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(CBS Miami) — As the playoff contention heats up, the AFC East is starting to look a batch similar it has earlier past season. The New England Patriots pb the division, connected the spot of 5 consecutive wins. The Buffalo Bills, acknowledgment to immoderate mid-season struggles find themselves looking up astatine their part rivals. The Miami Dolphins are falling abbreviated of expectations, but look to person besides turned a country successful the short-term. And the New York Jets stay 1 of the NFL’s worst teams.
Whether the part is reverting to signifier remains to beryllium seen. It could each beryllium a merchandise of different unusual play of football. Week 12 could supply a small much clarity. The Bills volition effort to fig things retired against the New Orleans Saints. The Dolphins big the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots conflict the Tennessee Titans successful 1 of this week’s much intriguing matchups. And the Jets conflict the Houston Texans for presumption successful adjacent season’s draft.
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SportsLine‘s Larry Hartstein breaks down AFC East matchups successful Week 12.
All times listed are Eastern.
Buffalo Bills @ New Orleans Saints, Thursday, November 23, 8:20 p.m
After past season’s travel to the AFC Championship, the Bills looked poised to tally the array connected the AFC East this season. Josh Allen was becoming 1 of the league’s apical quarterbacks with a assortment of weapons astatine his disposal. Meanwhile, the Jets and Patriots had rookies astatine the helm, and the Dolphins a second-year QB with tons of injuries and a minimal past of success.
The Bills’ way backmost to the playoffs, should it pb there, hasn’t been creaseless truthful far. They’ve mislaid doubly successful the past 3 weeks, archetypal 9-6 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and astir precocious 41-15 to the Indianapolis Colts. Josh Allen went 21-35 for 20 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The Bills turned the shot implicit 4 times connected the afternoon, starring to 3 of the Colts’ TDs. Their usually stout defence — Buffalo allows a league-low 283.7 yards per crippled — fto moving backmost Jonathan Taylor people 5 times. The nonaccomplishment drops them to 2nd successful the division, 1 crippled down the Patriots.
They’ll person a accidental to redeem themselves successful New Orleans connected Thanksgiving day. The Saints are enduring their ain struggles, losing 3 consecutive and falling 2 games down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their astir caller 40-29 setback came astatine the hands of the revitalized Philadelphia Eagles. New Orleans’s top-flight tally defence couldn’t halt Jalen Hurts from rushing for 3 touchdowns and the Eagles from rushing for 242 yards.
With backmost Jameis Winston done for the season, the Saints’ discourtesy continued to sputter. Trevor Siemian threw for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns, but helium needed 40 attempts to implicit 20 passes. And 22 of the of their 29 points came successful the 4th quarter, erstwhile the crippled was fundamentally over. Alvin Kamara’s instrumentality could assistance the Saints’ discourtesy successful Week 11. But would it beryllium enough?
“I bash similar the Bills successful this bounceback spot,” said Hartstein. “The Saints’ discourtesy is conscionable wholly breached without Winston. And whether oregon not Kamara volition beryllium back, helium won’t beryllium 100 percent. Even if helium plays, the violative enactment is injured. And astir each of their accumulation came astatine the extremity of that crippled against the Eagles. They were getting blown out, whereas the Bills should beryllium successful a bully bounceback spot. They had 4 turnovers. They got stunned by Indianapolis. But this is simply a Saints defence that is large against the run. But you tin deed them with explosive plays. And with Stephon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders and Josh Allen moving and throwing, I emotion the Bills to bounce backmost and cover.”
Carolina Panthers @ Miami Dolphins, Sunday, November 28, 1:00 p.m.
After beating the Patriots to unfastened the season, the Dolphins mislaid 7 straight. But they are undefeated successful November. Their caller three-game winning streak includes victories implicit the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets. The defence has allowed conscionable 12 points per crippled during that stretch. And Tua
Tagovailoa went 27-33 for 273 yards and 2 TDs arsenic the fulltime backmost successful their astir caller win.
While a triumph is simply a triumph successful the standings, the Texans and Jets are among the NFL’s worst teams. The Ravens, however, person morganatic hopes of making a playoff run. Former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson has the wrong way connected taking location the grant again. But the Dolphins constricted him to 39 yards connected 9 carries and 1 of the NFL’s apical rushing offenses to nether 100 yards for the game.
“It’s a large three-game winning streak,” said Hartstein. “They person turned things around. Tua is looking good. But let’s remember, they played the Jets and the Texans successful that streak. They did person an astonishing show against the Ravens. But I conscionable deliberation they’re going to deed a existent stumbling block, and that is the Carolina walk defense, which is elite. And that is going to marque things are pugnacious for Tua. So I’m going to thin to the Panthers and accidental the Dolphins’ triumph streak ends astatine three.”
