I know it's still June and all, but since I'm finally almost ready to post my lists of favorite albums of the past decade, this blog should be busy over the next couple months. So, I have decided to go ahead and talk football a bit early this summer. I also will do it over seven separate posts, covering each division on their own, and then a final post-season predictions post. Let us begin with the AFC East.
Standings
1. New York Jets (12-4)
2. New England Patriots (11-5)
3. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
4. Buffalo Bills (2-14)
Most Valuable Offensive Player: Tom Brady (QB, New England)
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Darrelle Revis (CB, New York)
Addition With Biggest Impact: Brandon Marshall (WR, Miami)
Mr. Irrelevant: LaDainian Tomlinson (RB, New York)
As much as I hate to admit this, I cannot imagine the New York Jets not winning this division. In spite of an overrated, under-performing rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez, they proved last year (and a little bit the year before with Brett Favre at the helm) that they are a quality team. They've had a tremendous off-season (even though they lost perennial Pro-Bow guard Alan Faneca to the Arizona Cardinals), adding former shutdown corner back Antonio Cromartie, ex-Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes (who will be suspended at the beginning of the season) and aging but still talented linebacker Jason Taylor. Oh yeah, and future Hall of Fame inductee LaDainian Tomlinson, who, at the age of 31, has ran himself into the realm of irrelevance. And, their defense was already stacked. With the addition of Holmes, they now have a potentially dangerous group of receivers, and if Mark Sanchez turns out to be worth a damn (I'm not convinced he will, nor do I want him to be), they could be even better than I expect. If not, he just needs to cut back on his terrible throws and interceptions, and the running game and defense should take care of business.
As long as Tom Brady is their quarterback, the New England Patriots will make the playoffs. They don't have a proper running back, and they're defense has gotten too old, but Brady won his three Super Bowl titles before the Randy Moss and Wes Welker days, when he was throwing to a bunch of bums like Deion Branch. Granted, their defense was better back them, but having a much higher powered offense sort of makes up for that. While Brady will still throw for 4,000 yards and 25 to 30 touchdowns (even with Welker possibly out for the season), I believe his and head coach Bill Belichick's window for a return to glory is now closed.
It seems that the professional writers of print NFL preview magazines have a lot of faith in the Miami Dolphins' assumed starter, ex-Wolverine quarterback Chad Henne. All I can say is he wasn't terrible, and if newly and awesomely acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall keeps his attitude in check, he automatically makes Henne better. The Dolphins have a decent defense, a good offensive line and a great, though aged running game, and could be a playoff contender if it weren't for the two teams above them. If they were in the NFC West, they would win that division easily.
I don't have much to say about the Buffalo Bills. They are a bad team who just might be the absolute worst team in the NFL now. They may have intelligently drafted hyped Clemson running back C.J. Spiller back in April, but their offensive line is absolutely no good. This is going to be a terrible year for Bills fans.
