Imo only, I’m going by the first 5 games of the season would be tuff for any team and the fact all the AFC east teams improved. AFC as a whole is a gauntlet. Any team making it to the playoffs in this conference earns respect.
Maybe slightly biased, but I can’t see that any team has improved more than Miami. Not just in new faces, but improvement from current players as well…some very glaring.
I expect at least 3-2, likely 4-1 in those first 5. This is based on my own expectations for how this team has improved.
New England won’t be ready for what they’re going to get, in all 3 phases. I call it a can’t lose game for us, because if we do…we’re in for a loooong season. They’re not the Patriots of the Brady era…no team has ever went crazy heavy on FAs in an off-season and had it pay off…possible exception, 2020 Bucs, but they had Brady, and he did some of the picking.
Bills are a good…no, great team right now. This is our home opener, and there were several reasons we lost at home to the Bills last year, most if not all have been remedied. I give us a 50/50 chance in this one…divisional games being unpredictable as they are.
The Raiders? Come on now. Middling team that gives guys like Khalil Mack away…they’ll never do anything with Chucky round 2.
The Colts…going to be interesting to see how this Wentz stuff works out. I still think this is a solid win for us…after watching Tennessee dismantle them last year with zero defense. Our weaponry is a fair bit better than last year.
Bucs…if ANYBODY can scheme to beat Brady, it’s Flo. Will he peg it right this time (like week 17 2019 at Foxborough, with LOADS less talent on both sides of the ball)? We’ll see…gotta put this one with a slight edge to the Bucs since it’s in TB.
After that, only 2 tough games…Buffalo #2 and Baltimore. Tennessee honorable mention, but that defense went straight downhill when Peas left.
I’m expecting a 12 win season, and I believe that’s fully realistic compared to how massively this team upgraded this off-season.