Around The AFC East: Dolphins, Jets off to hot start, Patriots, Bills left behind in Week 1

Each week throughout the 2023 NFL season, I’ll be recapping all the action and news from around the AFC East that week. With Week 1 in the books, let’s dive right in.

The Miami Dolphins edged out the Los Angeles Chargers 36-34, in a game that went down to the final play. The New York Jets faced off at home against the Buffalo Bills, and squeaked out a 22-16 win in overtime in thrilling fashion. The New England Patriots kicked off their season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles, but lost by a score of 20-25.

AFC East Standings

1. New York Jets (1-0) Overall; (1-0) Division
2. Miami Dolphins (1-0) Overall; (0-0) Division
3. New England Patriots (0-1) Overall; (0-0) Division
4. Buffalo Bills (0-1) Overall; (0-1) Division

AFC East Headlines

Josh Allen, Where Did You Go?

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen couldn’t have had a worse start to the season, throwing for 236 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions and losing one fumble against Jets. The two-time Pro Bowler currently looks a shadow of his former self, and has 39 turnovers in his last 19 NFL games. Since entering the league in 2018, he leads all players with 82 turnovers.

In a game where the Jets lost their starting quarterback within minutes of kickoff, a simple, clean, and efficient gameplan would’ve seen the Bills leave MetLife Stadium with a win. However, Buffalo’s offense was entirely erratic, and much of the loss falls on Josh Allen.

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Aaron Rodgers Goes Down With Injury

After trading for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the offseason, Jets fans had much to be optimistic about heading into the new season. However, Rodgers suffered an unfortunate Achilles injury early in the first quarter, before even completing a single pass. He missed the remainder of the game, and is scheduled to undergo an MRI today. The extent of his injury is currently unknown.

The injury comes as a massive loss to the Jets, who will now look to 3rd-year quarterback (and former No. 2 overall pick) Zach Wilson to lead their team for the foreseeable future.

UPDATE: Aaron Rodgers suffered a complete tear of his left Achilles on Monday, and will likely be out for the season, as per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Patriots Show Fight, But Come Up Short

A team that many predicted to finish 4th in the AFC East this season, the Patriots are currently living up to expectations. However, facing off against last season’s NFC Champions, the Patriots actually held their own at home against the Eagles, and didn’t go down without a fight.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones looked much improved from last year’s sophomore slump, and finished the game with 316 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 91.3, while completing 35 of his 54 pass attempts (64%). New offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien drew up a clever gameplan for the Patriots offense, and combined with Bill Belichick’s defensive nous, I wouldn’t be so quick to count them out this season.

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