In the 2018 draft, the Buffalo Bills selected quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick. At that time, the New England Patriots were still dominating the division, the Miami Dolphins were hit
and miss while the New York Jets were, well, the Jets. It took Allen a couple years to get going but once he did, the Bills rattled off five straight division titles before the Patriots were able to get the division this year. Against the AFC East, Allen has a 34-14 record including the postseason, leaving the other teams to find a head coach to combat his greatness.
New England Patriots have had three coaches since 2018
The New England Patriots are on their third head coach since Allen came into the league. Bill Belichick was already there and established but then the team had an ugly parting of ways. Then in 2024, the team hired Jerod Mayo but the results just weren’t there. The team ended up firing Mayo after one season before zeroing in on Mike Vrabel who immediately brought the team back to relevance.
New York Jets head coach turnover has been frequent
New York has gone through many coaches since 2018. Todd Bowles coached the team until 2018 before he was fired for Adam Gase who only lasted two seasons. Robert Saleh was thought to be a coach for the future but he was fired last season where now Aaron Glenn has taken over the position.
Miami Dolphins keep firing head coaches
Miami made the decision on Wednesday to fire Mike McDaniel after hiring him in 2022. Before him there was Brian Flores and then Adam Gase in 2018.
Buffalo Bills the model of consistency at head coach
This is not to say that Josh Allen is the direct reason for the turnover of head coaches in the division but he is certainly a big factor. If you want to be a successful coach in the AFC East, you not only have to rally the team together and build a winning culture but on top of that you have to find a way to defeat Allen and the Buffalo Bills on a consistent basis. Yes, Sean McDermott has not made the Super Bowl with the Bills but he has brought consistency in the locker room that the other teams minus the Patriots this season, have yet to find.
Meanwhile, Bills coach Sean McDermott is the third-longest tenured head coach in the entire NFL after John Harbaugh was fired by the Baltimore Ravens.
