Throughout the school year, I will be writing a weekly blog mostly focused on south Florida professional sports. This week I have previewed the AFC East as the Patriots try to prepare for another year of dominance, and the Dolphins try to prevent another year of mediocrity.

New England Patriots prediction: 11-5 

Following a twelve win year in 2012, eleven wins sounds about right. The offense will obviously be less consistent than in previous years with the losses of Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker, but the new talent will find a way to step up in Bill Belichick’s system. As long as the Pats have Brady, they’ll be more than ready offensively. An underrated aspect about New England’s new offense is the possible new focus on running the ball. In the preseason, we’ve seen a much higher run-to-pass ratio than before, and it will be interesting to see if this trend carries on into the regular season. Something that seems to be overlooked about this Patriot’s team is its much improved defense (especially in the secondary). They have a great opportunity to finish in the top half in the league in total defense.

Miami Dolphins prediction: 8-8

I know Miami fans will be expecting more out of the team after the free agent signings of Mike Wallace, Brent Grimes, and Dannell Ellerbe, but I think eight wins is their ceiling. They will have one of the better defenses in the league, but their offensive line will unquestionably hold the team back. Although Jake Long’s play declined in his last season with the Dolphins, his signing with the Rams is still a big loss to an already weak offense. The line has already endured multiple offseason injuries, making it an even bigger concern to the team. Without a stable offensive line, I don’t think Miami will be able to successfully use their three-wideout packages, but instead the Fins may have to resort to the “check-down” offense we have seen in the past.

New York Jets: 6-10

The Jets are becoming even more of a mess than we thought possible. No one knows what’s going on with their quarterback situation, as the competition between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith lingers. The general public is also quickly losing confidence in Rex Ryan (who I previously supported until his latest debacle). Here’s a bold prediction: The Jets start the season 2-7 until they fire Rex Ryan during the week 10 bye. They then make a small comeback and finish the last seven games with a record of 4-3.

Buffalo Bills: 5-11

They are planning on starting Jeff Tuel at quarterback for week one. I repeat: THEY ARE PLANNING ON STARTING JEFF TUEL FOR WEEK ONE!