AFC East Preview

Throughout the off-season Football Calls will analyze every conference individually to see how the season outlook will pan out according to our estimation. Below are our projections, first lets examine the AFC East:

1) New England Patriots

Record last year: 16-0 / Projected: 14-2

We feel that New England will not only win the AFC East but we believe they will make another Superbowl appearance in 2009. It is no secret that the Pats possess the leagues most potent air attack with the addition of Randy Moss and Wes Welker from last year. That air assault should continue this season and with Maroney healthy they will have a complimentary ground game as well. Losing Asante Samuel in the secondary will certainly sting a little because he was a certified playmaker. However, with up in comers Ellis Hobbs and Brandon Meriweather back there and veterans Fernando Bryant and Rodney Harrison adding experience and leadership in the secondary they should be able to manage well despite missing Samuel. Their linebacking core will benefit from the youngster Jerod Mayo adding some youth to that group. Since the Patriots seem destined to rack up plenty of points it should take some pressure off of the defense. The Pats are a virtual lock to win the AFC East with a promising schedule. They could go undefeated again but they have tough matchups in Indy midseason and against Pittsburgh which could be difficult. I will say (14-2) for the fact that it is so hard to go undefeated back to back.

2) Buffalo Bills

Record last year:  7-9/ Projected: 9-7

The Bills made some improvement on defense this offseason with the addition of Marcus Stroud, Kawika Mitchell, and Leodis McKelvin via the draft. With Trent Edwards in his first full season as the starter he really has a chance to prove himself this year. Edwards has shown flashes of being a top notch quarterback but he has also shown that he is prone to committing turnovers. If the Bills are going to succeed this season they will need Marshawn Lynch to stay out of trouble and remain focused. Lee Evans has to be involved early and often in the offense. Their schedule is manageable and they could pick up some wins but I do not see them making the playoffs. Rookie Leodis McKelvin has a tough learning curve to overcome as defensive backs have the difficult task of adjusting to the speed and route running ability of pro wide receivers. He is going to get his share of targets this year because division coaches Mangini and Belichick will surely focus their air attack towards the rookie. Receivers such as Moss, Welker, Cotchery, and Coles are certaintly capable of giving McKelvin a rough time in division match-ups. Though the Bills should have a stout run defense, its the pass defense that causes concern. They seem to be a slightly above .500 team this season but not quite a playoff caliber team in the AFC, at least not yet.       

3) New York Jets

Record last year:  4-12/ Projected: 6-10

The New York Jets are a hard working, blue collar ball club. Its hard not to like a team like that. Adding pro bowl lineman Alan Faneca and Damien Woody should really help out the run game. Thomas Jones is still underrated and he should bounce back this season from the subpar season he suffered last year, which was not entirely his fault. They still have a nice receiving core and rookie tight end Dustin Keller looked impressive in the combine and should be a good vertical down field threat. However, even with those weapons their quarterback situation still raises concern and could possibly be their downfall again this year. On the defensive side of the ball they added Kris Jenkins for support with the interior defensive line. They drafted Vernon Gholston at linebacker, perhaps the most athletically gifted player in the entire draft this year. Also Kerry Rhodes is a true stud at free safety who will continue to make plays. The problem is when Kerry Rhodes is the only solid playmaker in the secondary. The other cornerbacks are lacking the athleticism and skill to defend most wide-outs. If they don’t sure up that secondary it could be a long season for that defense.

4) Miami Dolphins

Record last year:  1-15/ Projected: 4-12

With Parcells in the front office and now “picking his own groceries” so to speak, look for Miami to not be flirting with another (0-15) season this year. They will indeed improve but its not difficult to improve from the dismal season the Dolphins labored through last year. Ronnie Brown should be back healthy and he was scorching hot last season before he was injured. Even with running back Ricky Williams back in the line-up it shouldn’t make a drastic difference. He is 31 years old and hasn’t played a full season since 2003. It appears that the starting quarterback position is not going to be filled until the pre-season or maybe even later than that. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano his indicated on several occassions that it is no rush to choose a starter at that position. John Beck, Josh McCown, and rookie Chad Henne are all competing for the starting job. I doubt any of these quarterbacks will strike fear in opposing defenses, especially with the lack of receiving options they have. When your main receiving threat (Ted Ginn Jr.) has more fumbles than touchdowns it could pose a problem for the offense. The addition of Jake Long to the offensive line will help out the running game immensely. It will help out the passing game as well but good blocking can not put points on the score board. Look for the Dolphins to have some close games but end up falling well short of a .500 season.

This is my take on the AFC East this year, you are encouraged to share your thoughts and projections also. Now its your turn to make the call!

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