AFC East: 10 Defining Factors in Race Between Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots
Although only three weeks into the 2010 NFL season, it has already become apparent that the AFC East race will be among the most hard-fought and long-lasting in the league. With some of the league's biggest stars and most robust personalities, the three-team race will likely come down to the individuals vital to each team's success.
In a division that includes Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Rex Ryan, Jason Taylor, and Ricky Williams, it is easy to get caught up in the star power, but make no mistake, this division will be won or lost based on the total contributions of all three teams' 53-man rosters.
10. Strength of Schedule
1 of 10
Although divisional opponents, in large part, have very similar schedules, in a division that is already shaping up to be hyper-competitive, every little advantage could be the difference between a divisional crown and missing the playoffs.
Looking at strength of schedule in terms of last year's performance, the Patriots' opponents amassed a .531 winning percentage, while both the Jets' and Dolphins' opponents recorded .500 winning percentages in 2009.
While this may appear to be a trivial statistic, being the defending division champion means that the Patriots will see both the Colts and Chargers this year, while the Jets have the slightly more manageable task of playing the Broncos and Texans, and the Dolphins have the division's most enviable position of playing the Titans and the Raiders.
In a division that will likely come down to Week 17, every little edge can make a difference.
9. Dustin Keller: Tight End, New York Jets
2 of 10
The chemistry between Sanchez and Keller so far this year has been one of the key factors to the Jets' success. Through the first three games, Keller is averaging 75.3 yards per game and has caught three passes for touchdowns. Considering that those three touchdowns account for half of Sanchez's season total, Keller is obviously going to play a vital role in the Jets' success this season.
Keller is far too athletic to be covered by a linebacker, but his size represents a formidable challenge for any defensive back or safety trying to tackle him on their own.
Since both the Dolphins and Patriots have younger defenses, their ability to contain Keller may be the key to stifling Mark Sanchez and winning the division. Keller has already made his mark in the division, going for 213 yards and three touchdowns in his first two divisional games against the Patriots and the Dolphins, and will look to continue his string of successes as the season progresses.
8. Brandon Marshall: Wide Receiver, Miami Dolphins
3 of 10
The arrival of Brandon Marshall in Miami was likely the division's most newsworthy acquisition. The highly-talented, yet often uncontrollable receiver solidified the Dolphins offense, catapulting them right into the division race.
A receiver like Marshall, when used properly and effectively, can change the outcome of any game on one single play. Marshall has been good through three games, amassing 290 total receiving yards, but has only caught one touchdown pass. If the Dolphins offense is going to develop under the control of young quarterback Chad Henne, the chemistry between Marshall and Henne must rival that of Tom Brady and Randy Moss in New England.
In their Week 3 showdown with the New York Jets, Marshall had his best game of the season, grabbing 10 balls for 160 yards and one touchdown reception. While it was a dominating display for a superstar receiver playing in only his third regular season game with a new quarterback, it was worrisome that the Dolphins' final drive stalled in the red zone when Marshall could not shake the Jets' double coverage.
In a situation where most coaches would have liked to see Henne give Marshall at least one shot at a jump ball in the end zone, he was forced to throw an errant pass towards Anthony Fasano when Marshall could not wriggle free.
If Marshall and Henne cannot develop a relationship in the red zone, then the final drive of the Jets' game could become a microcosm for a season defined by coming up just short.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
7. Wes Welker: Wide Receiver, New England Patriots
4 of 10
Wes Welker's miraculously speedy recovery from his devastating knee injury was the most important development for the New England Patriots this offseason.
Welker's absence in the playoffs last year contributed to the Patriots losing to the Baltimore Ravens in such lopsided fashion. His return and performance will be crucial to their chances of winning the division this year. Without much of a running game, the Patriots consistently rely on short completions to Welker in order to gain small chunks of important yardage as well as keep the clock moving even in passing situations.
The Patriots can and will be as explosive as anyone this season with one of the league's best wide receiving corps, and the addition of two highly-talented tight ends via the draft. Where they often struggle is down the stretch in games when legs get tired and a more conservative approach tends to stall the offense.
In the third and fourth quarter of games, especially those in which the Patriots are leading, Welker will be an absolutely invaluable aspect of the offense as he keeps the clock ticking and the chains moving in situations where the deep ball often is warranted.
6. The Buffalo Bills
5 of 10
While the Buffalo Bills have looked like one of the worst teams in football thus far, the fact is that they will still play a key role in the AFC division race.
The Bills play each opponent twice, meaning that six out of their 16 games will be played against the three divisional contenders. Going zero for six in these games is always a possibility and would seem to be probable at first glance.
However, teams rarely lose every divisional game in a season due in large part to rivalries, injuries, and familiarity. Even if the Bills are only able to capture one divisional victory this season, it would put a remarkable dent in the playoff hopes of their victim. It is easy to look past the Bills, but as the Patriots almost found out in Week 3, this could prove to be a fatal error for any team in the division.
