AFC East Preview

Since the turn of the millennium the New England Patriots have won 10 out of 13 AFC East titles. The Patriots are the team to beat and have dominated the division as well as the NFL in the early 2000's when they won three Super Bowls in four years; 2001, 2003 and 2004. In 2012 New England broke a tie with the Dolphins for most division titles; The Patriots have won 15 division titles to Miami's 14 with the Bills on ten and the Jets on four.

To decide which team is the greatest threat to New England's throne in the AFC East is tough and we will preview all four teams by taking a look at the Patriots' chances along with how the Jets, Bills and Dolphins will do to see if anyone can topple them:


Buffalo Bills

When you think about unlucky sports teams look no further than the Buffalo Bills. The team lost 4 Super Bowls in a row in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993. To add further salt to their wounds the team currently has the longest playoff drought in the league as they have not appeared in the postseason since 1999. The doom and gloom has continued as the Bills also have the longest active streak of losing seasons as they have not finished .500 or better since 2004.

CJ Spiller is one of the Bills top talents

So how will the Bills perform in 2013? It is their first season under new head coach Doug Marrone and the Bills will start the new season with first round draft pick E.J. Manuel as the teams quarterback so to be honest their 2013 season will be based around his production. C.J. Spiller, Marquise Goodwin and T.J. Graham are all talented players on the Buffalo offense but it is going to be hard to have a successful season especially when their defense is getting a makeover as well.

Doug Marrone will entertain the fans with a fast run offense and their unpredictability may help them throughout the season but it is hard to see this team progressing further than 6-10 record wise. The Bills' main aim will be to keep Jarius Byrd on their roster as the pro bowl safety is being linked with a host of teams including divisional rivals the New England Patriots. Kyle Williams is probably the key player on the Buffalo defense as he has the versatility to play nose tackle and defensive tackle. On offense C.J. Spiller has the ability to win them close games but the question is how many of their games will be close enough for someone to step up and put W's in their column. 2013 is hard to predict for this franchise but their best hope will be to see a productive year out of E.J. Manuel and ensure they don't finish bottom of the AFC East for a 6th successive season.

Season prediction: 5-11. 4th in AFC East.


Miami Dolphins:

Head coach Joe Philbin was hired to in an attempt to revitalize the Dolphins and hopefully end a run of three consecutive losing seasons. Despite Dan Marino's best attempts Miami missed out on the signing of future hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning so instead turned to the draft where they picked up former Texas A&M man Ryan Tannehill has the 8th overall pick. Tannehill had a productive 2012 as he helped the Dolphins finish 2nd in the AFC East with a 7-9 and went on to set franchise rookie records for passing yards, attempts, and completions.

Will Tannehill & the Dolphins progress in 2013?

Tannehill was hurt by the team's poor offensive line with the rookie throwing 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions; it is natural to assume he will progress in 2013 but O-line issues are hard to ignore. Nevertheless the Dolphins were the biggest spenders in the 2013 off-season and regardless of some weaknesses they have improved their team on both sides of the ball although usually the big spenders don't perform too well once it actually comes to game time. Brian Hartline signed a new deal with Miami after coming of his best career season whilst the Dolphins added an explosive weapon to their offense when they signed former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Mike Wallace. Despite his talents Wallace will need time to make an impact as this team gels together and the same can be said for the defense as despite some very good acquisitions such as linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Phillip Wheeler they will need time to adjust and grow as a unit. Cornerback Brent Grimes was also a good signing for the Dolphins who joined on a one year contract.

So in 2013 the Dolphins have a chance to end their losing season woes but it will come down to if they can come out victorious in the close games a 2012 saw them lose narrowly against the Cardinals, Jets, Bills and Colts. If they can improve on their divisional matchups they would like to think they have a shot at being a wildcard team but record wise I personally feel they are set to finish at 8-8 and 2nd in the AFC East for the second year running.

Season prediction: 8-8. 2nd in AFC East.


