2012 NFL Divisional Previews: AFC East Primer

With the 2012 NFL Season fast approaching, it's time to dust off the old jersey in your closet and get ready for some football. In order to get you caught up to speed for the upcoming campaign, we're providing a division-by-division primer of what to look for.

The AFC East belonged to the New England Patriots once again last season, an unsurprising feat for Brady and Co. The Pats went 13-3 overall and 5-1 in the division en route to a third straight AFC East title––their eighth in the past nine years.

They'll look to continue their dominance in 2012 while the rival Jets try to bounce back from a disappointing 8-8 finish––the first time they've missed the playoffs under Rex Ryan.

Buffalo and Miami, meanwhile, will each try to build off of a 2011 campaign that didn't end in playoff contention but did provide glimpses of hope toward future success.

Let's take a look at what might lay in store for the AFC East in 2012.

Six Coaching Changes

1. HC Joe Philbin (MIA)
2. OC Josh McDaniels (NE)
3. DC Kevin Coyle (MIA)
4. OC Tony Sparano (NYJ)
5. DC Dave Wannstedt (BUF)
6. OC Mike Sherman (MIA)

The only team with a new head coach in 2012 is the Miami Dolphins, who hired Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. Miami doesn't have the weapons Philbin was blessed with in Green Bay, but he's an offensive savant who helped retool Matt Flynn from a seventh-round pick into a $26 million free agent.

Helping Philbin out on the defensive side of the ball is Kevin Coyle, formerly the secondary coach in Cincinnati. Coyle is switching the Dolphins from a 3-4 to a 4-3, which is always an interesting transition. Cameron Wake is being converted into a hand-to-the-ground defensive end.

From there, we get four—count 'em, four—former NFL head coaches assuming coordinator roles within the division. Philbin also brought in Mike Sherman to help run the offense. Sherman was the Packers' head coach when Philbin joined the club in 2003. 

The prodigal son returns in New England, with Josh McDaniels assuming his former role as offensive coordinator (after a failed stint in St. Louis). Former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is tasked with managing the Sanchez-Tebow soap opera in New York, while another former Miami boss, Dave Wannstedt, takes the reigns of a quietly talented defense in Buffalo.

Five Offseason Additions

1. DE Mario Williams (BUF)
2. WR Brandon Lloyd (NE)
3. SS LaRon Landry (NYJ)
4. QB David Garrard (MIA)
5. QB Tim Tebow (NYJ)

The Texans scored the biggest prize on the free-agent market this offseason, bringing in former No. 1 Overall pick Mario Williams.

Super Mario has long since recovered from the torn pectoral muscle that relegated him to the injured reserve last season, insisting that he could have played in the playoffs had the rules permitted it. A return to a 4-3 defensive end (after an awkward stint as a 3-4 linebacker last season) should help Williams as well.

Two quarterbacks with playoff victories under their belt join the division this year, with David Garrard heading to Miami and Tim Tebow "backing up" Mark Sanchez in New York.

Garrard took the year off of football in 2011, but he is reportedly the favorite to start for the Dolphins in 2012. Tebow's role in New York is predictably contentious, but at the very least he appears to be in line for some red-zone work, which could eventually lead to a starting gig (a la Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart in 2007).

The Patriots added a much-needed vertical threat to their receiving corps in Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd was ProFootballFocus.com's top-rated receiver in 2010, and he managed to finish top-25 again in 2011, despite atrocious quarterback play.

Lloyd's head coach during his breakout campaign in 2010? None other than new Patriots play-caller Josh McDaniels.

Finally, the Jets took a high-upside flyer on former top-10 pick LaRon Landry. The king-sized safety became something of a punchline (or cult hero, depending on whom you ask) this offseason when pictures of his comically-inflated upper body surfaced on the Internet. An Achilles injury cut his 2011 season short, but he impressed when he was on the field. ProFootballFocus had him rated as a top-20 safety in he NFL.

Five Impact Rookies

1. CB Stephon Gilmore (BUF)
2. WR Stephen Hill (NYJ)
3. LT Cordy Glenn (BUF)
4. DE Chandler Jones (NE)
5. RT Jonathan Martin (MIA)

Stephon Gilmore shot up draft boards this winter. He was once considered a fringe first-round talent, but ended up going to Buffalo with the 10th overall pick. He has drawn rave reviews from training camp and has already displaced veterans Terrence McGee and Aaron Williams on the depth chart.

The Jets let Plaxico Burress walk after an up-and-down season in 2011, and they think they found a gem to replace him with in Stephen Hill. If not for the Tebow circus, Hill's explosiveness off the line of scrimmage would have been the talk of Jets' OTAs. The second-round pick is already working opposite Santonio Holmes on the Jets' first-team offense.

