By: ChrisAmid reports both from the Patriots camp and preseason games that quarterback Tom Brady has looked better than ever, throwing across his body and moving around the pocket, it is easy to crown the Patriots champs of the much improved AFC East. This division, which used to be one of the least competitive divisions in the league, has improved in the offseason, yet the Patriots, now locked and reloaded, are poised to finish on top. Even after the horrific knee injury, followed by an infection causing further setback, it seems like Brady did that much more to come back to old form. Having added yet another weapon in grizzled veteran receiver Joey Galloway to the squad, Brady has a plethora of threats including Randy Moss and Wes Welker to dish the ball around in the spread offense. Additionally, an acquisition that could be overlooked, is running back Fred Taylor. The longtime Jaguar now seems to have set his sights on snagging a ring before retiring, and he finally provides at least some level of assurance for a running game that ranked as one of the worst in the NFL during the Patriots' epic 18-1 run. It's hard not to improve their running game, considering Maroney has never fully developed into the hard-nosed runner that they wished, and overall they barely even ran the ball anyway. On the defensive side of things, the Pats are still stacked in the box with Warren, Wilfork, and Seymour followed by Thomas, Bruschi, Mayo, and Woods to complete their 3-4 defense. This defensive unit will need to most likely hold opponents to under 21 points or so, as the offense will be sure to deliver big scores. Combined with their reloaded offense, stout defense, and a relatively easy schedule, look for the Pats to bounce back and finish the season 12-4, and return to title contention.
2. New York Jets (10-6)
For the first time in a (seemingly) long, long time, the Jets' pick at the NFL Draft was not booed, but rather celebrated. QB Mark Sanchez was the obvious pick, and luckily, they were able to trade up for him and bring him to the lesser talented New York team. Last season, the supposedly "no heart for this team" Favre led the team to a mediocre 9-7 record. Now, with Rex Ryan as their coach, I believe the Jets will be able to step up their defensive game (albeit having lost Pace for a chunk of the season). Still, there is one positive that arises from the suspension and that is the spot opening up which they are allowing the strong, young Vernon Gholston to sub until Pace returns. A good recipe for championship contention includes a good rushing attack (Thomas Jones + Leon Washington) and a good defense, which the Jets seem to have as well (with upside). Do not expect Mark Sanchez to post Matt Ryan-like numbers, but the fact is he will be able to deliver. He already looks good in preseason and they really don't need him to throw for 300 yards a game, but rather just avoid making mistakes and forcing turnovers. The Jets raced out to an 8-3 start, and as the season progressed, ended up fading along with Favre's arm. This will not happen with Sanchez. Look for this team to surprise and maybe, just maybe, grab an AFC Wildcard berth.
3. Miami Dolphins (7-9)
After a pleasantly surprising 11-5 record this season, one can't help but see a decline for '09. The usually erratic Chad Pennington actually finished second in MVP voting (Wow! Who would have thought that going into the season?). Even with Parcells on-board, I don't see this team making noise in an already tough division and conference, coupled with a tough schedule. If Pennington repeats his performance, I will gladly shut up. The team's success does not only lie in the passing game though, which I predict will be mediocre at best, but also their rushing attack. The much-hyped Ronnie Brown is far from a typical rushing back, which Miami was able to mold and take advantage of through the Wildcat formation. He went absolutely wild one game, and if excluded, his season as a whole is rather unremarkable, with a yard-per-rush hovering a hair above 4.0. One has to consider though, the effectiveness of the Wildcat might be either a) limited as teams will no be preparing to stop this previously unknown tactic or b) advance having now added Pat White as a double threat (arm wise and leg wise). As for the defense, they obviously have one of the NFL's most exciting pass rushers in Joey Porter and a solid stud, Channing Crowder. The rest of the box is mostly mediocre, which is made up for with their solid secondary. I am a huge Gibril Wilson + Will Allen fan and think Bell is better than people give him credit for. Still, this team is doomed to decline from their shocking '08 performance. Again, due to tough schedule + even tougher division = mediocre 7-9 finish for the Jets.
4. Buffalo Bills (7-9)
As much as I love Trent Edwards and other talented, young players the Bills have, ultimately this team will have loads of trouble racking up significant wins this season. Almost by default, the Bills are always last in this division, sorry Buffalo. I'm wondering how long T.O. will last before he absolutely blows up. Buffalo was front-page news for barely a week, and things seemed to have calmed down again. Evans + Owens does provide an intriguing and explosive wide receiver duo, but I would feel much more comfortable if passes were thrown from a guy with a stronger arm rather than the "short-pass-accurate" Trent Edwards. The suspension of Marshawn Lynch which is set to last three games certainly doesn't help, although I am excited at the prospect of Fred Jackson being a starter for that stretch. Defensively, the line upfront seems to be getting older and older, with dinosaur-like veterans like Shobel and Stroud who are heavily declining. Still, there are glimmers of upside include Penn State product Paul Posluszny and secondary studs Donte Whitner and Terrence McGee. Overall, this team does not have the firepower and talent on both sides of the football to make any noise in the AFC. Still, don't write them off for the future.
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