Mid-season usually indicates the best American football teams that could be heading to Arizona for the NFL Super Bowl on February 12th, 2023. While last year’s winners, the LA Rams, are underperforming, teams in the NFL East Division are showing fine displays. New York NFL teams in particular are providing plenty of entertainment and suspense as the season enters its final phase.
Which NFL team should I support?
There are many different reasons to back particular football teams, whether your family supports them, you are from the area, or some of your favourite players play in the team. Of the New York NFL teams, the Buffalo Bills have been favourites to lift the Vince Lomabrdi trophy at the Super Bowl since the pre-season matches of 2022. Whether you are a fan of the Bills or the Jets, some of the best NFL betting sites offer odds and live betting on many NFL games. So, which east division team is the best to back right now?
Tensions in AFC East
In the AFC East Division, the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills continue to match each other with identical results. It’s a routine that has become familiar over the years to both sets of fans. The intense rivalry of the teams began in earnest fifty years ago. The Buffalos still appear to harbour lingering resentment towards the Dolphins who famously defeated them in twenty consecutive matches during the 1970s. The tension of that era even spilled over into the 1980s and 1990s as Jim Kelly, the Buffalo’s quarterback, established a long-running feud with Dan Marino, quarterback of the Dolphins.
To make the situation worse, between 1990 and 1993, the Buffalos appeared in four consecutive Super Bowl finals, but lost every single one. The Dolphins can boast of winning two consecutive Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973. The Buffalos have star players such as Stefon Diggs and James Cook to help them reach yet another Super Bowl final.
New York Jets or New England Patriots?
Just below the top teams in the AFC are the New York Jets and the New England Patriots. They could both overtake the Buffalos and Dolphins as their results are close with seven and six wins respectively. The Jets, in their livery of white and Gotham green, have only one Super Bowl success to their name, which they won in 1968. However, with a solid defensive line-up including Solomon Thomas and Sheldon Rankins, the Jets are rated as 57% to reach the play-offs.
The Patriots of Boston, Massachusetts began playing in the NFL in 1960, the same year as their rivals, the NY Jets. Their mild rivalry became more heated during the 1990s when the teams repeatedly switched head coaches with each other. Between 2002 and 2019, the Patriots scored a record-breaking six Super Bowl victories. However, they are currently viewed as perhaps the weakest of the division’s teams. They are judged to have only a 42% chance of playoff success.
Philadelphia Eagles are flying high
In the NFC, NFL East Division, the Philadelphia Eagles are leading the pack with a ten-match series of wins. Founded in 1933, they regularly achieve record-breaking attendances, and have fierce rivalries with every other team in the division. The Eagles explosive start to the season could be attributed to the arrival of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Formerly with New Orleans Saints, he is now an outstanding defensive player for the Eagles.
The Dallas Cowboys hold the record for making the most appearances at the Super Bowl. Competing eight times, the last of their five victories was in 1995. The Cowboys veteran, thirty-two-year-old Zack Martin, is still rated as one of the best ever offensive guards in the NFL. His contribution could help the Cowboys overcome odds to reach the Super Bowl once again.
New York Giants versus Washington Commanders
Founded in 1925, the New York Giants have fielded many memorable players including Eli Manning. As the team’s quarterback in their fourth Super Bowl victory in 2012, Manning was voted the game’s most valuable player. Twenty-five-year-old Daniel Jones is this season’s outstanding quarterback. He is noted for his confidence, and an ability to throw the ball accurately and deep. At the moment, the Giants are believed to have an 80% chance of playing in the Super Bowl.
The Washington Commanders are currently celebrating their ninetieth anniversary. They have won the Super Bowl three times. The rivalry between the Commanders and the Giants dates from 1932, and is hailed as the oldest continual source of friction in the NFL East Division. One of the most famous players to wear the burgundy and gold, is corner, Darrell Green. Current top player is the defensive tackle, Jonathan Allen.