David Chao, MD
2 min read • July 25, 2022
Posted in
2021 record: 11-6 | 2022 FanDuel 0/U win total: 11.5
The Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills head into the season relatively healthy, according to our team of Pro Football Docs.
All units on offense have SIC Scores of 90 and above aside from left guard and slot receiver. Both left guard Rodger Saffold and slot receiver Jamison Crowder joined the Bills this past offseason with extensive injury histories.
Crowder has not played a full season since 2019 with the Jets. In 12 games last season, Crowder contributed 51 receptions for 449 yards and two touchdowns.
While the defensive line and linebacker corps will be healthy, the defense will not be at full strength to start the year. Top cornerback Tre’Davious White is coming off a recently torn ACL.
The other starting cornerback will most likely be rookie and first round pick Kair Elam after Levi Wallace left in free agency. The team may not be strong in pass defense with White still recovering and Elam getting acclimated to the league.
The newly signed left guard continues to struggle from recurring shoulder injuries . The 13-year veteran will probably miss some games considering he has a nerve issue that can flare up at any moment and cause numbness in his shoulder.
The team’s star cornerback is working his way back from last season’s ACL injury. While he will initially struggle in the passing game, he will improve as the season progresses. The Docs project he will have difficulty with deceleration and cutting while in coverage because of the repaired knee.
2021 record: 10-7 | 2022 FanDuel 0/U win total: 8.5
After a seven-game winning streak led by rookie quarterback Mac Jones, the Patriots had a disappointing ending to the 2021 season. The team dropped three of the last four games including a blowout loss to the Bills in the AFC wildcard.
Despite the disappointing finish, last season revealed the potential for Jones to be a top quarterback in the league. He threw for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 67.5 completion percentage.
The team enters the 2022 season looking to build around its young quarterback and return to Brady-era dominance. New England went out and got wide receiver Devante Parker from division-rival Dolphins.
If he can stay healthy, Parker can become a weapon for Jones. He finished last season with 40 receptions for 515 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, the 29-year-old receiver’s only full season came in 2019.
The offensive line also has injury questions. Offensive tackles Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn have had difficulties staying healthy. Brown will start on the left with Wynn on the right side on the line.
Center David Andrews missed the entire 2019 season because of blood clots in his lungs and there is always a risk for the blood clots to reappear.
Running back and dynamic pass-catcher James White only appeared in three games last season before suffering a season-ending hip injury. The offense will have to rely on running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris. Stevenson and Harris both need to improve their pass-catching after combining for only 255 receiving yards last season. With White bothered by his hip, the team will lack a receiving threat in the backfield.
32-year-old cornerback and Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler returns to the Patriots this season after his one-year retirement stint. During his last full season in 2020 with the Tennessee Titans, Butler tallied 4 interceptions, 86 solo tackles and 14 passes defended.
The Patriots also signed former Giants safety Jabrill Peppers in the offseason. He only appeared in 6 games last season before tearing his ACL. Before the season-ending injury, Peppers allowed 19 receptions on 23 targets and added 22 solo tackles and 1 sack.
The Michigan alum provides versatility and explosiveness that Belichick will look to exploit on defense. He is opening training camp on the physically-unable perform list, which also includes Andrews.
The 30-year-old running back is returning from a worrisome hip injury that limited him to only two full games last season. During his time with the Patriots, White has excelled catching passes out of the backfield. From 2015 to 2020, White averaged around 530 receiving yards per season. Patriot fans should not expect to see the same White eluding defenders out of the backfield. He is on the PUP list to start training camp and is unlikely to play this season, according to our team of doctors.
Wynn played 16 games last season while dealing with lingering ankle and hip injuries. The left tackle gave up 6 sacks out of 915 offensive snaps played. Pro Football Focus graded him a 74.9 overall.
Brown appeared in nine games at right tackle last season. He dealt with lingering calf injuries throughout the season that should now be behind him. It is worth noting Brown has only appeared in 25 of 50 games in the last three seasons because of injuries. Brown is now moving back to the position he played during the 2018 season to help the Patriots secure their sixth Super Bowl title. While protecting Tom Brady’s blindside that season, Brown only allowed three sacks.
2021 record: 9-8 | 2022 FanDuel 0/U win total: 8.5
The Dolphins enter this season with the highest SIC Score in the AFC East.