New England Patriots

Tom Brady heads in to 2013 season without key members of a prolific offense from last year which broke the record for first downs in a season with 444 and finished third all-time in scoring, 557 points, just behind the 2011 Green Bay Packers and their own 2007 record setting season. Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Danny Woodhead and Brandon Lloyd have all departed while Rob Gronkowski underwent a 3rd and 4th forearm surgery this off-season as well as back surgery so his return to the field could take up until week 6 and he looks doubtful for the season opener against the Bills tomorrow.

Can Brady and Belichick guide the Pats to their 4th ring?

The Patriots offense now features many new additions with most of them being rookies but preseason alone showed that Brady seems to be making it work with the likes of Kenbrell Thompkins, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Zach Sudfeld. 2nd round pick Dobson has lots of potential are notably during his senior season at college he did no record a single drop from the 92 times he was targeted. Josh Boyce and Thompkins put up impressive numbers during preseason so they could be valuable assets whilst undrafted rookie Zach Sudfield who stands at 6'7 has the ability to be a Gronk 2.0. Speaking of 2.0's Danny Amendola was signed in favour of retaining Wes Welker's services and the Patriots will be hoping for similar results out of Amendola with both resilient along with being quick and mobile. Amendola is also a fellow Texas Tech product and after building up a good rapport with Tom Brady it is safe to say he should fit in to the Patriots' offensive system quickly. Brady has a knack for bringing the best out of his receivers which is a skill not many quarterbacks have and if he manages to produce great results out of this unknown group and win a 4th Super Bowl ring too he may certainly cement his place as the greatest QB to ever play the game. This is backed up by the fact that he holds the league record for most touchdown passes in the regular season with 50, has the most playoff wins in NFL history with 17, has the third highest career passer rating of all-time (96.6) and after breaking Joe Montana's playoff wins record also became the first NFL quarterback in history to guide his team to 10 divisional titles; With Joe Montana he's one of only two quarterbacks in history to win the regular season MVP and Super Bowl MVP as well as being one of only two QB's to lead their teams to 5 Super Bowls (3 wins) along with John Elway.

When you take the fact that this offense is led by head coach Bill Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady even when you throw an unknown group of players in with them if anything it is scarier for their opponents as without the players who departed they won't know what to expect which is what still makes the Patriots a genuine Super Bowl contender. Their running game is dangerous and will improve whereas New England's defense doesn't get enough credit for the fact that they have finished in the top 10 in points allowed for six of the past seven years. After drafting the likes of linebacker Jamie Collins in the second round from the 2013 draft and adding him to a young talented group of players that include the likes of Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower as well as defensive leaders Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes this could be one of the Patriots' most talented defensive groups in years. With Aqib Talib signing a new contract he will be a real asset in the secondary and help this underrated defense improve in an area where they have been pretty vulnerable for the past two seasons. MetLife stadium is the aim for many teams for the 2013 season but when you assess the New England Patriots it is clear to see that they are one of the frontrunners to represent the AFC at Super Bowl and clinch a fifth consecutive AFC East title.

Season prediction: 12-4. 1st in AFC East.


New York Jets

Despite a defense that ranked 8th overall in the league the New York Jets failed considerably on offense and fell from an 8-8 team in 2011 to 6-10 in 2012. Their 281 points scored was the third worst total in the league ranking them 30th and despite not improving adding any real game changers to the offense they did draft Geno Smith who entered the 2013 draft out of West Virginia hoping to go in the first round before falling to the Jets in 2nd. With a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove Smith will want to hold on to the starting job that he has gained after Mark Sanchez got hurt during preseason. For many Jets fans they would consider this a blessing in disguise, something Tim Tebow wasn't fortunate enough to receive, as now Smith will lead the team in their week one opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Although Rex Ryan may not be the best head coach he is a good defensive coordinator so the Jets know they can rely on good defense especially when Ryan can be more aggressive with his play-calling considering that their offense is usually so abysmal. Smith has nothing to lose as he takes over a low scoring offense which was being led by a guy who will probably be remembered for the 'butt fumble' wherever he goes for the rest of his life.

