Patriots flagged as upset candidates, AFC East roundup

There were no games on the AFC East slate yesterday, but Week 5 storylines are stacking up. Upset chatter surrounds the New England Patriots, the New York Jets are being pegged as potential victims in Cleveland, and the Miami Dolphins are facing an opponent that believes it has found a key tendency. The Buffalo Bills, meanwhile, sit quietly atop the division at 3-1.

Patriots: on CBS Sports’ upset radar and adding defensive depth

CBS Sports has placed the New England Patriots among five favorites that could easily lose in Week 5. At 2-2, the Patriots are trying to keep pace with the Bills in the AFC East, and being highlighted on upset alert underscores how fragile that position may be heading into the weekend.

On the personnel front, Pro Football Rumors notes that New England has signed safety Mike Brown from the practice squad, giving the secondary an extra body. The same outlet reports that the Patriots have also added linebacker Jose Ramirez to their practice squad, another defensive piece as the team fine-tunes its roster before Week 5.

Jets: Browns picked to spring an upset

In his Week 5 picks, Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports projects that the Cleveland Browns will upset the New York Jets. With the Jets sitting at 1-3, such an outcome would deepen their early-season hole in the AFC East race and raise the stakes around this matchup even further.

The pick frames the Browns-Jets clash as a pivotal spot for New York: an opportunity to stabilize its season, but also, according to CBS Sports, a prime candidate for another disappointing result.

Dolphins: Bengals claim a Willis tell, Miami shuffles practice squad

For Miami, CBS Sports reports that Bengals safety Jordan Battle has revealed what he describes as a subtle tell in Malik Willis’ game ahead of Cincinnati’s Week 5 matchup against the Dolphins. That supposed scouting edge could factor into preparation on both sidelines as the teams get ready.

Pro Football Rumors adds that the Dolphins have signed outside linebacker Amari Gainer to their practice squad and released defensive lineman Keith Cooper. At 0-4, Miami continues to experiment with its depth chart in search of the right defensive mix.

Bills: quiet leaders in the AFC East

Buffalo did not factor into Thursday’s predictions or transaction rundowns, but remains the pace-setter in the division at 3-1. As their rivals handle roster tweaks and outside noise, the Bills stay in the background, holding the early lead in the AFC East race.