The team made major roster moves on the offensive side of the ball this past offseason by adding explosive wide receiver Tyreek Hill, offensive tackle Terron Armstead and expanding its running back room.
The running back unit has the most injury concerns with an 86 SIC Score. Running back Chase Edmonds joined the Dolphins this offseason from the Cardinals. While sharing the rushing load with James Conner, Edmonds tallied 116 carries for 592 yards and 2 touchdowns as well as 43 receptions for 311 yards.
Edmonds has no lingering injury concerns entering training camp, but his backups of Raheem Mostart and Sony Michel have worrisome injury histories.
Michel has dealt with knee issues since a high school ACL tear. When he is healthy, like last season with the Rams, the Georgia alum can be productive. He ran for 845 yards and 4 touchdowns on 205 rushes in Cam Akers’ absence.
In terms of the defense: the defensive line, linebackers and safeties are all healthy.
Cornerback Byron Jones is the only member of the defense with lingering injury concerns as he is starting training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
He underwent surgery to address lingering issues on his leg in March. The 30 year old was bothered by quad and Achilles injuries last season. On 86 targets in 2021, he allowed 54 receptions, according to Pro Football Focus.
The former Saints left tackle suffers from chronic knee issues. He had surgery in March to repair a cartilage tear in his knee. Though Armstead is fully recovered from the injury, his 6-foot-5-inch, 300 pound frame poses a risk for further knee injuries. He is still an elite talent that will play a pivotal role in protecting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Mostert is reunited with former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, whose scheme the running back thrived in. In his 2019 break-out campaign, the Purdue product finished with 137 rushes for 772 yards and 8 touchdowns. However, he only had two rushes last season because of an articular cartilage injury in his left knee. Our team of Pro Football Docs said the 30-year-old running back will have difficulty cutting and breaking away for massive gains because of last year’s knee injury.
2021 record: 4-13 | 2022 FanDuel 0/U win total: 5.5
Second-year quarterback Zach Wilson now has young, skilled wide receivers and running backs. On top of that, the Pro Football Docs are optimistic the Jets will be healthy on offense.
The backfield is dangerous with newly drafted Breece Hall out of Iowa State and second-year back Michael Carter. In his three years at Iowa State, Hall ran for a combined 3,941 yards and 50 touchdowns. The Hall-Carter duo will present a one-two punch for Wilson and the Jets.
The team also has wide receivers Corey Davis and Elijah Moore healthy to start the year. Despite their injury-riddled seasons, Moore finished with 538 yards and 5 touchdowns in 11 games while Davis contributed 492 yards and 4 touchdowns in nine games. The Jets also added Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson in the first round of the 2022 draft.
Veteran George Fant and former 2020 first-round pick Mekhi Becton are battling for the starting left tackle position. Fant replaced Becton after he went down with a season-ending knee injury. Out of 889 snaps, the tackle only gave up one sack.
The expectation for this season is Becton will be sliding to right tackle with Fant retaining the starting left tackle position. Both are starting training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
On the other hand, the defensive side of the ball is filled with potential question marks.
Both defensive ends Carl Lawson and Vinny Curry are returning after missing all of last season with injuries. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins could have issues with his leg after he suffered from a condition where a bone spur rubs and adds stress to his Achilles tendon.
Linebacker C.J. Mosley has had groin injuries that can present difficulties for the 30-year-old middle linebacker in pass coverage. Pro Football Focus graded Mosley’s 2021 performance 42 overall with a 38.5 in run defense and 50.2 in coverage.
Both receivers have made full recoveries from their season-ending injuries from last season. Moore suffered two different quad injuries that cut his season short while Davis dealt with hip flexor and groin injuries. Both issues for Davis were addressed through core muscle surgery this past offseason.
Becton is expected to deal with lingering knee issues after spraining his right MCL and dislocating his kneecap last season. The move to right tackle is most likely to remove additional stress to the right knee. He has also had difficulty keeping off weight following the injury. Our Docs will not be surprised if the offensive tackle is veteran-managed with his right knee and conditioning issues.
Curry sat out last season after the medical staff discovered he had a rare blood disorder and needed his spleen removed. He is fully recovered though he will not be an elite defensive end. Lawson opens training camp on Tuesday on the PUP list because of his ruptured left Achilles. The Jets’ defensive line which struggled last season will improve with Curry and Lawson returning to action. However, Lawson will have difficulty getting to the quarterback with decreased explosiveness.
Written by David Chao, MD