But that was in the past and Jets followers will feel their defense gives them a chance in 2013 which it does providing the likes of Quiton Coples, DeMario Davis and Sheldon Richardson step up to the plate. Everyone on that side of the ball must come up big especially after Darelle Revis left for Tampa Bay. Unfortunately for the Jets there isn't too much you can say without sounding harsh so to finish I shall say that providing Geno Smith stays on the field who knows what could happen but realistically Rex Ryan will need an 8-8 season to hold on to his job and that is what they'll achieve at best but in all honesty after owner Woody Johnson sacked their former general manager Mike Tannenbaum after the 2012 campaign he should have done the same to Ryan because only when you start from absolute scratch can you hope to rebuild towards a better future.

FUMBLE!

Season prediction: 6-10. 3rd in AFC East.

NFL Week 10.

Week 10 of the NFL saw some teams get back in to the playoff hunt with big wins and certain games brought us unexpected upsets. In this review we look at three divisional matchups from the NFC South, NFC East and the AFC East as well as Sunday nights big game between two 7-1 teams who were looking to stamp their authority on their respective conferences.

Atlanta Falcons (8-1-0) 27-31 New Orleans Saints (4-5-0)

Drew Brees was instrumental in ending the Falcons unbeaten run

Despite being 8-0 going in to this game the Atlanta Falcons had come under criticism from many. They’ve been branded as over achieving and losing a big divisional game did little to silence those doubters.

Luckily for the Falcons this loss did little in harming their season as they still comfortable at the top of the NFC South but the win for the Saints gives them hope of making the post-season despite a difficult schedule ahead for Drew Brees and co.

It is Atlanta’s schedule that fuelled the fire for criticism around the league as the Denver Broncos were the only team that they’ve played and beaten who have a winning record this season. Despite that this is the NFL and as we know on any given Sunday anything can happen so this Falcons team is due credit.

Although saying that this Sunday presented them with an opportunity to quiet the smack talk but it turned out that two stops by the New Orleans defense in the final few minutes of Sunday’s game would give the Saints the 31-27 win and shock the previously unbeaten Falcons.

Down by 4 Matt Ryan led Atlanta down the field and on to the New Orleans 1 yard line with 2 minutes to play however over the next four plays they the Saints managed to stay clutch on defense and hold out which enabled them to run the rest of the clock out and savour a sweet win in front of their home fans at the Superdome.

The game was an exciting one as well as tense with Saints quarterback Drew Brees completing 21 of 32 passing attempts for 298 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. New Orleans have now won two in a row as they moved to 4-5 ahead of a week 11 game on the road against the Raiders as they look to tie their record up at 5 wins and 5 losses.

A win for the Saints next week would get them back in the playoff hunt especially as the Falcons face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week in another NFC South divisional battle. Drew Brees has carried this team in what has been a difficult season for all those involved with the franchise but there could be light at the end of the tunnel with a shot at the playoffs now a slight possibility.

As for the Falcons well they go back to the drawing board after their hopes of a perfect season were ended at the halfway stage. Matty ice was still efficient at quarterback on Sunday night as he threw for 411 yards by completing 34/52 attempts which included three passing touchdowns and an interception.

The Falcons will go back to the drawing board and look to clear up the few mistakes they made in this loss as they know they are going to the playoffs. The one thorn in their side is the fact that they haven’t won a playoff game in so long but with so much time to focus on the post-season head coach Mike Smith will make the most of this opportunity and look to prove the Falcons’ doubters wrong.

Houston Texans (8-1-0) 13-6 Chicago Bears (7-2-0)

J.J. Watt was key for Houston on defense as always in the teams narrow win.

The most anticipated game from week 10 saw two of the best sides from either conference lock horns at Soldier Field in Chicago with the home towns Bears facing off against the Houston Texans.

With both teams possessing talented defenses this game turned out to be one massive defensive slugfest in which Texan’s quarterback Matt Schaub threw the game’s lone touchdown to Arian Foster which helped Houston prevail 13-6.

