Written by Rohit Ghosh

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AFC East Preview: Dolphins over Patriots?

With or without QB Tom Brady, the AFC East title will go through Foxborough and the New England Patriots. Even prior to Tom Brady's suspension being nullified, ESPN's FPI metric - which uses a variety of predictive factors to project team futures - suggested New England would easily be the top team in the division.

With Brady back, that projection gets cemented in stone even further. The ESPN projection gave the Patriots a 65 percent chance to make the postseason without Brady; that percentage is now up to 74. AccuScore projects a 10-win regular season for the Patriots in 2015.

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Regardless of Brady's impact, however, the AFC East won't be a cakewalk. The New York Jets are well, still the New York Jets. And while they won't play much of an impact at a macro level, keep an eye for the Jets to play spoiler once the season gets going. Via AccuScore data, Jets are projected to finish with 6 wins.

The Miami Dolphins solidified an already potent defensive front by bringing in Ndamukong Suh. While simulations continue to be run and modified, Miami has a great shot at finishing atop the AFC East - especially given AccuScore’s simulations.



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Can Miami dethrone the Pats?

Dissecting the Dolphins' marquee addition a bit further, Suh's impact cannot be understated. He finished last season with 37 hurries and 12 hits on the opposing quarterback - that sort of production cannot be taken lightly.

Put him next to a guy like Cameron Wake, that's trouble for the offense. Suh was No. 1 in the league last season in terms of total pressure among any defensive tackle; Wake was No. 4.

Buffalo’s Potential

Arguably the most surprising and exciting of campaigns could come from the Buffalo Bills - a roster that acquired a plethora of talent in the offseason.

They added running back LeSean Mccoy and brought in wide receiver Percy Harvin - both impact moves for the offense. The bigger story, however, is the potential of Tyrod Taylor, a dual-threat option for Coach Rex Ryan that could shake things up in the AFC East. Taylor finished the preseason going 24-for-31 in the air for 236 yards in three games; he also added 107 rushing yards and 1 rushing TD.

If he can continue to stay composed under pressure - he completed over 66 percent of his passes under pressure in the preseason - Buffalo's regular season record will trump any projections.

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Related:
2015 NFC East Preview
2015 NFC South Preview
2015 AFC South Preview