AFC East standings after Week 1: Two teams sit atop the division
One week into the 2022 campaign, the AFC East is evenly split between two teams with wins and two teams with losses.
The Buffalo Bills won their Thursday night matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams. Both sides of the ball looked like they were still angry about the way their 2021 season ended, as they scored 31 points and held Matthew Stafford and company to just one touchdown. Sean McDermott’s team seems like obvious favorites in the East.
Mike McDaniel led the Miami Dolphins to their first win of the season over the New England Patriots. Miami’s defense picked up right where they left off last season, forcing three turnovers from New England’s offense. Offensively, they showed some flashes, but they still have a lot to work on if they want to keep pace with Buffalo.
The Patriots looked sloppy in their Week 1 loss, as they looked like they had during preseason and training camp. After some early success running the ball, they veered away from the strategy the more that they were trailing. Mac Jones, going against a tough defense, doesn’t look like he’s taken a step forward from his impressive rookie season.
Robert Salah’s New York Jets were without starting quarterback Zach Wilson, forcing them to turn the offense over to Joe Flacco to face his former team – the Baltimore Ravens. At 37 years old, Flacco threw the ball 59 times, the third-most attempts in his career, as they were trying to come back from a 21-point lead that the Ravens had built in the first three quarters. They’ll need to be much better, especially on third down (2-of-14), if they want to give themselves a chance in this division.
Week 2 AFC East matchups:
New England Patriots (0-1) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
New York Jets (0-1) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-0)
Miami Dolphins (1-0) vs. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Buffalo Bills (1-0) vs. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
