AFC East one-hit wonders

While some players turn outstanding seasons into lengthy and impressive careers, others simply fade into obscurity. Here are the most notable one-hit wonders for each AFC East team.

Buffalo Bills: C.J. Spiller, RB

The Bills surprisingly drafted the Clemson standout ninth overall in 2010 despite having Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson on the roster. Spiller received limited opportunities on offense as a rookie, resulting in a disappointing debut season totaling 440 yards from scrimmage with no rushing touchdowns and five fumbles.

Spiller would finish his sophomore season recording 830 total yards and six touchdowns, but during his third year, he fulfilled the expectations that he had upon entering the league.

With Jackson once again sidelined by injuries, Spiller proved to be a dynamic dual-threat talent in 2012. He ran for a team-leading 1,244 yards and six touchdowns and caught 43 passes for 459 yards and two TDs, earning him his only Pro Bowl selection. Spiller spent two more modest seasons with Buffalo before signing with the Saints in the 2014 offseason.

In New Orleans, Spiller failed to live up to his four-year, $18M deal, playing just one disappointing season (112 yards rushing) before being released.

Miami Dolphins: Lamar Smith, RB

A third-round pick by Seattle in 1994, Smith spent six underwhelming seasons with the Seahawks and Saints, primarily as a backup, before joining the Dolphins. With Miami, Smith received the opportunity to be the starting tailback and played a significant role in the team's playoff push. In 15 games during the regular season, Smith rushed for 1,139 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. 

Miami finished 11-5 in 2000, earning a wild-card berth and a matchup with Peyton Manning's Colts. Smith dominated Indianapolis in the 23-17 overtime victory, rushing for a Dolphins postseason-record 209 yards with two touchdowns. 

Despite starting 16 games the following season, Smith only ran for 968 yards and six scores, but Miami still made the playoffs. The Dolphins were no match for the Ravens in the wild-card round. Smith recorded just six rushing yards in his final Dolphins appearance and later signed with Carolina, where he spent one season before finishing his career with New Orleans. 

New England Patriots: Jonas Gray, RB

While there have been dozens of season one-hit wonders in NFL history, there's arguably no single-game sensation more prominent than Gray. Undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2012, Gray spent time with Miami and Baltimore but never appeared in a game before signing with New England in 2014. 

In just his fourth career game, which came against the Colts on "Sunday Night Football," Gray rushed 37 times for 201 yards and a franchise-record four touchdowns. New England defeated Indianapolis 42-20, and Gray's historic performance landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated. 

All signs pointed to the Patriots discovering yet another gem who could transform their offense. However, Gray's promising career appeared to be over just as it was beginning to take off as he overslept and missed practice the following week, leading to his benching. He recorded 91 more total yards that season and was cut in September 2015.

Gray played just eight more NFL games between Miami and Jacksonville. 

New York Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB 

One unpaid plane ticket by starting quarterback Geno Smith led to New York's closest run to the postseason since 2010. After defensive end IK Enemkpali broke Smith's jaw in the locker room over the issue, the Jets got their turn at the "Fitzmagic" experience. 

The then-33-year-old journeyman started all 16 games, guiding the Jets to a 10-6 record and throwing for 3,905 yards and a franchise-record 31 touchdowns, both career highs. Having narrowly missed the playoffs, New York opted to run it back the following season, re-signing Fitzpatrick to a one-year, $12M deal, but the team couldn't replicate its success.

Fitzpatrick played in 14 games in 2016, throwing for 2,710 yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, all while briefly losing his starting role to Smith. The Jets finished 3-8 in the Harvard alum's 11 starts before parting ways in the offseason that followed. While Fitzpatrick started 31 games over five seasons, he never achieved the success he had in 2015.