AFC East Power Rankings: Week 2

Dec 30, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive back Bryan McCann (23) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 28-0. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Another week another win for the ‘Phins and a great game for Mike Wallace has everyone in Miami excited but where do they stack up compared to the rest of the AFC East. Find out here with the week 2 edition of the AFC East Power Rankings. Don’t forget to follow @thecuffester and feel free to tweet at me with any questions or comments about football or fantasy sports.

1. Miami Dolphins

Yes, this is a Miami Dolphins fan site and perhaps there’s just a tinge of bias going on, but anyone who seriously suggests that the Dolphins haven’t looked the class of the AFC East so far just hasn’t been watching. I’m not saying the rest of the season is going to be like this, but the ‘Phins have won two tough road games back-to-back as underdogs. The team has scored more and given up less points than any other team in the division for a +17 point differential. Beyond just the obvious statistics though, the ‘Phins have shown vast improvement closing out games. Miami lost five games by less than a touchdown last year and multiple times blew late game leads. These type of games are the kind that Tannehill and co. need to keep winning to contend for a playoff spot this year. It’s early but so far things are looking better than they have in a while. We should learn a lot about what this team is truly capable of when perceived super bowl contender the Atlanta Falcons come to town this weekend.

2. New England Patriots

To most, watching the Thursday night game between the Jets and Pats was probably a miserable experience. To Dolphins’ fans it was awesome. The mistake filled, mess of a game was something we haven’t seen from the Pats in a while and it was pretty satisfying. Every drop brought a smile to my face. Despite this, the Pats are still 2-0 and they will get things together at some point. The return of Gronk in week 3 or 4 will be huge for Brady and the young receiving corps will eventually catch up. The truth is that this team is still very dangerous, but there’s no doubt that the gap between New England and the rest of the league has grown smaller.

3. Buffalo Bills

The Bills are much more dangerous than most give them credit for. They played a tough game with the Patriots and stole a win from Cam Newton and the Panthers this weekend both of which were unexpected. EJ Manuel has looked pretty good and he has some legit offensive playmakers around him in Spiller, Stevie Johnson and rookie WR Robert Woods. The defense isn’t great but they look like they’ll be tough to put away all year. I don’t see the playoffs happening for Buffalo this year, but next year? Quite possibly.

4. New York Jets

There’s no question the Jet’s defense is legit. Their two first round picks Dee Millinier and Sheldon Richardson have added to what was already a solid group. The offense? Not so much. It’s tough to tell exactly what kind of potential Geno Smith as he has a distinct lack of offensive playmakers around him, but I think the Jets have once again played their young QB prospect before he was ready. This could be a tough year for the Jets and I’d expect them to be in this spot all year. Time for Rex Ryan to dust off his resumé.