The Patriots last season made it 10 consecutive AFC East titles on their way to winning another Super Bowl. In 2019, they will attempt to finish first in the division for the 17th time in the 19 years of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.

New England, though, actually showed some vulnerability before getting things perfect in the playoffs, as its 11-5 record was its "worst" in nine seasons. The NFL's reigning dynasty still won the East by four games. Will the competition get better enough to make the Patriots sweat?

2019 NFL PREDICTIONS:

Standings, playoff projections, Super Bowl pick

Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 season, here are our predictions for the AFC East.

NFL predictions 2019: AFC East

Buffalo Bills

The Bills have worked to improve the offensive line and skill positions around second-year quarterback Josh Allen. They also have playmakers on every level of the defense, with rookie first-round tackle Ed Oliver serving as the latest addition.

The jury is still out on how Buffalo can complement those strengths with the running game and more competent, efficient passing from Allen. Even though Sean McDermott still has a rebuilding team, there's a lot of pressure on the coach to lead a rebound season after going from a wild-card playoff berth to 6-10.

Miami Dolphins

Rookie coach Brian Flores arrives with positive energy, and he will need all of it as he is tasked with a difficult resurrection job. The Dolphins have been depleted of much of their talent on both sides of the ball, especially on the offensive and defensive lines.

Flores has two makeshift quarterback options in Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen. Miami will need to get much worse than 7-9 before it can get better.

New England Patriots

The Patriots lost some key players, led by tight end Rob Gronkowski (retirement) and defensive end Trey Flowers (free agency). But they also reinforced themselves at running back and wide receiver, and they remain strong in their defensive back seven.

Starting from the top of the NFL world again, not picking the Patriots to repeat again with Brady and Belichick is a futile exercise. The champions should get over their weak division hurdle with comfort and remain on the short list of teams capable of winning the AFC.

New York Jets

The Jets now have new coach Adam Gase overseeing their offense with Sam Darnold getting newfound support from Le'Veon Bell. Gregg Williams takes over the defense, with Quinnen Williams and C.J. Mosley boosting his front seven.

Former general manager Mike Maccagnan won't be there to see the fruits of his labor, but his player acquisition work has New York positioned for a big jump from 4-12 after significant upgrades in talent at key positions.

2019 NFL PREDICTIONS:

AFC East | AFC West | AFC North | AFC South

NFC East | NFC West | NFC North | NFC South

AFC East: 2019 picks

New England Patriots (13-3) New York Jets (9-7) Buffalo Bills (5-11) Miami Dolphins (2-14)

With 13 wins, the Patriots will jump higher in the standings to their usual standards, while the Bills and Dolphins will take a combined six-victory hit. The leaves the door open for the Jets to contend for an AFC wild-card spot as they learn how to win more close games under Gase.

With Brady around and still playing at a high level, finishing second is no slouch here. With Allen needing more development and the Dolphins likely needing to find their next QB answer in the 2020 NFL Draft, Darnold makes the Jets the team in this division with the next-best quarterback.