Bills finally reach the NFL mountain top, and a recent investment by the Dolphins doesn't pay off headline AFC East hot takes

The AFC East had a very eventful offseason. The Buffalo Bills making moves to try and win their sixth straight AFC East championship. While the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and New England Patriots would like nothing more than to knock the Bills off their throne.Two of our writers here at A to Z Sports, […]

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer
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The AFC East had a very eventful offseason. The Buffalo Bills making moves to try and win their sixth straight AFC East championship. While the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and New England Patriots would like nothing more than to knock the Bills off their throne.

Two of our writers here at A to Z Sports, Destin Adams and Kyle Crabbs, took a close look at each of these teams and came away with some blazing hot takes. Let's see what they had to say and see if they even agree with each other.

AFC East Hot Takes

Buffalo Bills

Hot Take: The Bills win the Super Bowl

I know Kyle is going to take the field, and who can blame him? The odds are better that way. However, I'm calling my shot: I think the Bills will be the number one seed in the AFC playoffs, and after hosting the AFC Championship, I believe Josh Allen will get to play in his first Super Bowl. Allen did his part last season by winning the league's MVP award, but the defense struggled at different points throughout the season. They added veteran Joey Bosa to the fold and drafted Maxwell Hairston in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to address the issue. The sky is the limit for the Bills this season, and I think they will finally reach the mountain top and win the franchise's first Super Bowl. – Destin Adams

Buying or out on this take: They have as good a shot as anyone, but I'll take the field 

Philadelphia. Baltimore. Los Angeles. Their nemesis in Kansas City. There's enough contenders here for me to play the law of averages and take the field. But Buffalo's late-season issues have largely been rooted in their defense failing them at the wrong time of the year. In that sense, I like that they've revamped the defensive line to try to get deeper and more potent in the front, especially given their nickel base tendencies and a general unwillingness to match personnel. I think some changes in that regard were necessary if the Bills were going to break through.

The question now is, of course, whether or not those pieces gel and whether or not McDermott makes the right structural changes on defense late in the year to make it count. – Kyle Crabbs

New England Patriots

Hot Take: Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez posts 5+ interceptions in 2025

"Gonzo" had a great second season in New England despite playing with a pretty limited front seven in front of him and a general inability of the team to play complementary football in 2024. I would suspect that the changing tides in this regard will allow New England to put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks late in the game and in the fourth quarter when playing with a lead. If that indeed becomes the case, Christian Gonzalez will have the opportunity to develop a reputation as a "closer" and convert more opportunities in coverage into turnovers. This is one of the best young corners in football, and this feels like the year that his ball production reflects that. – Kyle Crabbs

Buying or out on this take: I'm buying this take and all the Christian Gonzalez stock I can

I've been a massive Christian Gonzalez fan since his draft cycle. I remember watching him slip all the way to pick 17, wondering what in the world the league was missing here. Sadly, an injury cut his rookie season short, with only four games played, yet he still managed to record his first career interception in 2023. Last year, he was able to play in 16 of the Patriots' 17 games, recording 11 pass deflections and two interceptions. Now he has been able to work on his craft this offseason without having to rehab an injury, and I think he will have a monster season. Kyle is predicting five or more interceptions, and I'm with him. I'll even take it a step further and say he leads the league in interceptions. – Destin Adams

New York Jets

Hot Take: Justin Fields set a new career high in both passing and rushing touchdowns 

Fields is the Jets' opportunity to get a quarterback investment that will not ultimately require a top draft choice. If he hits as the answer in New York, the entire scope of the rebuild can be rapidly accelerated. Do I believe he's going to go down as a "hit" and the unquestioned starter long-term? I'm still undecided there. But Fields should have every opportunity to go out and put some points on the board behind a good offensive line and an inspired new vision. As a result, I think Fields tops 17 touchdown passes and eight rushing touchdowns, both of which he posted in 2022 as career bests. – Kyle Crabbs

Buying or out on this take: I'm out on this take, but not because of the passing number shockingly

Justin Fields is getting another chance to prove he can be a franchise QB in the NFL with the Jets. If he can't accomplish that this year, he honestly might not get another chance. Kyle is predicting a career year for Fields, with him throwing for more than 17 passing touchdowns and rushing for more than eight. I'm with him on the passing just because I think he is going to be more motivated as a passer than ever, and I'm expecting him and his college teammate, Garrett Wilson, to have a next-level connection. The rushing touchdowns number is where I think this take will ultimately fail. Only two QBs in the NFL had over eight rushing touchdowns last season,: Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen. With Fields hopefully putting a larger focus this offseason on improving as a passer, I think the rushing touchdown total will fall under the nine needed for this to come true. – Destin Adams

Miami Dolphins

Hot Take: Darren Waller retires again before the 2025 regular season ends

The Dolphins made a massive trade late in the offseason, sending players Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick. This led them to have one of, if not the worst, TE groups in the league. Not for long, though, as they had another surprise up their sleeve by trading for Darren Waller out of retirement. Ahead of his retirement, there was some instability surrounding Waller, and even now, he appears to be non-committal. I'm predicting. Waller doesn't make it through the entire 2025 season before hanging up the cleats one final time. I wouldn't be shocked if he ultimately retires before the regular season even arrives. – Destin Adams

Buying or out on this take: Ask me in three weeks

I'll be in Miami for Dolphins training camp for the first week of the summer, and Waller's status is one of the big intrigues to open camp. Waller has stated that Frank Smith, the Dolphins' offensive coordinator, is one of two coaches he'd hear out about a retirement. He's also said he didn't think he had it in him to give himself to his teammates fully.

So which one is it? Waller appears to be in great shape based on his video blogging over the past year. The reporting around Waller's acquisition for Miami has suggested that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was working on an alternative for the Dolphins the week before Jonnu Smith was traded to Pittsburgh. Rosenhaus represents both players, and since he was talking to the Giants about exploring a trade to Miami before Smith was traded from the Dolphins, you have to imagine there were some conversations between Waller and Rosenhaus about what he was ready to do. So I'll lean "no" here, but you gotta see it to believe it. – Kyle Crabbs

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