13 weeks into the 2021 NFL season, and the AFC East has a new team in first place, as the New England Patriots took over the top spot from the Buffalo Bills.
In this past week, the Patriots defeated the Bills on Monday night 14-10 in a throwback-style game that saw New England throw the ball just three times, the fewest pass attempts in a game by a winning team since 1991. Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Brandon Bolden combined for 217 yards on 38 carries for a 5.7-yard average.
New England’s defense has been one of the best in the league for some time now. After the win, they are allowing the fewest points per game in the league (15.8). Buffalo’s defense is still strong, but they weren’t tested through the air after the loss of Tre’Davious White the week prior, so that could be a concern going forward.
With the loss, Buffalo solidified their spot in second place for now.
Miami, in third place, defeated the New York Giants in Week 13 by a final score of 20-9. Brian Flores’ defense has been strong through their winning streak as well, moving up to 11th in points allowed per game (22.2). Their offense hasn’t put it all together yet, but the reintroduction of DeVante Parker should give fans some hope for after the bye.
The Jets remain in the basement of the division after losing to the Eagles with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Robert Saleh’s defense has been horrendous this year. Part of that is because of the injuries they’ve suffered, but even when they were healthy they had issues. The one thing to build on is that Zach Wilson didn’t look horrible.
Week 14 AFC East matchups:
Buffalo Bills (7-5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
New York Jets (3-9) vs. New Orleans Saints (5-7)
New England Patriots (9-4): Bye Week
Miami Dolphins (6-7): Bye Week