Running back Foster had 102 yard rushing yards on 29 carries and added 15 yards on five receptions including his score. With the win it was the Texans who moved on to 8-1 on the season and they tied a franchise record by winning their fourth consecutive road game.

Chicago was not helped by the fact that quarterback Jay Cutler left the game at halftime after suffering a concussion which meant backup Jason Campbell stepped in but didn’t step up to the challenge.

When he stepped in to the game the Bears were down 10-3 at the half and a late third quarter field goal by Robbie Gould took Chicago to within 4 points going in to the fourth but it wasn’t to be for Chicago.

They will now look to bounce back from this defeat when they take on the 49ers in a huge NFC clash in what looks set to be the battle of the backup quarterbacks as San Francisco’s Alex Smith also suffered an injury this week.

With Shayne Graham’s 42 yard field goal with just under 5 minutes left in this on going through the posts the Texans went on to post the 7 point victory as they look to push on and try to claim the number one seed in the AFC for the playoffs.

It’ll be tough for Houston as the Colts are still sniffing around behind them in their division and they also have to take on AFC rivals the New England Patriots but after regaining some of their early season momentum following a defeat to the Green Bay Packers the Texans will be hopeful of ending the regular season on a high note.

Buffalo Bills (3-6-0) 31-37 New England Patriots (6-3-0)

Tom Brady was efficient as always as the Patriots held off the Bills.

Tom Brady moved to 20-2 against the Bills in his career and helped the Patriots go 6-3 on the season but Buffalo almost pulled off an upset in what turned out to be a very close encounter at Gillette Stadium.

It was Devin McCourty’s interception of Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in the end zone which prevented a late New England collapse as the Patriots held on to win 37-31.

Tom Brady was efficient on the day as he completed 23/38 passing attempts for 237 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Steven Ridley and Danny Woodhead chipped in with a score each and along with Shane Vereen the three combined for 118 rushing yards on the day.

The Patriots were explosive at times and were playing along to their normal tune as they led the Bills by 7 at halftime. They appeared to be heading in to the break with a two possession lead following Brady’s 2 yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski but Buffalo hit back when Fitzpatrick threw a touchdown to Scott Chandler with 31 seconds left keeping it tight.

A short four play drive saw Brady find Danny Woodhead on an 18 yard touchdown pass midway through the third. At that point you thought the Patriots would break away but Fred Jackson ran in to the end zone just before the end of the quarter to again cut it to a seven point gap.

Then a Gostkowski field goal gave New England a 10 point lead early in the fourth but when Donald Jones hauled in a Fitzpatrick pass for a touchdown only a field goal separated the teams. With the Patriots failing to get a touchdown they had to settle for another field goal with 2.06 left in the game which put them up by 6.

This gave the Bills the opportunity they craved but after head coach Chan Gailey saying all week that his team could finish the game it turned out that the moment was too much for the Bills as they just came up short following the late pick by the Patriots defense.

Buffalo’s season is pretty much over in regards to a wildcard spot in the playoffs but they have another AFC East rival to play in week 11 when they take on the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night football.

As for New England well they are now two games clear at the top of the AFC East as Bill Belichick’s men prepare for another home game with this one being against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. 

The Colts are also at 6-3 and in the playoff hunt; they offer the Patriots a different challenge so this week 11 match up will be interesting. Indianapolis have had improved fortunes in 2012 thanks to their rookie quarterback and with the rivalry between the two teams moving on to a different chapter it is something to look forward to as Tom Brady takes on a new opponent in what is being anticipated as a possible classic with New England taking on one of their fiercest AFC rivals.

Dallas Cowboys (4-5-0) 38-23 Philadelphia Eagles (3-6-0)

Tony Romo consoles his opposite number after saving Dallas' season.

Both teams have had “must win” games for weeks now but this was really a must win game for both as two under fire quarterbacks looked to try and save their teams season.

With the Giants losing earlier in the day it gave both the added incentive, if that was needed, to go out and get the win which would put them firmly back in the hunt to try to dethrone their NFC East rivals at the top of the division.

