look back and review what they did and didn’t do well in the regular season. This is the case for almost all of the teams in the AFC East Stephen Hauschka Jerseys 2019 , except for the New England Patriots—who are preparing for the AFC Championship game. This week, we will be looking at where each team finished in the league when it comes to their offense and defense. Buffalo Bills: 2nd Defense, 30th OffenseWe start with the Bills because they were a tale of two sides on the year. On defense, they showed dominance in most games, finishing second overall in the league. They allowed the fewest passing yards per game, but we still saw some trouble with the team stopping the run against physical offensive lines. The main problem for the defense stemmed from the issues on the offensive side of the ball—and their firm placement in the bottom of the league. The offense averaged just under 17 points per game, which means that the team often went three and out. This forced the defense to be on the field for long stretches and play gassed late in games. All is not lost with the offense however, as the team did improve after Josh Allen returned from injury. Most of the defense should stay in place going into next year, but it will be interesting to see how the cap space is spent to improve the offense.New York Jets: 25th Defense, 29th OffenseThe Jets found themselves in the bottom half of the league on both sides of the football. The defense allowed 27 points per game, which is never a formula for success when your offense is averaging 20 a game. Their offense has been in the same situation as the Bills, with Sam Darnold improving each week as the season progressed. The Jets have talented players on the roster and will now turn to former Miami Dolphins’ head coach Adam Gase to turn this team around going into next season. Miami Dolphins: 29th defense, 31st OffenseWe follow up with the Dolphins—statistically the worst team in the division even though their record says otherwise. The offense was scoring almost 20 points per game but the defense was allowing it right back, giving up 27 points. The offense did have some explosions against good teams, scoring 31 against a good Chicago Bears defense and 34 against the Patriots. We are awaiting a decision to see if Ryan Tannehill will be the quarterback going forward and with Gase being fired, the team will have a new head coach as well. One thing the team can build on is that they did average over 100 rushing yards per game. New England Patriots: 21st Defense, 5th OffenseThe Patriots proved once again that the offense can carry their team to another conference title game as long as the defense plays average football. The team averaged 27 points per game with the defense holding firm at 20. New England proved to have a balanced attack through the air and on the ground, taking pressure off Tom Brady as the year went on. On the other side of the ball, the defense has played well, but they are still prone to giving up big plays through the air. Yes, Stephon Gilmore is an All-Pro Corner and he has shown it many times. Still, there are occasionally miscommunications in the secondary that allow those long, wide-open touchdowns that leave teams confused. The Buffalo Bills entered the 2018 season with plenty of questions at the linebacker position. They had a second-year player aiming to build on a solid rookie season. They had a 20-year-old rookie manning the middle linebacker position. And they also had a wily veteran thought by many to be too old to play a majority of the snaps on defense, too slow to cover players, and too ill a fit at the strong side linebacker position to be a three-down player in the modern NFL.Heading into the 2019 season, the Bills have far fewer questions at the position, thanks mostly to the strong campaigns by the aforementioned trio of starters. If the Bills can add depth and a pipeline player to replace that veteran linchpin, then they can make a strong positional group even stronger.In our latest look at the state of the Bills roster, we look at the linebackers—a group where little turnover is expected heading into next season.Lorenzo AlexanderContract status for 2019: Signed; $3 million cap hit ($3 million dead cap if cut)Age: 35 (36 on 5/31/19)Playing time: 16 games (8 starts) White Jordan Poyer Jerseys , 629 snaps(62.03% of defensive total), 171 ST snaps (38.95%)Key statistics: 74 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, 6.