AFC East—The Least or Beast of Competition?

The AFC East, after years of Patriot domination, improved across the board in 2008, featuring three teams with winning records (Pats, Phins and Jets). As we consider the Pats' chances this year, it is necessary to assess the competition.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills began 2008 with a startling 5-1 record, relying on a strong running game and good QB play from Trent Edwards. From there, the Bills stumbled, ending up 7-9 for the third straight year and extending a near decade-long playoff drought.

This year's prospects don't look much better.

The Bills made news in the offseason by signing perennial malcontent Terrell Owens, giving them a legitimate threat opposite Lee Evans. Despite his age (35) and his numerous dropped passes, Owens still demands respect from opposing corners.

Can the Bills (famously conservative on offense) give T.O. enough touches to keep him happy?

Can Dick Jauron manage an unhappy T.O. when all others (Andy Reid, Steve Mariucci, Bill Parcells, Wade Philips) have failed?

The offseason giveth and the offseason taketh away. The team traded disgruntled left tackle Jason Peters to the Eagles, and then failed to draft or sign a replacement. The left tackle position is widely regarded to be the most important O-line position, and losing a Pro Bowl player there will hurt an already-mediocre offense (23rd in scoring, 25th in yards gained).

Defensively, the team improved over a disastrous 2007 (31st in the league), ending up 14th in terms of yardage gained. The Bills picked up DE Aaron Maybin in the draft with an eye toward improving an anemic pass rush. However, relying on a rookie to produce regularly is an iffy proposition at best.

This team appears on the verge of a fourth-straight 7-9 finish.

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins shocked many by earning a playoff spot a year after they posed a legit 0-16 threat. With a new head coach (Tony Sparano), a veteran quarterback (Chad Pennington) and a gimmicky offense (the Wildcat), the Phins finished last year with an 11-5 record before being plastered by the Ravens in the postseason.

It will be hard for them to repeat this year.

Pennington returns as the team's starter, which has to raise concerns. When was the last time Pennington had back-to-back healthy seasons? Backups Pat White and Chad Henne are both inexperienced at the pro level—if Pennington goes down, he likely takes the team's playoff hopes with him.

The team's running game looks to be strong once again, but the Wildcat formation is unlikely to surprise anyone this year (it was already losing effectiveness at the end of last season). White, though, does add an interesting wrinkle, as he can both pass and run the ball.

The Dolphins took steps in the '09 draft to improve the team's pass D (ranked 25th in terms of yards allowed), drafting cornerbacks in the first (Vontae Davis) and third (Sean Smith) rounds.

The team is likely to backslide after last year - Pennington is injury-prone, the Wildcat is less likely to be effective and the team has not made much noise on the free-agency front.

New York Jets: After starting 8-3 last season, the Jets limped to a 9-7 finish behind inconsistent play from Brett Favre.

The team's brain-trust has decided to rebuild, letting Favre go and restarting with a new QB ('09 first-rounder Mark Sanchez) and coach Rex Ryan. Though the team may have created a solid foundation, there is little chance the Jets will have a winning record this season.

Sanchez is likely to start at QB, though there has been no definitive word, as his competition (Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge) has little to no NFL experience. Despite the early successes of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco last season, Sanchez is likely to have growing pains this season, especially because he only has one full year's experience starting at USC.

Thomas Jones, the team's starting RB, is rapidly approaching the sell-by date for NFL backs (he'll be 31 by the start of the season). His production is likely to decline as opposing defenses stack the line, daring Sanchez to beat them by passing the ball.

Ryan, a defense-oriented coach, will be expected to improve the team's defensive performance—16th in the league last year. They've signed former Ravens LB Bart Scott to this end, and he looks to be an immediate upgrade at that position.

Given the changes over the offseason, it appears the Patriots are in the pole position for the AFC East. The other teams in the division are likely to regress or remain status quo, while the Pats have retooled significantly.