For the last 20 years, the AFC East was a haves vs. have-nots division. The Patriots were part of that exclusive club of haves, particularly at the quarterback position with Tom Brady ripping through double-digit wins and a division title without seemingly breaking a sweat. It's the have-nots section where you found the rest of the AFC East consisting of the Dolphins, Jets, and Bills, who were never seemingly able to get it right under center. Sure, three was that brief run with Mark Sanchez for New York in 2009 and 2010 when they reached back-to-back AFC Championships, but it's largely been a revolving door of mediocrity at quarterback for every team in the AFC East not named the New England Patriots. But that may be changing.
Did you notice that those who root for the Jets were a bit quiet at halftime during Monday's primetime matchup with the Patriots? Under normal circumstances, a 20-10 lead going into the locker room against your bitter division rival is something that should be celebrated, right? Well, in East Rutherford in 2020, a win these days is really looked at as a long-term loss. That's because the now 0-9 Jets have the inside track at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and the opportunity to take Clemson phenom Trevor Lawrence, who is largely viewed as a can't miss, franchise-altering talent at the most important position in the sport. A win against the Patriots would not only help spoil those chances but open the door for New England -- who would then be 2-6 on the season -- to possibly get in the Lawrence conversation.
Because of all that, the sigh of relief by those sporting green on Monday was not only felt when Nick Folk nailed the 51-yard game-winner for the Patriots but was understandable. They know that you need a quarterback to compete in this league and they seem well on their way to getting one whether it be Lawrence or even Ohio State's Justin Fields, who is also looked at as a blue-chip prospect.
When that comes to fruition, that haves vs. have-nots dichotomy that we've grown accustomed to in the AFC East is primed to be flipped on its head. Buffalo's Josh Allen has taken a leap in his third season in the league that has really solidified him as the future for the Bills, who are 7-2 on the year. Meanwhile, the Dolphins just selected Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in the 2020 draft and he looks to be the part, throwing for 248 yards and two touchdowns in Miami's Week 9 win over Arizona. Inserting Lawrence or Fields into this division now gives the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills the young building-block quarterbacks that they've spent decades searching for.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are still a bit lost at the position. While Cam Newton has flashed at times, his two best games as a passer this season came against a Seahawks and Jets secondary that rank 30th and 31st in pass-defense, respectively. That leaves one wondering if those performances speak to the opponent more than Newton taking strides to return to his 2015 MVP form. With Newton signed just for this season, it further clouds what New England will do next under center. While Bill Belichick has not and will not ever be in the business of losing games on purpose to manipulate his draft position, you do wonder if New England would've been better off, in the long run, had Nick Folk just happened to miss that 51-yard yarder and the Jets somehow found a way to win.
Now, the Patriots are still looking at the possibility of having a high draft pick, but maybe not high enough to snatch one of the premier talents of the class at quarterback, which then would lead them down the road of acquiring a veteran who shakes loose after wearing out his welcome in his current stop. Playing that game of trying to unlock a retread isn't always the most lucrative, which is something the rest of the AFC East is fully aware of and something the Patriots may be just finding out in a year's time.