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 9 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recoveredThe ageless veteran keeps on playing at a high level. Alexander has been an invaluable leader throughout his time in Buffalo, and general manager Brandon Beane made re-signing him a priority this off-season. Alexander should not be counted out, though the Bills must find a player to develop behind him as a replacement for the 2020 season. Limiting Alexander’s snaps, even if only a bit, could help the veteran to stay fresh and maintain maximum effectiveness. It could also help to prepare his replacement, whomever that may be.Tremaine EdmundsContract status for 2019: Signed; $2,877,169 cap hit ($10,357,809 dead cap if cut)Age: 20 (21 on 5/2/19)Playing time: 15 games (15 starts), 926 snaps (91.32% of defensive total), 71 ST snaps (16.17%)Key statistics: 121 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 7 QB hits, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 12 passes defended, 2 fumbles forcedThe youngest player in the NFL had a tremendous responsibility this season, serving as the Bills’ defensive play-caller and “quarterback” of the defense as the team’s middle linebacker. He rarely came off the field, missing time due to a concussion suffered against the New England Patriots in October, but otherwise was on the field at all times. With 121 total tackles Jordan Poyer Jerseys 2019 , he was tied with three other players for twelfth in the league in that category. His 12 pass breakups were second among linebackers. If his rookie year is any indication, the second of Buffalo’s first-round draft choices in 2018 has a tremendous future ahead of him.Matt MilanoContract status for 2019: Signed; $710,376 cap hit ($130,754 dead cap if cut)Age: 24 (25 on 7/28/19)Playing time: 13 games (13 starts), 741 snaps (73.08% of defensive snaps), 142 ST snaps (32.35%)Key statistics: 78 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, 7 passes defended, 3 fumbles recovered Buffalo’s ball-hawking second-year man was having a fantastic season through 13 games, but a broken leg ended his year prematurely. Milano is undersized, but he consistently proves the old cliche that it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. He is a solid run-stuffer who is especially adept at penetrating rush lanes. He is a strong cover man, able to lock down running backs and tight ends alike. He should be ready for the start of training camp, and he will hopefully pick up right where he left off in 2018.Julian StanfordContract status for 2019: Signed; $1.525 million cap hit ($175,000 dead cap if cut)Age: 28 (29 on 9/2/19)Playing time: 13 games (1 start), 89 snaps (8.78% of defensive total), 225 ST snaps (51.25%)Key statistics: 15 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit, 1 sack, 1 fumble forced, 1 pass defendedThe veteran filled in at middle linebacker for Edmunds in one game this season, a 41-9 loss against the Chicago Bears. Stanford is primarily a special teams player, and he is solid veteran depth. However, if the Bills feel the need to go younger at the position, he could be the odd man out at the position. Corey ThompsonContract status for 2019: Signed; $570 White Logan Thomas Jerseys ,000 cap hit ($0 guaranteed)Age: 25 (26 on 12/23/19)Playing time: 6 games (1 start), 80 snaps (7.89% of defensive total), 104 ST snaps (23.69%)Key statistics: 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit, 1 forced fumbleThompson joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent this year. He is a nice athlete who adds value on special teams, but he struggled at the point of attack against the run in his time filling in for Milano late this season. He will be on the bubble next year.Deon LaceyContract status for 2019: Unsigned; ERFA (per Buffalo News)Age: 28 (29 on 7/18/19)Playing time: 16 games (0 starts), 14 snaps (1.38% of defensive total), 299 ST snaps (68.11%)Key statistics: 7 tacklesWhile Lacey doesn’t exactly fill up the stats line, he does play more on special teams than any other person on Buffalo’s roster. As an exclusive-rights free agent (one that I admittedly missed earlier this off-season, as Spotrac doesn’t have him listed as such), the Bills would be wise to bring him back next season.Positional OutlookThe Bills are set here in terms of the starting lineup heading into 2019. Alexander, Edmunds, and Milano will all reprise their roles barring injury or an unforeseen addition. The team would certainly do well to add a future replacement for Alexander through the draft, which means that one of the three players the team has in reserve could be in jeopardy. With Lacey seeing more special teams snaps than any other Buffalo player in both 2017 and 2018, it’s unlikely that he is the odd man out. If the team decides to go young, they’ll keep Thompson and release Stanford, saving a touch under $1 million in the process. If the team wants to keep Stanford, then they could release Thompson and try to sign him to the practice squad, which is the more likely scenario given Stanford’s versatility and Thompson’s struggles with an expanded role during December.Whatever Buffalo decides to do, they are in a favorable position here. They have their starters, they have their special teams options, but best of all, they have their leader. With Kyle Williams retiring, that final point makes a world of difference.