2008 NFL Junkie: Who’s The Best of The AFC East?
We got some good responses from the AFC West junkie, and despite recent talk that I have been cheating my way into giving you an informative look at each division, the NFL Junkie Gate issue has been put to rest. Let’s do the AFC East.
And respectfully so, we start with the Patriots, who once again took home the division title, going undefeated last year. I noticed an interesting piece on NFL.com about Wes Welker who led the NFL in receptions last season as a Tom Brady ball catcher, and certainly played a utility, in the shadows type role in the Pats super bowl run. Welker says at a charity event at his old high school that “We’re on to bigger things now”. Well the only way things could get any bigger would mean the Pats winning a super bowl in 2008. I can easily see that happening if Moss and Brady do the same thing they did last year this year. I also like the younger addition at LB in Jerrod Mayo. It helps to have a young player for all the older guys to help out. Ongoing problems with Nick Kazcur and injuries to Stephen Neal this offseason tell me the team will have to be on its toes at offensive line this year.
The Jets, well do I really need to say anything here? Many players made big money this offseason and are now in Green and White. The team made these great additions, and this has obviously spurred many prognosticators to give them somewhere around nine wins this season. I just think too many people are being tricked by the additions, and as a result they are overlooking the glaring flaws in this team. There’s a QB competition that included Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens. I mean come on. Who would want any of them? That’s just my opinion about the whole thing.
The Miami Dolphins are still in rebuilding mode, and Bill Parcells is doing a very nice job of moving his team along the bumps and bruises that are a fire sale/start from scratch offseason. Jason Taylor aside, this team is a last place team right now, no question about it. I do like Ronnie Brown for the simple fact that he is basically coming into the same situation as he came into last season. And under those same circumstances, he rushed for 602 yards in the first 7 games of the season before tearing his ACL. He still will have a mediocre passer giving him the ball, this time it won’t be Trent Green. That’s about it, except no Chris Chambers. I still look for Brown to put up just a little less then that in the first half of the season. The team did sign Earnest Wilford, and this tells me that they were trying to get young, semi-talented guys to play in this offense in an effort to build a team from the ground up. I like it, but this team will still finish last.
Buffalo looks like it may get over the hump and make second place this year, after Trent Edwards started 10 games in his rookie season. J.P. Losman started the other 6 and both really looked adequate at best. However, RB Marshawn Lynch is the real deal, as in his rookie season he started thirteen games and posted just over 1100 yards, and scored seven times. This team has a durable WR in Lee Evans who caught over 50 balls for nearly 850 yards. These are all solid numbers, not eye popping, but solid. Once this team gets Losman or Edwards (I’d take any of them) to play quarterback for a whole season, then this team will come in second and win 9 or 10 games. This team is probably one with the least amount of problems right now, and that gives me good reason to think they can make second place this year.
The Patriots will win the division, but in a conference where the wild card is always up for grabs, look for the Bills to compete right down to the wire.
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Mack,
You seem to see a glaring weakness at QB for the Jets. I agree but I fail to see how the situation in Buffalo is any different. Edwards and Losman have much the same ability and experience as Chad and Clemens. Neither is particularly effective and Evans is the only threat through the air. Lynch looks like he will be a good RB in this league but he was helped by a vastly improved o-line. Last year the Bills brought in big name additions on the offensive line in an attempt to shore up the weakest group of players on their team. The Jets have done the same this year along with making additions at NT, OLB and third-receiver. All of which could be considered areas of need.
How does this make Buffalo better? I’m interested to see what Clemens can do but among the 4 QBs in NY and Buffalo, Chad has the most experience and is the only one who has shown he an be effective. I don’t see Buffalo’s situation differently from the one facing the Jets. I think one team will end up with 8-10 wins and the other with 7-8 wins. In my opinion, it just remains to be seen which team will be more effective.
Yeah Mack, how has JP Losman or Trent Edwards proved themselves and Chad Pennington hasnt? The guys been to the playoffs 3 times. Im not even a chad supporter anymore, but to say buffalo is that much better at QB is absurd.
word. Buffalos qb’s are both mediocre at best. Ill take chad or clemens. Besides, i can think of a few teams that would want either, vikings, ravens, dolphins, niners. Quality qb play is on a downslope nowadays. itll come down to defenses. I think the jets will have the best, youngest D, with a nasty pass rush. We can compete, as long as our D- and O line hold up.
