Patriots Still Odds-On Favorites to Win AFC East Next Season
The remainder of the AFC East is licking their chops now that Tom Brady is no longer a New England Patriot. The Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are closer than they've ever been in the past decade to winning the division.
OK; that may not be the case for the Dolphins or Jets, who still have a ways to go before they become a winning football team, let alone a division winner. But the Bills surely have a stronger chance of winning the division than they have in previous seasons.
However, despite the loss of the greatest quarterback of all-time, oddsmakers still have the Patriots as the favorites to win the AFC East in 2020.
Here are the odds for who will win the AFC East next season, per SportsLine:
Patriots: +100
Bills: +140
Jets: +800
Dolphins: +1200
These odds should come as no surprise. New England still has the greatest head coach in the history of football in Bill Belichick, an elite secondary, an offensive line that should reclaim its place as one of the top o-lines in the NFL once David Andrews returns, and a handful of talented running backs and pass-catcher.
New York can't seem to get our of their own way in terms of roster building and Miami is in the midst of a rebuild, and that's why both of those teams are long shots to win the division next season.
Buffalo, however, is just slightly behind New England in the odds, and rightfully so. 2019 was a chance for Sean McDermott and company to prove they have a winning culture and football team in Buffalo, which is why they won 10 games and made it to the playoffs for just the second time since 1999. While a strong case could be made that the Bills could win the division in 2020, it's hard to bet against the Patriots, who time and time again have dominated their AFC East opponents.
Until one of New England's divisional opponents can prove they have the algorithm to consistently defeat the six-time Super Bowl champions, the Patriots will remain the favorites to win the division no matter who they lose for players.