AFC East Breakdown: Can Pats Be Knocked Off?

Wes Welker opted not to return to New England this season, instead choosing to ply his trade in Denver.

The New England Patriots go into the preseason this year with a lot of question marks. There is no Wes Welker, Tom Brady’s favorite receiver who was shipped to the Denver Broncos. He is being replaced by former St. Louis Rams receiver Danny Amendola. Rob Gronkowski is undergoing back surgery very soon. This coming off the broken forearm that got infected. Will he be ready for the start of the season? We don’t know.

The Pats passing game would seem to be less effective with no Welker and possibly no Gronkowski. Welker was good for about 100 catches per season. Can Amendola make up for all of those? Gronkowski was the go-to guy in the red zone. It’s already tough enough to throw down there without a big target like him. The Pats will really need the running game to step up. Running the ball is not really what they are known for.

The Miami Dolphins come into the season with high expectations. They are talking a great game. With the additions of Mike Wallace and Tyson Clabo on the offense and the maturing of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, there is reason for optimism. But they will need someone to pick up the yards that Reggie Bush once gained. Bush is gone now. The offensive line looks to be solid with Clabo. Mike Pouncey and Richie Incognito. Miami showed flashes a year ago. A tough loss late in the season at the Indianapolis Colts seemed to send them spiraling and send the Colts on a playoff run. They believe that experience will help them this year get over the hump.

The Buffalo Bills begin the Kevin Kolb era this year. The much-maligned quarterback comes to Buffalo after a less than successful run with the Arizona Cardinals. But the Bills drafted quarterback E. J. Manuel in the first round of the NFL Draft. Don’t be too shocked if we see a Russell Wilson-type scenario here. With C. J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, the Bills have a really good running back tandem. That should help take some of the pressure off of Kolb.

Defense was the Bills big problem last season as several teams ran up huge scores on them. Mario Williams needs to have a big year if they are to compete in the East.

The New York Jets? They are just a train wreck. But the Jets seem to do better with lower expectations, so maybe they’ll surprise a few people. But quarterback Mark Sanchez has to be at zero on the confidence scale after the disaster that was 2012. Building his psyche back up will be a challenge. Head coach Rex Ryan‘s seat is so hot he can’t even sit down.