Two second-round tackles are expected to start in the AFC East this year, too. Buffalobills.com reports that Cordy Glenn took "all of the starting reps" at left tackle throughout minicamps and OTAs. In Miami, Jonathan Martin's transition to right tackle has been deemed "a work in progress," but he's still the favorite to start opposite Jake Long on the Dolphins offensive line.

And then there's Chandler Jones. Maybe the highest-upside defensive player in the entire draft (Mike Mayock certainly seems to think so), Jones' role in 2012 has yet to be determined.

He's set to be the Patriots' "elephant" rusher (Willie McGinest's old position) of the future, but he should also contribute as a situational end in the immediate present.

Five Breakout Players

1. LB Kelvin Sheppard (BUF)
2. RG Brandon Moore (NYJ)
3. CB Sterling Moore (NE)
4. WR Jeremy Kerley (NYJ)
5. RG Chad Rinehart (BUF)

The Bills found a gem in third-round rookie Kelvin Sheppard last season, and they plan to use him between veterans Kirk Morrison and Nick Barnett in 2012. He earned a plus-8.4 rating against the run from ProFootballFocus last season, good for 19th among all inside linebackers and second among rookie linebackers, trailing only Von Miller.

Two underrated right guards on the list seem poised to burst onto the scene in 2012 as well.

In New York, Brandon Moore excelled as an interior pass blocker, becoming the only guard in the league who didn't allow his quarterback to hit the ground (on either a sack or knockdown) once.  

Chad Rinehart, meanwhile, proved his versatility in 2012, starting six games at left guard and nine on the right. He finished with a top-10 guard rating from ProFootballFocus and is expected to keep his job over another impressive young guard, Kraig Urbik.

On the outside, Jets receiver Jeremy Kerley and Patriots cornerback Sterling Moore could also be in line for big seasons.

Moore played a big role in helping the Patriots' makeshift defense reach the Super Bowl last year, despite only seeing 52 regular season snaps. He'll have to fight for snaps, but if he gets on the field he could become a difference-maker.

Kerley made Football Outsiders' distinguished list of the top 25 prospects this summer, a feat that has been a good indicator for success in the past. He only saw 320 snaps for the Jets last season but still managed to rate as ProFootballFocus' 33rd-best receiver, a stat that should improve as he sees more playing time.

All-Division Teams

First-Team Offense	First-Team Defense
QB: Tom Brady (NE)	DE: Mario Williams (BUF)
RB: Fred Jackson (BUF)	DT: Vince Wilfork (NE)
WR: Wes Welker (NE)	DT: Sione Pouha (NYJ)
WR: Steve Johnson (BUF)	DE: Cameron Wake (MIA)
WR: Santonio Holmes (NYJ)	LB: Jerod Mayo (NE)
TE: Rob Gronkowski (NE)	LB: Karlos Dansby (MIA)
LT: Matt Light (NE)	LB: Bart Scott (NYJ)
LG: Andy Levitre (BUF)	CB: Darrelle Revis (NYJ)
C: Nick Mangold (NYJ)	CB: Stephon Gilmore (BUF)
RG: Brian Waters (NE)	FS: Jairus Byrd (BUF)
RT: Sebastian Vollmer (NE)	SS: Patrick Chung (NE)

Second-Team Offense	Second-Team Defense
QB: David Garrard (MIA)	DE: Mark Anderson (BUF)
RB: Reggie Bush (MIA)	DT: Marcell Dareus (BUF)
WR: Brandon Lloyd (NE)	DT: Paul Soliai (MIA)
WR: Stephen Hill (NYJ)	DE: Randy Starks (MIA)
WR: Jeremy Kerley (NYJ)	LB: Calvin Pace (NYJ)
TE: Aaron Hernandez	LB: David Harris (NYJ)
LT: Jake Long (MIA)	LB: Nick Barnett (BUF)
LG: Logan Mankins (NE)	CB: Kyle Arrington (NE)
C: Eric Wood (BUF)	CB: Vontae Davis (MIA)
RG: Brandon Moore (NYJ)	FS: LaRon Landry (NYJ)
RT: Jonathan Martin (MIA)	SS: George Wilson (BUF)

Vegas Win-Total Predictions

1. New England 12.0 Wins—Under
2. New York Jets 8.5 Wins—Under
3. Buffalo Bulls 7.5 Wins—Over
4. Miami Dolphins 7.0 Wins—Over

Lines courtesy of Caesars Entertainment

2012 Projected Standings

1. New England
2. Buffalo
3. Miami
4. New York Jets

Brian Leigh is an aspiring television and sports writer from New York. Feel free to contact him at [e-mail], or follow him @BLeighDAT.