AFC East Buzz: Bill Belichick on blast, Dolphins trade splash & Jets, Bills news

The mighty have fallen as new powers have risen in the AFC East.  With the New England Patriots entering Week 5 with a 1-3 record, is it time for Bill Belichick to go? 

Following a 38-3 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, the Patriots head coach has been under fire all week leading up to a matchup with the New Orleans Saints.  Actually, the future Hall-of-Fame coach has been a subject of ridicule the very moment Tom Brady took his superpowers down to Tampa.

Still, in Bill everyone trusted.  There was the Cam Newton experiment which was just nothing more than a bridge to the next guy.  In what became a mediocre 7-9 season, Belichick got a pass since it was a weird season anyway due to COVID-19. 

AFC East coach's corner: Bill Belichick must prove he hasn't lost his fastball

Then came Mac Jones, an NFL ready QB with Brady-like traits who was solid in his rookie season.  Leading the Patriots to a 10-7 record and playoff appearance, the future was bright again in New England until it wasn’t. 

While Brady was breaking records (and winning a Super Bowl), Belichick was losing grasp of the Patriot Way.  Head-scratching roster and coaching moves has translated to the Patriots looking more like a clown show on the field rather than the well-oiled machine that dominated the AFC East and NFL for decades.

All good things come to an end, but Bill Belichick can’t go out like this, right?

Well, again the head coach will lean on his quarterback to get the Patriots back right, a player in Jones who former NFL QB Robert Griffin III says Belichick has already ruined.  During a segment on ESPN’s “Get Up”, Griffin III laid the hammer on the Patriots head coach:

After a disastrous display against the Cowboys, Mac Jones needs to play the game of his life against the Saints or at the very least show signs that he can take a season and a half of regressions to visions of progression.  A win on Sunday would definitely be a good sign.

AFC East Trade! Dolphins take a gamble with Chase Claypool

AFC East Trade! Dolphins take a gamble with Chase Claypool

The Miami Dolphins made a little bit of a splash this week landing disgruntled wide receiver Chase Claypool in a trade with the Chicago Bears this week.

In a move that didn’t seem necessary for the high-flying Dolphins’ offense, Claypool will get an opportunity to revive his career after a solid rookie debut in 2020.  In that first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Claypool hauled in 62 receptions for 873 yards and looked like a young playmaker on the rise.  But, midway through his third season he was traded to the Chicago Bears where he has basically done nothing.

Can Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel find a niche in the offense where the 6-foot-4, talented receiver can excel once again?  Well, if coaching is the issue with Claypool, he is in the right situation.  With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as the top two receivers for Tua Tagovailoa, perhaps the size of Claypool and his big hands can be used more in a tight end role.

Obviously, any success in Miami with the Dolphins will depend on Claypool, who has played his way off two NFL rosters now.  In all, this is a trade that is more of a want than a need for the Dolphins, but if all works out, Chase Claypool can make an already potent AFC East offense just about unstoppable…if he plays to his talent.