It seems like the AFC East has been consistently dominated by the New England Patriots since the dawn of time. Sure, there have been challengers in recent years, but the result usually stays the same: The New England wins the division. Since 2001, The Patriots have won the division eleven times. 

But things seem different this year, especially after the Chiefs obliterated the Patriots 41-14 in front of the entire nation last Monday.

Questions can be raised as to whether or not New England’s dominance of the division has ended. To determine whether or not Bill Belichick’s empire is finally crumbling, we must look at the teams in the division that seek to claim the crown for themselves. 

Miami (2-2) seems to be quite pedestrian so far. They beat the Patriots in their first game, which seemed at the time, to be a big deal. Now that the Patriots have played multiple games, it looks like the Dolphins’ win over them was nothing special. They went on to lose by wide margins to the Bills and the Chiefs. The Dolphins went on to beat an Oakland Raiders team that would have trouble against Western Michigan University.

Based on their four games so far, it is really difficult to judge whether or not Miami is a legitimate threat to win the AFC East. One thing that can be said about Miami is that they have a solid defense which is ranked 11th in the NFL. Having a stout defense is always going to keep a team competitive, but in order to win the division, the offense must step it up.  Ryan Tannehill will need to perform at a higher level, and their offensive line has to be able to protect Tannehill much better as they face the Bears, Packers, Jaguars, and Chargers the next four weeks.

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Could this be the year the New York Jets (1-3) win the AFC East? Will the pain and suffering of waiting 10 years to win the division finally end? Maybe.

The Jets are last in their division, but have played every game close. They lost to the Bears, Packers, and Lions, all of whom are playoff-worthy teams. The Jets defense is phenomenal this year and they are doing their absolute best to win football games for Rex Ryan. They are ranked seventh in total defense, and have a front seven that is arguably the best in the league. This unit has so much talent, that they are able to mask the flaws their secondary possesses because they generate so much pressure on the opposing quarterback. 

With all the great defense the Jets play, they face challenges on the other side of the ball, most notably at quarterback. Geno Smith has done nothing to endear himself to fans lately, especially after he cursed out a fan at the end of the Lions game.

Not only have there been problems off the field for Smith, there have been many problems on it. Smith has turned the ball over too much this season. Mixed with poor decision making, his season is becoming a recipe for disaster. Geno Smith must make better choices when throwing the ball, or the Jets chances of winning the division are slim as they face the Chargers, Broncos, Patriots and Bills the next four weeks. 

The Bills (2-2) are similar to the Dolphins in that it is difficult to measure how good or bad they are. After winning their first two games against the Bears and Dolphins, the Bills have hit a rough patch losing to the Chargers and Texans. 

There are things to like and things not to like about the Bills. One thing to like about them is the defensive line. Marcell Dareus, Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes are all physical, strong linemen that have no problem getting through an opposing offensive line and sacking the quarterback. 

The Bills’ receiving corps is solid too. They have quality receivers in Mike Williams, Trojan alum Robert Woods and young starlet Sammy Watkins. Watkins has been hurt recently, but has the potential to be one of the league’s best a few years down the line. Williams and Woods are reliable options that are both capable of gaining separation from opposing cornerbacks and safeties. 

Something that could go extremely wrong for the Bills is head coac, Doug Marrone’s decision to bench last year’s first round draft pick, E.J. Manuel. Manuel has had bad moments this season, but does not deserve to be benched so quickly. He has a 80.3 Quarterback rating with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Benching the young quarterback could ruin his confidence and future. If Kyle Orton plays poorly, they may have to revert back to playing a shaken and confidence depleted Manuel, which could prove to be disastrous for them. 

The Bills have a decent shot to gain some ground over other teams in the division as they play the Lions, Patriots, Vikings and Jets the next four weeks. 

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As stated earlier, the Patriots (2-2) are in a bit of trouble this year. They lost to the Dolphins, barely beat the Raiders, got crushed by the Chiefs and beat a Vikings team that everyone blows out. 

The reason for the Patriots’ struggles can be attributed to a variety of reasons, one being that there may be a general lack of talent throughout the roster. In years past, the Patriots have given Tom Brady quality receiving options such as Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Tomkins and Danny Amendola are not quality receiving options. This puts even more pressure on Brady to perform at an extremely high level.

Another problem with the Patriots is Tom Brady himself. Brady is not playing a high level right now. In fact, he is playing some of the worst football of his career. Part of this has to do with poor offensive line play, but a big part of the problem is that Brady’s just getting old. The old adage “Father Time is undefeated” might pertain to Brady this season, but then again, you can never doubt greatness. 

There is plenty of time for Brady and company to get their problems worked out, but they will have to do it quickly as they face the Bengals, Bills, Jets and Bears. 

So far, all four teams in the AFC East have done nothing to distinguish themselves from the pack. The Patriots’ recent problems have opened the door for the Dolphins, Jets, and Bills to challenge for the crown.

Reach Staff Reporter Bradford Evans via e-mail.