Let's be honest, the New England Patriots dominated the AFC East for two decades. But the changing of the guard has already taken place.
After the Pats were crowned division champions 17 times between 2001-19, the Buffalo Bills have won it in each of the past two seasons. However, former Patriots offensive lineman Damien Woody sees more upheaval down the stretch this season.
Now an analyst for ESPN, Woody has a surprise pick to win the division. Not the Bills, Pats or current leading Miami Dolphins, but rather the ... New York Jets? Yes, he likes the team that is 6-27 the previous season and whom the Pats beat two weeks ago at MetLife Stadium.
“The New York Jets will beat out the Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots for the division title," Woody said Sunday after a wild weekend in which Buffalo slipped out of first place after an overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings. "New York is 4-0 on the road and has one of the best defenses in the NFL. I think quarterback Zach Wilson can keep the mistakes to a minimum, allowing the Jets to pull out one of the closest divisions in football.”
As crazy as that statement sounds, it's actually not that far-fetched. All four teams are currently above .500. If the season ended today, the Dolphins (7-3), Bills (6-3), Jets (6-3) and Patriots (5-4) would all be in the playoffs.
The Jets' defense is actually dangerous, with young players like Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams having dominant seasons. The offense isn’t so bad either with a bright future with a young core highlighted by Zach Wilson, Breece Hall, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Garrett Wilson.
Granted, Hall's promising rookie season only lasted seven games after he sustained a torn ACL but he was an emerging star with his 463 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The only other issue that could prevent the Jets from winning the division is their quarterback, can't seem to figure out Bill Belichick's defense. In fact, Wilson has thrown seven interceptions in his career against the Patriots.
Still, there is a path for the Jets to shock the world, especially after the Bills just dropped their second straight game to fall out of first place. And since the Jets beat the Bills in Week 9, giving them the tiebreaker, New York is now ahead of the Bills in the AFC East standings.
The Patriots, although currently in last place at 5-4, will have an opportunity to gain some ground coming off the bye week. New England will welcome the Jets to Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 20 for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
You can follow Kevin Tame Jr. on Twitter @Kevin_Tame
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