Five Big Question Marks Around the AFC East

After last year's amazing turnaround by the Miami Dolphins, every team has made moves to try and get to the top of the AFC East.

The Patriots have Super Bowl quarterback Tom Brady back from a knee injury and are looking toward another run in the playoffs after barely missing out last year.

The Bills addressed both offense and defense, making the biggest splash when they signed talented wide receiver Terrell Owens. He's had issues in the past, but Buffalo is a fresh start.

The Jets go into this season with a new head coach in Rex Ryan and a young QB by the name of Mark Sanchez. With Brett Favre long gone, the Jets will look to make a run at this division with sound defense and a solid running attack.

Let's not forget about the defending division winner in the Miami Dolphins. This team brought the wildcat offense on the scene and it worked out well in parts of the season.

Veteran QB Chad Pennington will have to continue to make smart decision in order for this team to compete again this year. Each team in this division has the potential to win the division.

Who will the winner be?

Who's the Favorite In the AFC East?

Picking a favorite in this division has its pros and cons. Looking at the setup right now, any team has the potential to win the AFC East.

When analyzing the division as a whole, the front runner to come out on top has to be the New England Patriots. They went 11-5 last year with a quarterback that hadn't truly played a meaningful game since high school. They have the intangibles and talent to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Assuming Tom Brady comes back healthy and is himself, this team has the potential to get back to the Super Bowl.

The NY Jets have a lot of young talented player, but they have too many issues at positions on both sides of the ball. It's asking a lot for Rex Ryan to come in and win the division in his first year. He thinks he can, but it's a different challenge when your the head coach and not just a defensive coordinator.

The Miami Dolphins are the defending division winners but it's going to be harder to replicate last year's success with a healthy division. Sparano and his crew have their work cut out for them.

Lastly, the Bills have T.O., but he's not the answer to winning a division in Buffalo. He's merely just one player who could have an impact on offense.

Winning a division title is a total team effort. That's why the Patriots are the logical favorite.

Belichick is focused on another championship. The defense has some young players but with time they will only get better and better. The Patriots have been the team of this decade and they are going to go out with a bang.

With Brady back this team has the potential to compete with the best of them like they have year in and year out.

What Will Rex Ryan Do to Change the Mentality of the NY Jets?

Rex Ryan is known for being a defensive mastermind.

Let's just say he's going to have his work cut out for him with a young Jets team.

The NY Jets faded down the stretch last year behind a poor offensive performance and a defense that lacked the big stop. Vernon Gholston was probably the biggest first round bust and he struggled mightily at the linebacker position.

The secondary is young and has room to grow. Darrell Revis and Kerry Rhodes have the ability to grow into pro bowl players.

Bart Scott has moved up North and joined his old coach in Ryan. He's going to be a big leader on the defensive side of the ball.

Ryan is also going to have to make changes on the offense. It all starts at quarterback with a decision that involves starting a rookie in Mark Sanchez or an inexperienced unproven player in Kellen Clemens.

It helps that they have two dynamic running backs in Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. The Jets have struggled year in and year out. Rex Ryan is going to have to instill winning and confidence in his players minds.

It's not going to be easy, but when looking at Ryan's resume you've got to like his chances.

What Will Terrell Owens' Role Be In Buffalo and How Will He React?

Terrell Owens will be playing in the AFC for the first time in his career. Maybe the move to Buffalo is exactly what the aging wideout needs.

Then again, let's just hope Trent Edwards is able to connect with Owens early and often or we might never hear the end of him.

Owens will be joining big play sparkplug in Lee Evans. Evans has been a productive wide receiver throughout his career in Buffalo. With the addition of Owens, there's a strong possibility that even more parts of the field could open up for him to get the ball.

Teams target T.O. wherever he is on the field, because of his physical strength. Although Owens is getting a little older, he still has a lot of football left in him.

His reactions early on in Buffalo could be a strong indication to how he's going to act. If the Bills are winning, everything's going to be cool with T.O.

If they are losing and T.O. isn't catching the football, he's going to let people know about it.

It's the perception he's been given and it's a label that's hard to shake. Owens might not like that, but it's what the media has come to think about Terrell Owens. How he handles himself in the locker room and in front of a camera is going to go a long way in what his teammates and employers think about him.

If he's able to go out there and make plays that translate into wins, things might be able to work out in Buffalo.

How Will the Wildcat Formation Be Used In Miami?

The Miami Dolphins are credited with creating the wildcat offense. During the beginning of last season, it was effective in every way.

Ronnie Brown was able to torch the New England Patriots for five touchdowns. As the season went on, defenses started to adjust to this package and it wasn't as effective.

Then again, with the addition of combo QB/WR Pat White from the draft, he's surely going to be put on the field eventually.

A third round draft pick out of West Virginia, White can run and throw with the best of them. Imagine a shotgun formation with White, Brown, and speedster Tedd Ginn Jr.? That could be an imposing challenge for any defense.

Tony Sparano and his staff will find a way to implement the wildcat formation into the offensive gameplan. Its explosiveness and dynamic playmaking ability is what has made it so popular around the league.

It's another dimension of offense that defenses have to scheme and be prepared for.

How Will Tom Brady Transition Back to The Field?

Tom Brady hasn't played since going down with an ACL injury in Week One last season.

That means it will be over a year when he takes the field against Buffalo on MNF come Sept. 14. That's a long period for one of the game's most talented and proven quarterbacks.

Even if he gets few preseason snaps in, you shouldn't be surprised if there's some rust in the first couple of games back.

Then again, he could come out with the explosiveness and accuracy that almost led to a perfect season and did give him the NFL record for passing touchdowns back in the 2007-2008 season.

Brady has been aggressively rehabbing his knee and given that the Patriots traded away Matt Cassel they must be certain Brady will be back to himself.

No one will truly know until the season begins and the Patriots are back on the field trying to win another AFC East title. Most people believe coming back from a knee injury as a quarterback is one of the most difficult adjustments to make.

Just look at what it did to Carson Palmer.

Then again, this is Tom Brady, and his transition back will play a big role in the record of the New England Patriots early on in the season. He should be up to the task just by looking at what he's accomplished at this point in his career.