The Panthers person besides had their struggles connected the season. Running backmost Christian McCaffrey has been banged up each year, and backmost Sam Darnold floundered earlier being sidelined with a enarthrosis injury. The squad is present backmost successful the hands of Cam Newton aft a twelvemonth distant successful New England. Newton, who started for the Patriots past season, led the Panthers to their 2nd Super Bowl quality 2015. He came up abbreviated against the Washington Football Team successful his archetypal commencement of the season. Newton went 21-27 for 189 yards and 2 TDs portion starring an discourtesy helium had yet to afloat master.
They fto a subpar Washington discourtesy prime them isolated connected the different broadside of the ball. The league-leading Carolina walk defence should incorporate the Dolphins’ passing attack, however.
Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots, Sunday, November 28, 1:00 p.m. connected CBS
Past the season’s halfway point, Titans-Patriots seems similar a tenable prediction for the AFC Championship. That is arsenic overmuch due to the fact that of what different teams haven’t done arsenic what these teams person done. The Bills, Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs person each failed to amusement immoderate truly consistency from week to week. The 8-3 Titans person someway continued to triumph aft the nonaccomplishment of moving backmost Derrick Henry, astatine slightest until Week 11’s implosion. The Patriots, down rookie backmost Mac Jones, are blowing teams disconnected the field.
“I deliberation it’s 3 consecutive blowout wins, 5 consecutive wins wide to get atop the AFC,” said Hartstein. “This squad is rolling. They conscionable crushed the Falcons 25-0, astir apt could person beaten them by a batch more. And Tennessee coming disconnected an embarrassing nonaccomplishment to the Texans. It was a existent level spot aft six consecutive wins. So this enactment started astatine New England -2.5 connected the lookahead line. And past we had those 2 disparate results, with New England winning large and the Titans losing to Houston. And present the enactment we’re seeing 6, adjacent 6.5 successful immoderate spots. And Mike Vrabel, coming location to New England, he’s 2-0 against Bill Belichick. And Mike Vrabel thrives successful the underdog role. So adjacent though the Patriots look amazing, if you forced maine to prime this one, I’m taking the points.”
The Titans are coming disconnected an atrocious nonaccomplishment that mightiness constituent to things to come. Ryan Tannehill completed 35-52 for 323 yards and a touchdown. He besides threw threw 4 interceptions. Going into the Patriots game, apical receiver Julio Jones is present connected injured reserve. Marcus Johnson is done for the season. And A.J. Brown is having hamstring issues. The moving back-by-committee attack isn’t anyplace adjacent arsenic productive arsenic the injured Henry.
The Patriots, connected the different hand, look to beryllium a squad connected the rise. Mac Jones is increasing into an businesslike passer, throwing lone 4 incompletions successful each of his past 2 games. One of those was a stroke retired of the Cleveland Browns, the different a dismantling of the Atlanta Falcons. But their defence has grown progressively ascendant arsenic well. Their past 3 opponents person scored a expansive full of 13 points. Outside linebacker Matt Judon has tallied 10.5 sacks.
New York Jets @ Houston Texans, Sunday, November 28, 1:00 p.m. connected CBS
The Jets proceed to limp done different losing play with fewer agleam spots. One was a 34-31 triumph successful Week 12 triumph implicit the Cincinnati Bengals. Another was the sometimes encouraging play of rookie backmost Zack Wilson, astatine slightest until helium was sidelined with a genu injury. Wilson looks set to return this week against the Texans. He’ll look to boost 1 of the NFL’s lowest-scoring offenses, though it whitethorn not substance against a Houston squad that scores adjacent less.
The Texans is coming disconnected a surprising win implicit the Titans, ending their ain eight-game losing streak and the Houston’s six-game winning streak successful the process. Despite the win, the crippled didn’t springiness them a batch to celebrate. The Titans enactment up 420 yards of discourtesy compared to the Texans’ 190 yards. They did nevertheless unit 5 turnovers for the 2nd week successful a row. That unsocial tops past season’s full of nine. And the Texans did not let a sack for the archetypal clip this season. But successful presumption of yardage, some units stay among the league’s worst.
But sometimes atrocious teams marque for an breathtaking matchup. Both teams are 2-8, and person immoderate crushed for optimism, nevertheless fleeting.
“Sometimes you person to look astatine the worst teams successful the league for value, and that’s what I deliberation we’re seeing here,” Hartstein acknowledges. “Houston’s triumph implicit Tennessee was misleading. I judge they were plus-five successful turnovers. They gained little than 200 yards. But yet, due to the fact that they had that large win, present they’re favored by 3 points. They shouldn’t beryllium favored by 3 points implicit anybody, including the New York Jets, I deliberation successful this case, you conscionable person to instrumentality the points. These are 2 unspeakable teams. I deliberation if you’re getting a afloat tract goal, you instrumentality the points and you conscionable tummy it.”
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