Chad , is the way to go ,when he is coming of a fake he is very dangerous, I notice that the jets were not fakeing the ball to hold the line backers in ,like they did in the years past ,its a confidence builder and very flo driven,for the most accurate QB in the history of the NFL . JETS RULE
Like a lot of you, I don’t know what this love for Trent Edwards is all about. He ended his season with a putrid final three games and was injured for 4 games after he was named the starter. He has Chad’s problem of a below average NFL arm and lack of mobility, that (like Chad) he overcomes through high football IQ. Chad was able to succeed in the NFL; the best one can say about Edwards is that he showed enough flashes of NFL competence (especially in games against the Jets, Dolphins and Dallas) for Buffalo fans to be optimistic, but he also showed enough for Jets fans to be optimistic facing him, too (3 straight losses after a 7-6 record to take them out of playoff contention). Another point, given that below average arm, can he get the most out of Evans as a deep threat? Chad’s uneven record with Santana Moss shows that an average arm and a deep threat don’t often mesh well.
Losman is Buffalo’s version of KC (without KC’s upside). He has a strong arm and can make all NFL throws, but he has a questionable football IQ and keeps losing his job as the starter, like that other all arm, no brain, QB: Kyle Boller.
Mack also fails to mention two other reasons to question the Bills. First, will Lynch be disciplined by the NFL for leaving the scene of an accident after hitting a pedestrian with his Porsche Cayenne? He had to plead guilty and lose his license, so he’s a prime candidate for a suspension and he’s real lucky that the woman’s injuries weren’t severe. Am I the only one to think this guy is a real POS for this?
Second, their best OL, LT Jason Peters, is pulling a Kendall on the Bills. Even if Peters ends his holdout or just ends up showing up to camp, a disgruntled LT is a real problem. How about if he gets a little banged up and decides to be like John Abraham and not play hurt? Unless the Bills (a notoriously stingy team) pays Peters (who is the third highest paid OL on his team, depite being at the most important position), this could be the type of thing that completely derails the Bills. And, even if he signs a new deal, there’s a chance he won’t be in good football shape.
So, while the Bills have a lot of positive buzz, a Peters holdout and/or a Lynch suspension could put Buffalo in an early hole and they’re not that good that they could overcome a bad start.
sack
i agree…your not alone…i think lynch is a POS…he should get lynched for 4 games at least…i personally think it should be 8 games…just my thoughts…
Lynch is a POS
haha you said KC had upside I almost died of shock.
I completley disagree with this on the jets. Why does everybody seem to hate on Chad pennington? The man couldn’t do anything with that offensive line last year. When teams aren’t afraid of the run you are going to lose and that’s what happened to the jets last year. Give Chad a decent line and he’ll lead us to the play-offs just like he has every other year…
JAGG, I just think that the NFL knows what Losman can do (and he can’t do much), but the jury is out on KC. I’ll say it again, besides height, KC has the physical tools to succeed in the NFL, but I just don’t know if he has the football IQ (some of which is innate to the QB position) to succeed. IMO, the Bills, Dolphins and Jets all have major question marks at the QB position, but the Jets are the only team of the 3 that has a QB on the roster that has led his team to the playoffs 3 times and only 2 short years ago. So, when I read all this BS about how great the Bills will be, I keep returning to their QBs, who have done nothing in the NFL, yet. And, Edwards was lucky to face the Jets twice before the bye last season. Edwards will get the Jets in November this time and I think that there’s a good chance he won’t even be the Bills’ QB by then.
gangreen, I’m with you all the way. Fans who think of Chad based on last year know nothing. This year he will have an all-pro Fullback, two new TE weapons, and a revamped O-Line. Whole nother story. I just want them to add depth to the O-line, before the season starts. This year, the play-action will be back and Chad will, once again, walk us down the field. If his arm was done, the coaches would know it by now and we wouldn’t have a QB controversy. If Chad is healthy, with this years additions, we can beat anyone.
I’m like Chad, but I think the coaches will make a decision base on on-field performance, if Clemens shows that he can be successful managing the team. The key word being managing. The opportunity to be able to throw deep could open up a lot for Jones and the revamped o-line. If Clemens can be efficient and throw the deep ball he really allows the offense to expand whereas even if healthy, I have reservations about Chad’s ability to throw to the sidelines or more than 15 yards.
I will only root for two things and that is a healthy Chad or an improved/matured Klemens. Buffalos D is what has kept them barely respectable the past coupple of years. I think Buffalos past 2 drafts have been really bad with the exception of polouzy (Sorry, mutalated name.) I think Edwards will be solid but not great. Any one else thinks Buffalos past 2 drafts were suspect?