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Can anyone unseat the Patriots in the AFC East?

Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports

Despite Tom Brady serving a four-game suspension to begin the year, the New England Patriots breezed through the AFC effortlessly, compiling a league-best 14-2 record before winning Super Bowl LI. Brady submitted one of the best seasons of his storied career upon returning and the Patriots operated in a different tier than the rest of the NFL.

The Patriots were far from complacent this summer, adding Brandin Cooks, Stephon Gilmore, Mike Gillislee, Dwayne Allen, and Kony Ealy among others, fortifying their roster while leaving their competition in the dust.

It's possible that someone will unseat the Patriots this fall, but their direct competition doesn't appear to be capable of doing so. Can the Dolphins, Bills, or Jets knock off the defending champions against all odds?

Miami Dolphins

It was a tale of two seasons for the Dolphins, seemingly consigned to doom after starting the season 1-4, while many questioned head coach Adam Gase's direction during his first year with the club. In large part due to a tremendous campaign from running back Jay Ajayi, the Dolphins steadied themselves and snuck into the playoffs at 10-6. Which Dolphins team is going to show up this year?

Miami's defense is brimming with top-level talent, as Cameron Wake, Ndamukong Suh, and Reshad Jones are among the best players at their positions. This trio will be counted upon to keep the Dolphins in the playoff race in 2017. If the Dolphins can continue to get meaningful contributions from Kiko Alonso, free-agent signing Lawrence Timmons, and Byron Maxwell, this should be a team that finishes better than 18th in scoring defense.

Ajayi was one of the surprise revelations of the 2016 season and if he can play at the pace he did during the second half of the year, the Dolphins ought to operate the offense through him. Ryan Tannehill has often been maligned unfairly during his career, but boasting a wide-receiver corps of Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, and Kenny Stills, the Dolphins should keep teams off balance next fall.

Will the Dolphins unseat the Patriots? Barring a miracle, probably not. Can the Dolphins return to the postseason? They'll certainly be in the thick of the race again.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills enter the 2017 season with an entirely new regime in place, with Sean McDermott installed as head coach, while Brandon Beane takes over as general manager. McDermott was allowed to hire his own staff, and made it clear that his philosophy is diametrically opposed to that of Rex Ryan's, whose final year with the club was a ceaseless calamity.

Buffalo resolved a potential contractual disaster with Tyrod Taylor for the time being, and the quarterback is now given the keys to an offense, that seems poised to maintain a run-heavy scheme in order to get results. Taylor will need to rely on Sammy Watkins and second-round pick Zay Jones, although the former's perpetual foot injuries are reason for concern. LeSean McCoy returns as one of the NFL's premier running backs, and this is a unit that could surprise in 2017.

McDermott is a defensive specialist and him along with coordinator Leslie Frazier are tasked with actualizing the potential of a talented, underachieving unit. The Bills will have to hope that Lorenzo Alexander's Pro Bowl campaign wasn't a fluke, while 2016 first- and second-round picks Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland will return to action after missing significant time with injury - the latter of whom missed the entire year with a torn ACL.

The Bills are more talented than most realize; whether they can actualize it remains the compelling question. In any event, the Bills won't unseat the Patriots but they could get the first playoff spot of the millennium if McDermott can transition seamlessly.

New York Jets

The Jets are projected to be so awful this season that many analysts have floated the notion of them openly tanking. With Josh McCown, Bryce Petty, and Christian Hackenberg vying for playing time at quarterback, the Jets will be miserable for a while before entertaining the idea of postseason contention.

New York released Brandon Marshall, Nick Mangold, Darrelle Revis, Marcus Gilchrist, and a handful of other veterans, in an ostensible attempt to begin its rebuild anew. It's hard to imagine that a roster relying largely on rookies and journeymen will rise above the .500 mark, let alone knock off the Patriots.

This will be a trying year for Jets fans, but at least next summer's draft is supposed to be loaded with franchise-level quarterbacks.

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