Patriots Look To Navigate Through Revamped AFC East

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

In recent years, the Patriots have had the good fortune of playing in the AFC East, one of the least competitive divisions in football. 

But something changed last season.

The Miami Dolphins turned their abysmal 2007 season into an 11-5 2008 campaign that crowned them AFC East Champions for the first time since 2000. 

The New York Jets made the biggest splash in the 2008 offseason by signing Quarterback Brett Favre, who led them to an 8-3 start, only to see them wither down the stretch, missing out on a playoff spot in Week 17.

The Buffalo Bills shocked most people by starting the season 5-1 before predictably bungling the rest of the season and finishing 7-9 in the process.

All three division foes have made significant changes and roster upgrades that could potentially serve as speed bumps on the Patriots road back to the playoffs. Here is a breakdown of the other three AFC East teams, starting with the 2008 AFC East Champions, the Miami Dolphins:

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins revolutionized the pro offense last season with their hit-or-miss "Wildcat Offense," which was developed by Quarterback's coach David Lee. Lee had run the scheme while at Arkansas, and it worked well, most notably against the Patriots in their 38-13 victory last September.

Thanks to the Wildcat, the outstanding play of RB Ronnie Brown, and the resurgence of Jets castoff Chad Pennington, the Dolphins managed to put up 21.6 points per game, while staking claim to the 12th best offense in the NFL.

Defensively, the Dolphins didn’t allow opponents to score much, as they only gave up 19.8 points per game, good for ninth in the NFL. However, their production from their defensive backfield was not as sharp, allowing 227.8 yards per game through the air, putting them 25th in the league in this category.

With this in mind, Head Coach Tony Sparano added DB Gabril Wilson from the Oakland Raiders, bringing with him solid experience and 129 tackles in 2008. 

Miami also addressed this problem via the draft, like all good franchises should, selecting CB Vontae Davis from Illinois with the 25th overall pick. Davis was viewed as arguably the best corner in the draft, but questions about his personal demeanor may have made him unattractive to some teams. Luckily for the Dolphins they have a guy named Bill Parcells who is pretty well versed in dealing with players with "character issues."

Miami also selected CB Sean Smith from Utah with the 61st overall pick. A converted receiver, Smith has amazing athletic ability that he will bring with him to Miami.  More of a finesse player than a big hitter, Smith will bring speed and youth to a defensive backfield that desperately needs it. Smith may also be used in the Wildcat formation, increasing his appeal to the Dolphins and using his athleticism to create match up problems for opposing defenses.

Selecting Pat White in the draft will also allow the Dolphins more freedom when it comes to the Wildcat formation, as it seems tailor made for a player like White.  A quick player who will line up under center in the Wildcat, White brings much more versatility to an already explosive offense.

I expect the Dolphins to carry over some momentum from last season, and while on paper they may not blow people away, their creativeness, speed, and versatility will be enough to prove that last season was not a fluke. I expect them to earn a wild card birth.

New York Jets

After squandering their shot at the playoffs, the Jets realized that they had to shake things up this offseason, so they went out and signed former Ravens Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan as their new Head Coach.

Ryan will bring a new toughness to the franchise, as stingy defense has been the hallmark of the Ravens success over the past decade. Running the football and playing smashmouth D will be of the utmost importance in order for the Jets to have a winning team this year.

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