For the last 10 years, the New England Patriots have dominated the AFC East.
Since 2009, no team has come close to beating the Patriots for the division crown. However, one of New England’s stars thinks one division rival might finally have the formula to defeat the Patriots and finish atop the division.
In the past, the Jets have mostly played well against the Patriots regardless of the state of the team. With a new head coach, a handful of star free agent acquisitions and a blossoming quarterback, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman believes New York might have what it takes to overtake New England once and for all.
“They’ve got some new coaches and some really dynamic players and a young quarterback,” Edelman said in an interview with the New York Post. “They also have a defense that for some reason does real well against us. People ask me when I’m in New York about the Jets and the Giants. Those teams have always played us well. Now the Jets have Gase and he’s got some blueprints from Miami, where he beat us. It’s going to be a tough matchup.”
The Jets are nearing a return to contender status, but the team still has a long way to go before they can consider themselves a threat to the Patriots. General manager Joe Douglas still has plenty of holes on the roster to fill and the team still has to how to string together some wins playing in new offensive and defensive systems with new personnel.
New York might not be ready to knock off New England in 2019, but Gang Green’s time is coming. Edelman is aware of what the Jets are cooking up in Florham Park and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the NFL takes notice.
