AFC East Presents Tough Road To Playoffs

The AFC East is probably one of the toughest divisions in the National Football League.

The Buffalo Bills must beat some really good teams in order to make the playoffs. They’ve made good strides this off season, but other teams did too. The coaching staff must prepare Trent Edwards and his other teammates for the six most important games on the schedule in order to make the playoffs. In 2008, the Bills went 0-6 against its own division.

The Miami Dolphins surprised many people in 2008 by winning the division and keeping the mighty New England Patriots out of the playoffs. The Dolphins did it with Chad Pennington at quarterback, rookie Head Coach Tony Sparano, and the inventive Wildcat offense.

Wide receiver Ted Ginn will only get better with a playoff return. He should emerge as one of the league’s best this upcoming season. The addition of Pat White at quarterback should help the team improve the Wildcat offense, causing trouble for opposing defensive coordinators.

I think the quality of the Dolphins lies with its defense. Jason Ferguson anchors the middle of the defensive line in the 3-4 system. The linebackers led by Channing Crowder were able to make tackles after Ferguson took on double and triple teams. Ferguson also allowed Joey Porter the freedom to get 17.5 sacks last season. The return of Jason Taylor at defensive end/outside linebacker should also help with the pass rush.

Trent Edwards and the new Bills' offensive line should be better in creating holes against Ferguson and getting to the second level against Crowder and the other Dolphins' linebackers. The Dolphins' pass rush against Darwin Walker and Brad Butler is something the Bills will have to address during the week they face the Dolphins.

The New England Patriots represent constant winning and success in the league.  Head coach Bill Belichick and his personnel department did a great job of replacing departed talent and found the exact player they need to fit their system.

In 2008, they lost franchise quarterback Tom Brady in week one. Quarterback play didn’t drop off in 2008, as backup Matt Cassel had an impressive 10-5 record as a starter. Brady will be back in form this season because he’s a smart player and the offensive line gives him a lot of time to pick apart opposing defenses.

Brady still has Randy Moss and Wes Welker to throw. With the addition of running back Fred Taylor, the Patriots offense expects little drop off this upcoming season. Veteran Joey Galloway should provide another receiving weapon and I expect Laurence Maroney to have a breakout season if he stays healthy.

It’s a tough task for the Bills defenders, but Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams are stout against the run and Aaron Maybin should get a few chances to bring down Brady. The addition of Shawn Springs at corner back helps because of his history of shutting down new Bills' receiver Terrell Owens.

The Patriots defense might fall off a bit with the trade of Mike Vrabel to Kansas City.

Along with the ageing Tedy Bruschi, the linebacker corps might see some drop, but not too much, because of defensive rookie of the year in 2008, Jerod Mayo. Mayo will only get better and the defensive line of Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, and Richard Seymour should provide a good push to opposing quarterbacks and allow Mayo to make a lot of tackles in 2009.

The New York Jets entered 2008 with a hall of fame quarterback joining the team during training camp and Brett Favre proved to age quickly as the season went on. The team failed to make the playoffs after losing four of their last five games to finish the season. That cost Head Coach Eric Mangini his job and Favre was released.

The Jets brought in Rex Ryan, the architect of the Baltimore Ravens defense. Ryan brings a tough mentality that should give opposing offenses headaches. The Jets made the biggest move of the 2009 draft, by trading up to get franchise QB Mark Sanchez and jettisoning receiver Laveranues Coles.

Shonn Greene should help Thomas Jones in the running game by offering relief and promoting the two-back system favored by most of the league. The one thing Sanchez doesn’t really have is a solid No. 1 wide receiver. It’s important to have for a rookie quarterback, but solid third-down back Leon Washington will quickly become Sanchez’s best friend because of his speed and ability to make defenders miss.

The defense should see improvement, especially after the disappointment of former first round pick Vernon Gholston’s non-production in 2008. Calvin Pace and Eric Barton should build off a solid 2008 season as linebackers. Free agent signee Bart Scott should improve the pass rush and bring knowledge of Ryan’s defensive schemes to the Jets.

Lito Sheppard and Jim Leonard should help the Jets secondary that had 14 interceptions last year. Sheppard should help second-year pro Darrelle Revis improve on his rookie season. Leonard also brings knowledge of Ryan’s defense, along with his punt return ability.

Navigating the AFC East and making the playoffs is difficult, but with the Bills' additions on offense and continuity on defense, they should be a match against AFC teams.  All the teams made improvements in the off season, and they should play very entertaining football games in the 2009 season.