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There is simply no argument against the fact the New England Patriots have absolutely dominated the AFC East division over the course of the last two decades. With the Patriots winning the division as a result of every single season but two since back in 2001-02, New England has continually trampled the trio of the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
During that span, the Patriots reaching a whopping nine Super Bowls while winning six titles. With such success infamously taking place under the direction of legendary head coach Bill Belichick and future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, it is now officially a brand-new era in New England, which could very well pave the way for another AFC East franchise to take over the division in 2020-21.
With the aforementioned Brady elected to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent earlier this offseason, it appears as though the AFC East is now as wide open as it has been since the turn of the century.
With the division another team's for the taking in 2020-21, it remains to be seen as to which franchise takes advantage of New England's changeover. While New England will surely remain competitive as a result of the upcoming campaign, there is no doubt that the up-and-coming Bills will enter the season as the favorites in the AFC East.
Although both the Dolphins and Jets are both slowly building their franchises back up from the ashes, the Bills are truly the only team within the division that can take down the new-look Patriots in 2020-21.
After reaching the postseason before being immediately ousted by the Houston Texans in dramatic fashion, the Bills made a point to improve this offseason. While the team's string of up-and-coming players will now have another year and more experience under their respective belts, the Bills also have a tremendous group of veterans leading the way both on the field and in the locker room.
Not only that, but the Bills landed a superstar at a premier skill position en route to trading for former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Granted, such a move ultimately cost Buffalo some serious NFL Draft capital, but Buffalo will surely be better for doing so in 2020-21.
In addition to the presence of Diggs, who has looked impressive as a result of the limited glimpses of him that have been shared with the public, the Bills also have quarterback Josh Allen under center and running back Devin Singletary, who appears more than ready to take the next step in his progression, in the backfield.
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With Allen being given a litany of options in the passing game, Diggs is joined by a veteran wide receiver tandem of Cole Beasley and John Brown while the aforementioned Singletary has the ability to catch the football out of the backfield as well. Adding to Allen as a threat all over the field, though, the young signal-caller can also do it with his legs, which will only aid Singletary and the team's rushing attack as a whole moving forward.
While the Bills offense should be much more dynamic with Diggs officially on board, Buffalo also has a stout defense on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Last season, the Bills were one of only three teams to allow less than 300 total yards per game while allowing just over 16 points per game, which ranked Buffalo at second in the entire league.
Who was first on such a list? Why the Patriots of course as New England also sat just above the Bills in terms of the amount of yards per game that the team's defense allowed.
Although entirely possible, it certainly isn't going to be easy for the Bills to overtake the always dangerous Patriots in 2020-21. One thing that could aid the Bills' efforts this time around is the fact that the Patriots have had the most players in the entire NFL to opt out of the upcoming season.
It is worth noting, however, that the Patriots are currently in much better position to potentially return to the postseason than initially expected. With Brady in Tampa Bay, the Patriots managed to sign former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to a free agent contract to serve as the highlight of the team's offseason.
A well-coached team at all times thanks to the presence of Belichick, it will be tough to count the Patriots out early on even with the Bills on the rise in a hurry.
