Rick: As of right now, I am not worried about the AFC East after only one game. Yes, it was a loss to the Dolphins, but Miami looks much improved in the trenches, it was a statement for them, and it is tough historically for New England to win at Miami. Rob Gronkowski got in the game Week 1 and had a touchdown, so that was a good sign going forward. This Patriots’ team despite its issues with the offensive line, has too much talent to be panicking. If New England’s defense struggles with Matt Cassel and the Vikings this weekend, then there is a lot of reasons to be concerned. It will be interesting to see this week’s game because as we know in the NFL, 0-2 is not something that a lot of teams bounce back from.
Kyle: There is reason for concern, and that reason is the New York Jets. While thye don’t have much at cornerback, their front seven on defensive is one of the top groups in the league. You cannot run the ball against them. Additionally, their offensive line is also strong. They will give Geno Smith all kinds of time to make plays. They are a dangerous team and I wish I had gone to Vegas and bet the over on their 8 1/2 win total.
Raj: Not at all. It’s literally only one game. Before the season started and after seeing how the Patriots performed at training camp, we all talked about how this was a Super Bowl-caliber team. And now just because they lost one game, are they really in risk of not winning their own division? I heartily disagree and still believe this Patriots team is a 13-3 or 12-4 kind of team. That kind of record wins most divisions and I feel it will be that way again for another year. The Dolphins, Jets, and Bills had great week 1s and they are rising franchises. However, I still don’t think this is the year for any of those teams.
Derek: Not. A. Chance. Unless something catastrophic happens, this Patriots team will win the division by a sizable margin. The last time they lost their first game of the year they finished 14-2 and won the Super Bowl. The sky is not falling and none of the other three teams in this division have demonstrated the least amount of stability that would be required to give the Patriots a run for their money.
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