2009 NFL Season Preview: AFC East
The AFC East was arguably the conference’s best-overall division in 2008, with 3 of 4 teams posting winning records and the Bills only faltering down the stretch. What’s the outlook for 2009?
Buffalo Bills (predicted: 7-9, 2008: 7-9)
Yeah, sorry Buffalo fans… it should be increasingly obvious that signing Terrell Owens was nothing more than a publicity stunt to sell some jerseys. While you can’t read too much into the preseason, Buffalo’s new no-huddle offense stinks, for lack of a better word. The Bills are just going to have to deal with a showboating wide receiver who can’t put up the numbers to match his gawdy rhetoric while spending yet another season in mediocrity.
Key Question: When will TOtal destruction bring down the Bills and (finally) Dick Jauron?
Player to Watch: CB Leodis McKelvin. Showed promise as a return man. If he can bring his coverage game to the same level, the Bills might be on to something.
Miami Dolphins (predicted: 8-8, 2008: 11-5)
Expect a fall back to earth for last season’s division winners. The Dolphins somehow managed to get by on a ball-control, run-first offense that predictably sputtered in the playoffs against a team that did it better (Baltimore). Now that the rest of the league has adopted the Wildcat, the novelty plays that allowed the Dolphins to crush New England in their first meeting in 2008 will be used against them, and probably just as effectively. Pair that with the league’s most difficult schedule and you’ve got a perfect formula for scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Key Question: Can the defense play at their 2008 level?
Player to Watch: DE Cameron Wake. CFL sack machine rewarded with the largest-ever contract to a CFL player.
New York Jets (predicted: 7-9, 2008: 9-7)
Rex Ryan is trying to build the Jets into the Ravens by copying the success of his former head coach John Harbaugh. Last year the Ravens relied on their defensive stars to smother the opposing offense and allow rookie Joe Flacco the opportunity to manage the game. Ryan hopes to do the same in New York with rookie Mark Sanchez and a host of ex-Ravens, most notably inner linebacker Bart Scott. The only problem is that the Jets aren’t the Ravens, unless Ryan can somehow coax Vernon Gholston out of post-draft obscurity and turn him into the next Terrell Suggs (or even better, DeMarcus Ware). Unlikely.
Key Question: How long with Mark Sanchez remain the starter?
Player to Watch: S Jim Leonhard. Often overlooked for his lack of height, Leonhard was a standout as a starter in 2008 with the Ravens.
New England Patriots (predicted: 13-3, 2008: 11-5)
Naturally, New England’s success is pinned on Tom Brady’s knee. Provided he can stay healthy, the Patriots should manage just fine even with a difficult schedule. The offseason departures of such liabilities as Rodney Harrison, Ellis Hobbs, and the imminent release of Teddy Bruschi, the chapter closes on the Super Bowl-winning Belichick defenses. Responsibility for the Patriots’ success will be solely on Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker (ignore the moronic praise of the depth of the New England backfield. The day Fred Taylor actually becomes a factor is the day Brett Favre retires for good).
Key Question: Will the defense return to form in 2009 after a very down year, or will the offense have to cover for them again?
Player to Watch: LB Gary Guyton. Teddy Bruschi’s heir apparent is the next phase in the rebuilding of the heart of a Bill Belichick defense.
Stay tuned for the rest of the league. Up next: the AFC North.
Technorati Tags: NFL, football, AFC East, Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills, Dick Jauron, Leodis McKelvin, Miami Dolphins, Chad Pennington, wildcat offense, Bill Parcells, Cameron Wake, New York Jets, Brett Favre, Rex Ryan, Eric Mangini, John Harbaugh, Vernon Gholston, draft bust, Terrell Suggs, DeMarcus Ware, Mark Sanchez, Jim Leonhard, New England Patriots, Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Bill Belichick, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Fred Taylor, Gary Guyton
