If the rumours are to be believed, New England head coach Bill Belichick, his legendary quarterback Tom Brady, Brady’s personal trainer Alex Guerrero, team owner Robert Kraft and game-changing tight end Rob Gronkowski were all at each other’s throats at the end of the season in a monumental Massachusetts power struggle.
The turmoil didn’t seem to affect the offense as the Patriots reached their third Super Bowl in five years against Philadelphia in February. Brady threw for a Super Bowl-record 505 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Gronk. Instead, it was the Patriots’ defense that couldn’t stop Doug Pederson’s offense, despite the Eagles being led by their back-up QB Nick Foles.
Gronk and Brady will be back, joined by new offensive parts such as running backs Jeremy Hill and Sony Michel and receiver Cordarrelle Paterson – who came via free agency and the draft – as will clutch receiver Julian Edelman, who missed the entire year. Defensively, Belichick shipped out the 2015 Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, having benched him for the big game against Philly so he’ll need replacing on defense. The coach, now with eight Super Bowl appearances to his name, brought in Danny Shelton to shore up the defensive line and Adrian Clayborn to supply a pass rush. Belichick routinely treats Weeks 1 to 4 as an extension of preseason, trying to find the right combinations of personnel, so don’t read too much into September’s results – this is a team that peaks in January.
At the head of the AFC East’s chasing pack in 2017 were Buffalo, who ended a 17-year playoff drought under first-year head coach Sean McDermott as they finished second to New England and sneaked into a Wild Card spot. The Bills could take a hefty step backwards this season, however. Steady veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor was sent to Cleveland and replaced by a combination of ex-Cincinnati Bengal back-up AJ McCarron, raw first-round pick Josh Allen and Nathan Peterman, who threw five interceptions in the first half of an ill-managed debut in Week 11 last year. They’ll be developed by offensive coordinator Brian Daboll who’s flamed out in stints at Cleveland, Miami and Kansas City. Lone offensive star LeSean McCoy faced the distraction of allegations against him by an ex-girlfriend during testy eviction proceedings. In front of McCoy, the offensive line will look very different without retired center Eric Wood and tackle Cordy Glenn, who was traded to the Bengals. The Bills play five of their first seven games away before then facing the Patriots in Week 8 so the division could already be running away from them by the season’s midpoint.
By contrast, elsewhere in New York state, the Jets look to have a glut of passers. Incumbent starter Josh McCown played surprisingly well for his eighth NFL team until his season was ended by a broken hand in Week 14. He returns, the plan being for him to mentor third overall draft pick Sam Darnold. A month before the draft, however, Gang Green signed Teddy Bridgewater on a one-year deal.
Bridgewater was a budding star with Minnesota before a devastating knee injury in August 2016 put his entire career in jeopardy. The 25 year old battled back and took the field to a standing ovation in the fourth quarter of the Vikings v Bengals game in US Bank Stadium in December last year. In the two preseason games, he got the Jets organization buzzing with his immaculate performance, while his command of the offense and mental toughness in practice have impressed his teammates. Darnold also looked poised against Atlanta (but struggled in the second game) and with up-and-coming receiver Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse and Quincy Enunwa to throw to, the Jets passing game could surprise in 2018 for head coach Todd Bowles. That’s if he can coax an improvement out of an offensive line that relinquished 47 sacks last year. It’s hard to connect with a receiver when you’re lying under a pile of defenders.
Miami head coach Adam Gase will have no excuses in his third year – he’s now remade the roster in his image, signing veterans who’ve been around quality programmes such as the NFL’s fifth all-time leading rusher Frank Gore, double Super Bowl-winning receiver Danny Amendola and four-time Pro Bowler Josh Sitton. Heading in the opposite direction were the team’s best players on offense and defense – WR Jarvis Landry and Ndamukong Suh – as well as seven-year center Mike Pouncey. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill returns after missing the entire 2017 season through injury and watching Jay Cutler go 6-8 as a starter. He’d shown improvement under ‘quarterback whisperer’ Gase in their first season together as the Dolphins made the playoffs. Florida fans will be hoping the pair can pick up where they left off in pursuit of the Patriots.