The Buffalo Bills have added variety to the NFL’s power hierarchy by winning the AFC East for the past two years. After falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime, 42-36 in a devastating Divisional Round loss last season, this team will be hungrier than ever to prove they belong in the upper echelon of NFL powerhouses.
But first things first, they must win the AFC East. Over the past two seasons, that has not been a monumental task, and the Bills filled several roster holes with players that can make an immediate impact (not the least of which is linebacker Von Miller). But the rest of the East also leveled up in free agency and the draft, making the Bills path to third consecutive crown more difficult.
So who poses the biggest threat to Buffalo in the 2022 season? With a rating scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most difficult, here’s how each division rival stacks up against the Bills.
Miami Dolphins – 7.5/10
The Bills had the highest-ranked defense in 2021, but they will have their hands full in weeks 3 and 15 when they square off against Miami. The Dolphins offense, which relied heavily on wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to carry them last season, just got a lot scarier with the signing of former Kansas City Chiefs wide out Tyreek Hill. In addition to now boasting what could be the scariest receiving duo in the AFC, the Dolphins also re-signed playmaking tight end Mike Gesicki, added running back Raheem Mostert (who is a matchup nightmare when healthy) and solidifying their offensive line by signing tackle Terron Armstead, that offense could cause fits for the Bills defense, even with all their playmakers.
New England Patriots – 6/10
When the Bills squashed the Patriots 47-17 in the Wild Card round of last year’s playoffs, New England’s most glaring deficiency (though there were many) was their defense, particularly in the passing game. Josh Allen imposed his will on a depleted Patriots secondary, throwing for 308 yards and five touchdowns and going 21-25 in the passing game, and with the exception of the two possessions when the Bills ran out the clock at the end of each half, they scored on every possession.
As such, the Patriots addressed their secondary needs. While they inexplicably let go of shutdown corner J.C. Jackson in free agency, they added cornerbacks Terrance Mitchell and Malcom Butler, and re-signed Devin McCourty and added safety Jabrill Peppers. While these aren’t huge splash moves, it could be enough to at least make their two matchups against Buffalo more difficult.
New York Jets – 4/10
The Jets certainly made some splash draft choices, signing shut-down Cincinnati corner Ahmad ‘Sauce” Gardner with the number four overall pick and Ohio Stare wide receiver Garret Wilson with the 10th overall pick. While these picks undoubtedly bring lots of promise to a franchise long devoid of any, it won’t be enough to cover for it because, well, they’re the Jets.
Plus, with all the drama surrounding Zach Wilson (I will not say anything more) and only signing a few noteworthy names in free agency (former Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah is the biggest signing), the Jets seem like they won’t provide much of a challenge this year.