Well Eagles quarterback Michael Vick left the game in the second quarter with a concussion so any hopes of him turning in to a messiah of sorts in front of the team’s home fans went down the drain. Instead Nick Foles stepped in at quarterback and did his best as the rookie completed 22 of 32 passing attempts for 219 yards and a touchdown. 

Foles performance proved that anyone calling for him to start in week’s gone bye may have been right as he looked good but unfortunately he lost a fumble that was recovered by the Cowboys in the end zone which ultimately proved costly.

It turned out that Tony Romo and co have now appeared to have saved their season. Romo was an efficient 19 of 26 through the air for 209 and two scores while Felix Jones amassed 93 yards from scrimmage and caught a touchdown pass in the victory.

Dallas was effective all over the field, especially in the fourth quarter where they racked up 21 points to give them the win. Going in to the final quarter the teams were tied at 17 but a 78 yard touchdown punt return by Dwayne Harris early on put them up 24-17.

Brandon Carr then returned an interception in to the end zone for 47 yards and the previously mentioned fumble in the end zone was the final score which gave them the convincing road victory.

The Cowboys will take go back to Texas to host the 2-7 Cleveland Browns in what on paper looks like a game that they should win. Following that they will play then play the Redskins on thanksgiving in week 12 and if they win both of these games to move to 6-5 it will put pressure on the Giants who host Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers that week with defeat for them leaving them and Dallas tied at the top of the NFC East with five games to go.

As for the Eagles well they have now lost five straight games for the first time in Andy Reid’s 14 year tenure as head coach which puts him under extreme pressure. They are tied for last in the division and will take on rivals the Washington Redskins in week 11 at FedEx Field.

Round-up of other week 10 games:

Indianapolis Colts (6-3-0) 27-10 Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8-0) – The Colts got their revenge for an early season defeat to the Jags by winning this one by 17 and continue this fairy-tale story by giving them a genuine shot at the playoffs.

Oakland Raiders (3-6-0) 20-55 Baltimore Ravens (7-2-0) – In a game which saw these teams rack up 75 points between them it was Baltimore who won it in a blowout by 35 to keep them above the Steelers in the AFC North ahead of the two teams’ match up in week 11.

Denver Broncos (6-3-0) 36-14 Carolina Panthers (2-7-0) – Experience prevailed in this one as Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos put in an efficient second half performance to get this win on the road.

New York Giants (6-4-0) 13-31 Cincinnati Bengals (4-5-0) – In what was the shock of the week the Bengals completely outplayed the Giants and beat them by 18. New York has suffered a mini collapse with two defeats in a row ahead of a big game against the Packers.

Tennessee Titans (4-6-0) 37-3 Miami Dolphins (4-5-0) – Ryan Tannehill threw 3 picks as the Dolphins looked to try and bounce back in search of a shot at a AFC wildcard spot but it wasn’t to be as the Titans seemed to take out their 2012 frustrations on Miami in this one.

Detroit Lions (4-5-0) 24-34 Minnesota Vikings (6-4-0) – This 2012 Lions team has the talent but you just don’t know what side is going to show up this week and unfortunately for them it wasn’t the good one this week as they fell to the Vikings in a 10 point defeat leaving them bottom of the NFC North.

San Diego Chargers (4-5-0) 24-34 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-4-0) – This win for Tampa Bay keeps them within a realistic shot of the NFC wildcard spot if they can keep up this form meanwhile the Chargers need to beat the Broncos in week 11 or their season is all but over.

New York Jets (3-6-0) 7-28 Seattle Seahawks (6-4-0) – The headache going around the Jets franchise has mutated in to a migraine following another defeat leaving them tied for last in the AFC East but for Seattle it was another good home win and another good overall football performance by them.

St. Louis Rams (3-5-1) 24-24 San Francisco (6-2-1) – The NFL got its first tie since November 2008 this week as nothing could separate the two NFC South rivals with it ending in a stalemate.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-8-0) 13-16 Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3-0) – Despite the Steelers coming out with the win in overtime and moving to 6-3 Big Ben went down with a shoulder injury and will miss the teams big week 11 AFC North divisional game against the Ravens.