NFL Reset: AFC East Outlook for the Upcoming Season (Part Three)

A lot of teams have the potential to make the playoffs so here’s how it might just go down.  Part three of this series looks at the AFC East.

Buffalo Bills

This could be the sleeper team of the AFC East.  With so much focus on the Patriots this season, people forget that this team made some noise in the off-season.

They acquired, of course, one of the most productive wide receivers in the past few years, in Terrell Owens. 

He signed a one-year contract with the Bills so if he has another productive season, we could see another summer of Owens on the stationary bike and doing his own thing.

One of the things that got forgotten is the terrific draft they had.  They chose a fantastic player in Aaron Maybin, who will make an impact in his rookie year.

With him and Marcus Stroud on the Defensive Line, they will be able to shred through Offensive Lines and get to the quarterback with easy.

One of the big questions of the season however for this team, is the play of Trent Edwards.  We saw him play great in the first few weeks. 

However, in the last few weeks, we saw him injured and once he came back, he was not himself.  He threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and he couldn’t close it out in the end for his team.

They had a shot to make the playoffs, however small that was, but they just could not gain the strength they needed to finish strong. 

Hopefully, with the addition of a great Wide Receiver and a young Defensive End, the Bills might be making some noise in the AFC East.

Miami Dolphins

This was the surprise of the NFL last season.  Going from one of the worst teams in history, this team got it together and made the playoffs last year. 

This amazing comeback was all centered on one thing: The Wildcat.  Yes, every team tried to copy it, but none did it better than the originators.  This innovative offensive allowed for more big play-makers to be threats. 

However, it might not be as effective this season as it was last year simply because now teams will look for it, and maybe even come up with some clever defensives to stop it.

This team loves running the football, and with good reason.  They had one of the more productive Running Backs last season in Ronnie Brown until he went down with an injury.  After that, he wasn’t really the same. 

But if he stays healthy, he could easily be the top rushers this season.  He also has Ricky Williams to back him up so; he won’t be the only one getting time with the ball. 

The Dolphins had a fairly strong draft this off-season as well.  They took Vontae Davis with their first round pick and he could be what they need.  They had the 25^th-best passing defense and it got a lot better with Davis.

They also took Pat White out of West Virginia, which was a good move for them.  He was a scrambler of a Quarterback, so he can run well with the ball. 

He fits perfectly in with the Wildcat because it gives them a second Quarterback threat on the field in that formation.  Don’t be surprised if he throws for a few touchdown passes this season and also runs in a few.

New England Patriots

Well, what is there to talk about with this team besides Tom Brady?  Tom Brady is the heart and soul of this team. 

Without Brady, the team struggled last year and didn’t even make the playoffs.  Now that he is back, the team will spark again and make some noise in the AFC East.

The one person who held the team on offense last year was Randy Moss.  He continued to produce, even with a Quarterback in Matt Cassel who had not started since High School at the helm.  That fact just shows how good of a player Randy Moss is. 

He and Wes Welker brought the play of Cassel up to their level.  If they put up combined over 2,000 receiving yards, it will be interesting to see what will happen when they get a player already on their level back in Brady.

The one spot that has fans asking questions in the past few seasons is the running game.  They have had a sort of middle of the road rushing attack.  They have gone through several different running committees over the past few years. 

This season, there really isn’t a consistent threat.  Sure, they have a few consistent rushers in Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk but nobody that is really ready to step up and take control. 

If they can solve their rushing problem, then they just might have an elite team that look to go far this season.

New York Jets

This is a team that is really a work in progress.  They have a lot of holes to fill from last season and they only have a few of those holes closed. 

One of them is at the Quarterback position.  With the retirement of Brett Favre (and then unretirement, and then retirement and…well you get the idea.), the Jets needed somebody to step up and take the reins of the offensive. 

Enter Mark Sanchez.  They moved up in draft to pick him up, which shows you how excited they were about him.  He’s been named their starter and hopefully is what they needed.

Also one of the holes left is at Wide Receiver.  With Laveranues Coles leaving, it basically only leaves Jerricho Cotchery as a viable threat.  They have other guys sure, but none of them have as much experience as he does.

Chansi Stuckey might have a productive season but he is not the caliber of Cotchery or Coles.  They might look towards signing Marvin Harrison if they want to a good passing game this season.

One of the bright spots on the team is at Running Back.  Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, and their third round pick, Shonn Greene, could be a nice rushing attack by committee. 

All three of these guys have top-notch speed and they could really tear up defenses.  If it worked for the other team in New York, these three might just work together as well.

Overall, this team is still a work in progress but, while they won’t have an amazing season this year, they might be looking good and primed for the playoffs next season.