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Fearless Rick's 2008 NFL Preview - AFC EAST

Rick Gagliano | 8/5/2008

AFC EAST - Predicted order of finish and (predicted record)

New England Patriots (12-4) - After going 16-0 during the 2007 regular season, and 18-1 overall, losing a heart-breaker to the Giants in the Super Bowl, the Patriots have nothing to be ashamed of, but a bit of a drop-off from last season is to be expected.

The Pats still have the most explosive offense in the league, and the Tom Brady to Randy Moss connection can only get better with a year of playing time together under their belts.

Defensively, the Patriots were very solid, but how good do they have to be when the the average scoring output is 36.8 points per game. Well, better is what coach Bill Belichick demands and the draft was full of college players who could have an impact in 2008. The Pats drafted Jerod Mayo, an inside linebacker from Tennessee with their first pick, took outside LB Shawn Crable from Michigan with their 3rd pick and used their 2nd and 5th picks to draft corners Terrence Wheatley from Colorado and Jonathan White from Auburn. They also took Matt Slater, a two-way threat from UCLA and Bo Rudd, OLB from Nebraska, so the emphasis was clearly on the defensive side of the ball.

The only non-defense pick was QB Kevin O'Connell from San Diego State, who will likely be the Patriots' third QB.

Winning the AFC East should prove fairly easy for the Patriots. The next-best team in the division was Buffalo last season, and they finished 7-9.

Buffalo Bills (9-7) - The Bills have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs this season if they can keep themselves injury-free and play as competitively as they did in 2007.

After an 0-3 start in '07, the Bills won 7 of their next 10 and were at 7-6, with a shot at post-season play with three weeks to go, but three tough losses - at Cleveland, to the Giants, and at Philly - ended all hope and dropped them to 7-9.

This year is likely to begin better, and hopefully, end on a higher note. The QB controversy is over and done, as Trent Edwards has secured the starting role from J.P. Losman. Running back Marshaun Lynch proved to be the answer at running back, rushing for 1115 yards in just 13 games as a rookie. The Bills are also loaded with veteran receivers - Josh Reed, Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish and TE Robert Royal - and the O-line proved to be one of the best in the conference last year.

Buffalo's defense needs to improve over the 22.1 points per game in 2007 for the Bills to be competitive. The draft was interesting, with corner Leodis McKelvin from Troy the #1 pick, and DE Chris Ellis of Virginia Tech going in the 3rd round. Both should see plenty of playing time in the Buffalo scheme.

The schedule is a heady one, but the Bills should be able to navigate to a winning record. They open at home against the Seahawks and then play three road games - at Jacksonville, St. Louis and Arizona - plus a week 3 home game vs. the Raiders prior to their bye week. If Buffalo comes through that stretch 2-3 or better, they may be on their way because they should top both Miami and the Jets twice and also have Kansas City, Denver and San Francisco on their slate.

They close out at home against the Patriots, so 9 wins prior to that game is a must. Whether it will be enough to get them into the playoffs is another matter.

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New York Jets (6-10) - UPDATE: Aug. 8, 2008: With Brett Favre signing a contract with the Jets, Chad Pennington was released Thursday, after 8 years with New York. Pennington is rumored to be headed to either Miami or Minnesota, though Kansas City would also seem a good fit.
With Favre now calling signals, Kellen Clemens becomes the backup by default. While the football world is buzzing about new life in New York, Favre alone will not make that much of a difference to the Jets. The receiving corps is the same talent-challenged bunch that was led last season by Jericho Cotchery with 82 catches and 1130 yards. Laveranues Cole was second, with 55 grabs in 12 games.
Lest season, the Packers ran up a 13-3 record and reached the NFC Championship, but the defense was one of the NFL's best and Favre had a full complement of receivers who had played with him for some time, and a solid running game. These Jets simply don't measure up, and it will take time for Favre and the wideouts to get their timing down.

In the end, the entire Favre melodrama seems contrived, now that the future Hall of Famer has landed in the media center of the world. This was not about wanting to play another season and win a championship. The Jets are a far cry from being a playoff contender. This was all about Favre padding his already fat wallet with another big one-year contract and huge endoresement money. Look for Favre's face on TV screens everywhere, and the Jets maybe finishing 8-8. What a fiasco and what a phony Brett Favre is!

The Jets are actually going to have to improve to get 6 wins this season. Another season of Chad Pennington at quarterback (and the 16.8 points per game output in '07) and a defense that allowed 331.9 yards and 22.8 points may land them in the AFC East basement.

A player of interest is the Jets' #1 draft pick Vernon Gholston, a defensive end out of Ohio State. He should start and make an immediate impact as a backfield disrupter.

Other than getting around to a winning record somewhere in the not-too-distant future, the Jets will be remarkable if they win 8 games, though even that seems unlikely.

Miami Dolphins (4-12) - Look, Miami won just once in 2007, so how improved can they be in 2008? Their goal should be to finish in second or third place in the AFC East. Even if they pass by the Jets, it's a big leap from last season. They are still two years away from being a competitive squad, however. Chad Henne, the QB from Michigan drafted in the third round by the Dolphins, will probably be the starter, but rookie QBs traditionally have a long learning curve, and Dolphin QBs were sacked 42 times in '07.

Henne's a solid pocket passer with good discipline. If he's still around after week 6, look for the Dolphins to play better down the stretch and possibly beat the Jets out of last place.

Copyright 2008, 2009, Rick Gagliano, Downtown Magazine. All rights reserved. Downtown Magazine is located in the Uinted States of America and is not affiliated with the National Football League or the NCAA. For more information, contact us here. Use of this site is for entertainment purposes only.

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