The AFC is still run by Kansas City with Baltimore and Buffalo eternally on their heels, but how about some teams that missed last postseason who are looking to slide into a wildcard spot? The Cincinnati Bengals cannot have a worse season than they did last year defensively.
Between retaining talent and adding depth, Joe Burrow is due for an MVP-caliber season on his way to another postseason berth. In the AFC East, Drake Maye and New England have the pieces and now coaching to make some noise and force opponents to walk out of Gillette Stadium with their heads hanging low once again.
Cincinnati Bengals OVER 9.5 Wins
Has Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ time finally arrived? Their division is no easy task to navigate. Baltimore and Pittsburgh have seemingly gone all-in on this season with guys like Derrick Henry, Jalen Ramsey, and DK Metcalf all coming over to the division in the span of two seasons.
Last season, the Bengals had one of the best offenses with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Chase Brown leading the way. It was the defense that let them down, heavily. This year, they stocked up on talent in free agency and the draft, retaining their stars and adding some depth with two defensive studs in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.
With Cincy starting their year against Cleveland, Jacksonville, and Minnesota, I believe with a healthy Burrow and Chase that this squad can get out to an early 3-0 start. Remember, Zac Taylor was in the Super Bowl not-so-long ago, and while it seems like the league has shifted since then to the Kansas City dynasty world, Cincinnati will be knocking on the door this season as Burrow will have his first MVP-caliber campaign.
New England Patriots OVER 7.5 Wins
This might be the most fun New England Patriots team… ever? You can’t cheat and say the 2000s and 2010s era takes the crown because of how dominant this team was and almost perfect on both sides of the ball. However, with Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye, a solid defense, and a whole lot of young playmakers on offense, this team is going to be the highlight on NFL Redzone each week.
Drake Maye had 17 total TDs to 10 INTs last season while completing over 66% of his passes. Maye showed the sort of hustle and leadership you want to see in a rookie, and with a slightly easier-than-average schedule in 2025-26, he should make that notable sophomore stride.
The rookies TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams should get ample snaps to begin the year, and overall, the room for error for Maye and the long leash that should be held from coach Vrabel and this team should benefit them. In their first eight games of the year, the Pats go up against Cleveland, New Orleans, Tennessee, Carolina, Miami, and Las Vegas. These are potential confidence boosters and wins for this young squad that should produce a lot of fireworks each and every Sunday.
