Ever since Tom Brady left the Patriots in the spring of 2020, the Buffalo Bills have been the undisputed kings of the AFC East. After the Patriots dominated the division for nearly two decades, the Bills have resided at the top of the standings for the last five seasons, but unlike their rivals, have failed to come up big in the postseason.
Even though Buffalo will remain the kings of the division until proven otherwise, the Patriots may be closer in the Bills' rearview mirrors than it appears.
Thanks to home runs in free agency and the draft - and the hiring of Mike Vrabel to be the head coach, and bringing back Josh McDaniels to run the offense - the young, exciting Patriots have done all the right things to compete with the Bills in the division.
It remains to be seen whether it adds up to success on the field for the Patriots, but on paper, New England appears to be Buffalo's biggest challenger in the division.
The Patriots might be closer to contention than some think
Eliot Wolf believes his Patriots will be much better than the unit that stumbled and bumbled to an embarrassing 4-13 record last season. After all, it can't get any worse in Foxboro. But one AFC scout told ESPN's Mike Reiss that Josh Allen and company better have their guards up when it comes to the Patriots this season.
"This is the best offseason they've had in a while. I feel like they're the Bills' biggest threat," one scout said.
It's hard to say that scout is lying. You have to believe that Stefon Diggs will have a bit of a chip on his shoulder when he lines up against his former team, the Bills. He had some of the best seasons in his career in Buffalo, but Diggs eventually wore out his welcome.
You also have to believe New England will be a mirror image of its coach, as Vrabel's teams in Tennessee typically played with toughness and a chip on their shoulder. With Christian Barmore healthy, the Patriots' already-boosted pass rush, primarily thanks to the signing of MiltonWilliams, could emerge as one of the league's best.
Questions remain, especially in the context of whether the Patriots can develop their young wide receivers, something they've failed to do in recent years. McDaniels' offense is a challenging one to learn, but if the likes of Kyle Williams can get it down and Will Campbell can solidify the left tackle position, expect the Patriots' offense to be right there with Josh Allen and company this season.
The Bills are the favorites to win the division. There's no doubt about that. But the Patriots are coming, and Buffalo shouldn't overlook its division rival this season.