Only two divisions last season had quarterbacks who finished among the top 15 in MVP voting, and one of those divisions just added MVP four times.
Does this mean that Aaron Rodgers joining the New York Jets makes the AFC East the NFL’s most QB-rich division? Rodgers joins Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, who finished third in MVP voting, and Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins (15th in voting) to form an impressive trio of passers.
Caesars sportsbook ranks the AFC East as the only division to have three QBs among the top nine 2023 MVP candidates with Allen tied for second, Rodgers for seventh and Tagovailoa for ninth.
In terms of team prospects, with the arrival of Rodgers, the Jets are the second favorite to win the division, behind the Bills. The Dolphins are in third place, ahead of the New England Patriots.
Against that backdrop, ESPN Jets reporter Rich Semini, Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg, Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, and Patriots reporter Mike Reiss take a look at Rodgers’ impact on the AFC East. And ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reed examines which of the division’s teams improved the most from the draft.
How does Rodgers change the balance of power in the division?
Six games have separated the top of the division (the Bills) from the bottom (the Jets) in 2022. The addition of Rodgers gives the Jets a chance to go from worst to first because, for a change, they’ll have a legitimate NFL offense. They finished 29th in scoring last season, which means they’ve been involved in a rocky water balloon battle. They could not compete with the Bills (4th in scoring) and Dolphins (11th), as they were doomed by a substandard quarterback.
Rodgers, whose Packers team finished under 15 in scoring only once during his 15-year reign in Green Bay (and that was an injury-shortened season), should give the Jets the ability to win shootout games. AFC East defenses, which held the Jets to just three touchdown passes last season, have to respect it as a balanced offense. Gone are the days of exploiting the Jets’ inexperienced players (two years from Zach Wilson, preceded by three years from Sam Darnold).
For a change, the Jets could win at quarterback – and that changes everything in the department. – Semini
Is this now the most QB-rich section in the league?
Welcome to the conversation, AFC East!
Always start with the stars, and the Allen Rodgers duo will make for a legitimate contender when facing off against AFC West (Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert), AFC North (Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson) and NFC East (Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott).
Beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder, and for this set of eyes, Rodgers’ reach still wasn’t enough to propel teams beyond AFC West and AFC North. I was probably most impressed by the last game I watched Rodgers play – a week 17 primetime loss at home to the Lions with a playoff berth on the goal line as he finished 17 of 27 for 205 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
The QBs’ depth in the AFC East is strong with the Dolphins’ Tagovailoa and the Patriots’ Mac Jones, and that would be a stronger case for skipping the AFC West (Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo), AFC Norths (Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett) and NFC East (Daniel Jones, Sam Howell). / Jacoby Brissett) when evaluating the department’s richest QB. But it’s not enough for me to make it #1. – Reese
Which QB is surrounded by the best talent?
Tagovailoa gets a nod here. While Stefon Diggs (Bills), Garrett Wilson (Jets), and JuJu Smith-Schuster (Patriots) are nothing to scoff at, Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle set an NFL record for combined receiving yards last season (3,066). Miami struggled to run the ball efficiently in 2022, but added a potential home run threat through the draft in running back Devon Achan. It was one of the league’s most serious offenses last season, and there’s no reason to think it won’t happen again in 2023 – as long as Tagovailoa stays healthy.
And in a department not particularly blessed with elite offensive line play, Tagovailoa is perhaps the best linebacker at left tackle Tyrone Armstead. Overall, the line is the Dolphins’ weakness on offense, but it was also plagued by injuries throughout last season. When healthy, it should be well enough to keep Tagovailoa upright. The Jets come in second, given the production Wilson puts up as a starter in 2022, and if Breece Hall makes a full recovery from a torn ACL in his left knee, New York has enough talent to challenge the Dolphins for that title. – Louis Jack
Which team has the best defense to shut down the elite QB?
This is a tough pick, as there are compelling cases for the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins, and no Bill Belichick defense should ever count, but for now, I’ll give the Jets a slight edge. They’re returning a young defense that just has to get better. Of the teams in the division, the Jets gave up the fewest passing yards per game in 2022 (189.4) and had the most quarterback contacts (194). They also raised the Bills to two of the team’s lowest three point totals for the regular season and limited Rodgers and the Packers to 10 points.
The Bills might have gotten the advantage here if the team hadn’t changed coordinators (coach Sean McDermott will now call defensive plays), which could take time to adjust to, and if Von Miller hadn’t been coming off his major injury. right knee, making its availability uncertain. It also probably takes time to develop consistency with who wins the middle linebacker job. Time will tell if the Dolphins should claim that crown with a talented new defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio and the addition of cornerback Jalen Ramsey. – Getzenberg
Which team helped themselves the most in the draft?
Patriots really liked me. A three-point drop in the first round and a continued touchdown by Oregon cornerback Cristian Gonzalez—who was a potential sixth-ranker to me—was his 17th starting first. They followed that up by drafting defensive lineman Keon White and linebacker Marty Mabo on the second day, two high-profile players that fit their scheme. After making nine picks on the third day, they focused on the special teams. New England usually put together smaller than usual draft boards that include prospects who fit the team’s specific blueprint, and I think the Pats walked away with some real team-makers. The one area they fail to address is offensive tackle, which is still a big question. – Reid