Bills look to take control again in young, new-look AFC East

Published Sep. 3, 2021 12:06 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills stormed to the top of the AFC East — unfamiliar territory for anyone other than the New England Patriots — and kept going last season.

Nearly all the way to the Super Bowl.

Now comes the encore, and the expectations remain just as lofty.

“If the team’s not looking to win the Super Bowl,” Allen said, “they’re doing it wrong.”

The Bills lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs

Buffalo's division title was its first since the 1995 season — a few months before Allen was born. It also snapped the Patriots' 11-season division winning streak, and ended a stretch during which Bill Belichick's bunch had won 17 of the last 18 division crowns.

“I think our guys understand, and we’ve stressed that all year and all offseason, is what we did last year was really good but it means nothing,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. “We’re 0-0.”

Just like every other team. But Buffalo has some history to conquer just to win the division again.

The last time a non-Belichick coached team won consecutive AFC East titles was when the Patriots did it under Bill Parcells (1996) and Pete Carroll (’97). And the last time a team other than the Patriots finished first in the AFC East in back-to-back seasons: the 1988-91 Bills.

“The ultimate goal is to make the playoffs and give yourself a chance for a world title,” Allen said, “and that’s what we’ve got to do.”

OLD MAN ALLEN

Entering his fourth NFL season, the 25-year-old Allen is the dean of the AFC East starting quarterbacks. And he's getting paid like it, too, signing

Tua Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick last year, will be under center for Miami. Meanwhile, Zach Wilson, the No. 2 pick this year, is the guy for the New York Jets. And with New England stunningly cutting Cam Newton, the starting gig goes to Mac Jones, who went 15th overall in April.

They'll all be aiming for Allen and the Bills. But get this: With all four of the projected starting QBs 25 or younger, it marks the first time there have been that many in any division since 1985 — when the AFC East had Dan Marino (Dolphins), Ken O’Brien (Jets), Tony Eason (Patriots) and Art Schlichter (Colts).

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

New England's 7-9 finish was its worst since 2000, when the Patriots went 5-11. That was Belichick's first year as coach and the rookie season for Tom Brady, who appeared in only one game.

Belichick and Brady partnered on what became one of the league's most successful runs, winning six Super Bowls together over the next 19 years.

The Patriots believe they

“I think any time you take a team like we had last year — we all spoke about it at the end of the year — things were going to be different. And they've been different,” safety Devin McCourty said. “We got new players in here and we've just got to continue to build. I like what we have."

TUA'S TEAM

A 10-6 finish last season had

Tagovailoa was 6-3 as a starter as a rookie after replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter after six games. But he also ranked 26th or lower in several key categories, and was pulled in favor of Fitzpatrick in two games.

Rumors about Miami's potential interest in Houston's Deshaun Watson didn't help quash thoughts that the Dolphins weren't fully sold on Tagovailoa.

“We are always trying to improve on everything to get better from where they are and accentuate what he does well, the things that he does well,” said co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Eric Studesville. “He throws the ball really well. He’s a smart guy. He can handle it and everything that goes into that position, which is an all-encompassing position."

TAKING FLIGHT

The Jets have the league's longest playoff drought at 10 seasons, and it figures to continue through what is very much a rebuilding year.

New coach

But Saleh is preaching patience for the long-suffering fans of one of the NFL's youngest teams.

“We embrace the urgency at which everybody wants to win, but at the same time that can’t affect your decision making for the long haul of the goal of winning championships for extended periods of time,” Saleh said. “That urgency in the past has led to spurts of success and lengths of failure. We’re trying to get that reversed, to where we have long, long runs of success.”

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

Bills, Patriots, Dolphins, Jets

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AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow and AP Sports Writers Kyle Hightower, John Wawrow and Steven Wine contributed.

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