AFC East Power Rankings - Week 12

Hey guys. Sorry for not posting this last week. The holiday messed with my work schedule more than I thought it would. 

What happened in the AFC East in Week 12? Well, the Patriots finally lost a game, the Dolphins suck, the Bills suck and the Jets are starting to feel good about themselves again. Let's get to it.

1. Patriots - There's no reason to be freaked out about losing to the Broncos. They have the No. 1 rated defense in the league and Brock Osweiler is proving to be an upgrade over Peyton Manning. Aside from that, how resilient are these Patriots? Down arguably five of their best players and they nearly won. Yes, the officiating was pretty bad, but that isn't the main reason New England lost. Despite a shortage of offensive weapons, Tom Brady threw for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. That's impressive when you consider the situation the Patriots are in. The loss doesn't do too much to hurt them in the standings, as they control their own destiny. The biggest win for them is that Rob Gronkowski isn't seriously injured. They'll catch a bit of a break this week when the banged-up Eagles come to town.

2. Jets - One win against the awful Miami Dolphins later and the Jets are starting to feel good about themselves. They're 6-5 and currently sitting just outside the wild card picture. Kansas City and Pittsburgh are currently in the two wild card spots, but they're also 6-5. Even without Darrelle Revis, the defense managed to keep Lamar Miller in check and made Ryan Tannehill try and beat them, which is generally a recipe for disaster. They've got what should be a tougher test against the up-and-down New York Giants.

3. Bills - They played a suddenly resurgent Kansas City Chiefs squad tough, but they only scored six points in the second half and watched KC play relentless football. Buffalo also left banged up. Karlos Williams and Alex Carrington were injured. They're already missing Mario and Kyle Williams, so they really can't afford any more injuries on the defensive front. The positives are that Tyrod Taylor and Sammy Watkins had huge games, and Taylor has been a fairly reliable quarterback when he's been in there. They've got another tough test this Sunday against another team that has turned a corner: the Houston Texans.

4. Dolphins - The Dan Campbell effect wore off on the Dolphins a while ago, and their only win in the last month was a one-point triumph over the Mark Sanchez-led Eagles. Not great. For a little while, though, they looked like they were turning a corner. Back in the cellar they sit, and this time I'd be willing to bet it's for good.

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