Cutler into his best statistical season. Gase was then hired by the Miami Dolphins in 2016 to revamp their pedestrian offense in general and make quarterback Ryan Tannehill a reliable pro under center in particular. After going 10-6 in Gase's first year and earning a wild card, the Fins went nowhere, as Miami went a combined 12-20 the next two years before Gase was shown the door. To be fair to Gase, the Dolphins realized they needed a culture change after 2017, so he was caught in the middle of an ambitious restructuring of a franchise while still under imperiled employment. After many witnessing a lackluster body of work in the Sunshine State, it was curious, to say the least, that Gotham Green would hire the deposed head coach to replace Todd Bowles. Gase will become the first offensive oriented head coach to patrol the Jets sideline in 23 years, and with the development of 2018 top draft pick in QB Sam Darnold on the line, the pressure will be on Gase day one. Add to this the sudden dismissal of general manager Mike Maccagnan, Gase is also the Jets' interim GM, which puts the onus of success (at least for 2019) on him alone. One player who will help is Le'Veon Bell, the running back returning to the field after missing 2018 due to a contract holdout. While it was reported that Gase was not thrilled with the price paid to acquire Bell, the coach will need to take these challenges to move the Jets forward. We'll revisit this squad in 2020.
When does the Miami Dolphins' rebuild start, 2019 or 2020? The purge of the locker room cancers (along with it some pretty talented players) began in 2018. Combine that with the dismissal of vice president of football operations Mike Tannebaum, which shifted power of day to day personnel decisions to general manager Chris Grier, and that has put the Dolphins in a state of flux for the first time since Stephen Ross took over as majority owner a decade ago. Reports after the hiring of Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores to be the head coach in Miami was the team was angling to implement their rebuild in the 2020 offseason. Gone was QB Ryan Tannehill (off to Tennessee), and looking at the next draft for their next shot at a franchise quarterback. But then, they pull a draft day trade that brings in second year (and mysteriously ousted) signal caller Josh Rosen from Arizona, adding him to a QB room that includes the ultimate journeyman passer, Ryan Fitzpatrick. It's hard to say what those in the Dolphins organization have in mind, but it's clear that they are not particularly concerned with the 2019. There's plenty to do in South Florida, right?
