Who Is the Best Team Historically in the AFC East?

Who Is the Best Team Historically in the AFC East?
Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Copy Link Icon Home > NFL > AFC East Who Is the Best Team Historically in the AFC East? Erik Frenz@ ErikFrenz Twitter Logo Senior Writer I June 25, 2012 Comments Comment Bubble Icon

The New England Patriots are currently the best team in the AFC East; no one would dispute that claim.

But which team is historically the best in the AFC East? Well, there are different answers depending on how you look at it.

Let’s go category by category with a deeper dive into the numbers.

Win-Loss

Based solely on historic win-loss records, the Miami Dolphins are ahead of the pack with the Patriots close behind. 

During the Shula era in Miami, the Dolphins were one of the winningest franchises in the NFL; they went to the playoffs 16 times from 1970-1995, with a 257-133-2 (.659) record in that span. They also became the only team to ever go 17-0 and win the Super Bowl. They went to the Super Bowl five times and won two of them on Shula’s watch.

How could you not love that smile? Oh, yeah, if you’re a fan of the Jets, Bills or Dolphins.Elsa/Getty Images

The same could be said for many franchises, though. In fact, were it not for the Patriots’ run of success from 2001 through last year, the Patriots would be third in the rankings with a 46.4 all-time win-loss percentage. Bill Belichick’s 139-53 (.724) record from 2000-2011 is the only reason the Patriots are remembered for anything besides a 46-10 drubbing in Super Bowl XXV. Belichick has been at the helm for 33.6 percent of the Patriots’ total wins.

Jim Kelly and Marv Levy were to the ’90s what Don Shula and Bob Griese were to the ’70s…and what Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have been to the 2000s.Rick Stewart/Getty Images

In contrast, the Bills’ recent struggles have left them in the bottom half of the division even after a decade of dominance in the ’90s. Only twice in that decade did they post less than double-digit wins, but their record was sterling at 103-57 (64.4 percent). To put that in perspective, 28.3 percent of the team’s wins came from 1990-99.

The Jets have only posted 16 winning seasons in the 52-year history of the franchise, leaving them at the bottom of the totem pole in the all-time AFC East win-loss standings. They only had eight winning seasons in 37 seasons from 1960-96, and they have matched that total in the past 16 years. Trending upward, to be sure, but still at the bottom.

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Super Bowls

The Patriots have been to more Super Bowls than any other team in the AFC East (7) and have also won the big game more times than any of their division rivals (3). Their batting average in Super Bowls has faded in recent years, but the Patriots have earned their way to the top of the AFC East mountain by getting it done in January and February not once, not twice, but three times.

Fans of the other three AFC East teams are really glad Don Shula no longer roams the practice field and sideline.Simon Bruty/Getty Images

The Dolphins have been to the top of the mountain twice back in the ’70s. They have the leg up on the Patriots in that they still hold the league’s only undefeated season and Super Bowl win. They were perennial favorites to get to and win multiple Super Bowls with Dan Marino at the helm, but continually failed to get over the hump in the playoffs, and they ran into a brick wall against the 49ers losing 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX.

Joe Namath helped deliver the New York Jets’ one and only Super Bowl title (Photo courtesy broadwayjoe.tv)

With the Jets, there have always been struggles. The team went to and won its only Super Bowl in 1968, taking down the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. They have knocked on the door quite a few times since then, getting to three more AFC Championship games, but have yet to get back to the big game.

But hey, at least they won one, and while the Bills achieved an inhuman accomplishment in getting to four consecutive Super Bowls, I’m sure they would have traded three of those appearances for one Lombardi Trophy. For those four straight seasons, the Bills were by far the class of the AFC. As of now, the Bills have yet to claim a Super Bowl championship. 

Rankings courtesy Pro Football Reference.

 

Where They Stand

All four AFC East teams have a decent shot at beating their overall win-loss records. 

The Patriots are coming off a 13-3 season and are set to roll over their competition and easy schedule once again. Their offense averages rankings near the top 10, and the 2012 Patriots offense should easily beat those numbers—perhaps even beating the 2007 numbers in the process.

The defense was one of the worst in the league last year, but with so many additions and a lot of turnover, especially in the front seven, they could turn a new leaf. After ranking 31st last year, there isn’t anywhere to go but up, but only time will tell how big the improvement will ultimately be.

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The Jets should also beat their overall win-loss record. Even after the disappointing end to the 2011 season, they still field one of the league’s elite defenses and an offense that will finally have a true sense of direction under offensive coordinator Tony Sparano.

While the offense may rank around the middle of the league, the defense should be near the top. They will only be more versatile under new defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, who will infuse the 46 defense with some of his 4-3 philosophies. 

The Jets have ranked first in the league in defense twice in team history, but have ranked in the top five 11 times. There’s a good chance they could do so again.

The Bills are the boom-or-bust team of the group, by far. The consensus around the league is that they’ll finish above .500 and could contend for a playoff spot, but it really all rides on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, because the defense should be solid with that defensive line and a revamped secondary with two leaders at safety.

Still, don’t forget that they are installing a brand-new scheme defensively and are integrating a lot of new players into said scheme. It may not be as easy as the flip of a switch.

Defensive ends Mario Williams and Mark Anderson should greatly help, but the Bills have ranked in the bottom half of the league in either total or scoring defense each of the past seven seasons. If they do any better than that, they’ll be breaking a long trend.

The Dolphins have come a long way from one of the game’s elite franchises, and they will likely not be among them in 2012, either. They are rebuilding on offense with a new system and largely new personnel, while also transitioning to more hybrid and 4-3 looks than in year’s past on the defensive side of the ball.

It would take a perfect storm for the Dolphins to be anywhere but the bottom of the AFC East this year.

Erik Frenz is the AFC East lead blogger for Bleacher Report. Be sure to follow Erik on Twitter and ‘like’ the AFC East blog on Facebook to keep up with all the updates.

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