5. The New England Patriots Defense
6 of 10
The New England Patriots have what looks to be an offense with the potential to rival their record-breaking run in the 2007 regular season. Brady, Moss, and Welker are now as comfortable a group as there is in the league.
Throw in Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman, Aaron Hernandez, and Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots have no shortage of offensive firepower. Unfortunately, the Patriots remember too well from the 2007 Super Bowl losing team, that while scoring points in bunches will win a lot of games, the secondary can make or break any season.
Right now, the Patriots' entire defense is a young and developing work in progress. In the first three weeks of the season, they have given up 24, 28, and 30 points respectively. The fact is that unless the defense improves, the Patriots cannot compete with teams like Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Green Bay.
This means that potentially the most vital aspect of the season for the Patriots will be the defense's ability to come up with enough stops and give Brady enough possessions to win the game on offense. With games against the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Green Bay Packers on the regular season schedule, a division crown is simply unattainable without improvement on the defensive side of the ball.
4. LaDainian Tomlinson: Running Back, New York Jets
7 of 10
If the New York Jets are going to win the division this season, they are going to need production from their offense. Although Revis and company represent one of the league's stingiest defenses, the AFC East and the AFC in general are filled with potent offenses that will be able to score on just about anyone.
With the still relatively inexperienced Mark Sanchez at quarterback, the Jets' ability to run the ball could be the deciding factor this season. This is where LT comes in. After a few down years in San Diego, he is playing to extend his career, as well as the Jets' season, for as long as possible.
Last year, the Jets were one of the most effective running teams in the league and took a considerable leap of faith during the offseason when they opted to let Thomas Jones leave in favor of signing LT. So far so good for the Jets offense and Tomlinson, but the question remains whether or not the grind of another NFL season will yet again wear down one of its formerly most potent offensive weapons.
3. Ronnie Brown: Running Back, Miami Dolphins
8 of 10
Of the three teams in the race, the Dolphins were the only team who did not make the playoffs last season.
Although they added Brandon Marshall to an already talented roster, the Dolphins still have the most question marks on their roster. Chad Henne is an inexperienced quarterback, who, although highly successful in college, was not seen as a sure thing in the NFL. He has performed admirably and effectively so far, but consistency issues often plague young quarterbacks, so the running game needs to be a weapon for the Dolphins.
This is where Ronnie Brown comes in.
A running back known equally for great promise and devastating injuries is healthy once more, and finally looking to dominate an entire season. With Henne maturing and the number of receiving options vastly improved from the past few years, this could be a breakout year for Brown, and if either he or backup Ricky Williams truly hits their stride this season, then Miami will be a force to be reckoned with due to the dual running and passing threats that so many teams try to possess.
2. Mark Sanchez: Quarterback, New York Jets
9 of 10
No surprises here with Mark Sanchez being one of the most important players in the division this year.
Sanchez is young and undoubtedly talented, but consistency issues and inexperience have plagued him in the past. If the New York Jets are going to be successful, they need Sanchez to be a quality game manager and produce just enough offense to weapons like Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller to keep defenses from loading the box and smothering the Jets running game.
So far this season, Sanchez looked dismal against the Ravens and exceeded all expectations against the Dolphins and Patriots. How much of all three performances was based on the stingy Ravens defense and those porous defenses in Miami and New England has yet to be seen, but the Jets can ill afford to have Sanchez lapse into Week 1 form whenever a top defense is lined up across from him.
One thing is for sure, and that is that if the Jets' want to knock off the Patriots and claim the division title this season, they will need a consistent effort from Sanchez week in and week out.
1. Bill Belichick: Head Coach, New England Patriots
10 of 10
And the key to this year's AFC East Divisional race is none other than the hooded one, Bill Belichick.
In a division that includes Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Rex Ryan, the most important man is still the three-time Super Bowl winning coach up in New England. Brady, Moss, Ryan, and everyone else left off this list just need to go about business as usual this season and they will have their teams in contention.
The fact is that this season's X-factor will be the division's most successful coach.
Now, this may not sound like much of an X-factor, but with the developmental project facing Belichick this year, even the hardiest of Patriots fans are nervous about the season.
The Patriots have an explosive offense, but a defense with enough issues to keep the lackluster Buffalo Bills in the game until the fourth quarter. The defense is younger and faster than it has been since the Patriots' first title in 2001, but it is rough around the edges and needs to be honed by the master himself.
Belichick is also facing scrutiny for seeming to run every phase of the operations, while former coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel are recapturing their magic down in Kansas City in a way that is leading some in critical circles to question how good Belichick really was at the beginning of the decade.
Make no mistake, Bill Belichick has a brilliant coaching record and has raised the Patriots out of the depths of the NFL standings and into the upper echelon of talent and class, but the fact remains that he is facing a defense that needs coaching more than anything, and he has experienced as much turnover on his staff as any coach this decade.
Bill Belichick has an opportunity to make a young, talented team into a Super Bowl contender, but failure on any level could lead to another first-round exit or even missing the playoffs in the heated AFC East.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")