AFC Beast: Division goes 4-0 in Week 1
The 1-0 Patriots are tied for last place in the AFC East.
With the first slate of Sunday’s games now in the books, all four division teams are tied at a win apiece.
The Buffalo Bills put up a statement win in their first go-round under head coach Rex Ryan, trouncing the Super Bowl-contending Indianapolis Colts in a 27-14 win that wasn’t half as close as the score would indicate.
The defense, which generated three takeaways on a Phillip Dorsett fumble and a pair of picks by Andrew Luck, looked every bit as stifling as the units Ryan fielded in New York, but the emergence of quarterback Tyrod Taylor may be a bigger story. The fifth-year player was named a surprise starter in training camp, rewarding the decision by going 14-for-19 for 195 yards and a touchdown and chipping in nine carries for 41 yards.
Ryan’s former team overcame a slow start and a defensive lapse against Johnny Manziel, but ultimately the Jets handed Cleveland its 11th straight season-opening loss with the 31-10 win. Gang Green’s defense looked every bit as good it did under the old regime, holding quarterbacks Josh McCown (injured early) and Johnny Manziel to a combined 18-for-32 for 231 yards, a touchdown and an interception and totaling five takeaways with four fumbles.
Journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (15-for-24, 179 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception) isn’t about to unseat Tom Brady as the division’s premier player at the position, but Todd Bowles’ defense looks like it’ll be a tough riddle to solve all season.
The Dolphins, pegged as the AFC East dark horse by some pundits in the offseason, put up the least convincing of the division’s wins in their 17-10 victory over the Washington, but a win is a win. Second-year wide receiver Jarvis Landry filled up the box score with eight grabs for 53 yards to go with a 69-yard kickoff return touchdown.
And this brilliant interception by cornerback Brice McCain speaks for itself:
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The reigning champs remain the class of the division until proven otherwise, but it won’t be as easy a road as in years past.
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