Matt's 2009 Season Preview - AFC East

The Countdown continues! THREE DAYS!!

The AFC East.
(In Alphabetical Order)


Buffalo Bills

The biggest question for the Bills is (and honestly has been for the last ten years) the Quarterback position. Will Trent Edwards lead the team, especially now with such a strong personality like T.O. on the team? We have all seen how Owens has helped AND hindered a team in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas – leaving me to wonder what will happen this time.

Speaking of Owens, his good might outweigh the bad. Any fan of the team (or Fantasy Football team owner) knows, Lee Evans is an amazing talent who has not yet been able to break out. Expect that to change this year with Owens on the other side – Defenses will have to double cover one of them.

How will their Defense be? I feel the pass Defense could be strong. The question is the front seven.

Remember that they play in one of the toughest divisions in the game – so unless they get a few breaks, they will go about the same direction as last season.

2008 Record: 7-9
2009 Prediction: 7-9 – 3rd in the Division



Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are one of the hardest to read for me. They have been good and they have been bad; they seemed to find a rhythm last season with the Wildcat Offense and they seemed to find their Defensive stride. But how much of that was smoke? (Pun not intended, Ricky)

Chad Pennington has become the new Trent Dilfer – he will not win you any games, but he is pretty good at not losing them, bu he is not the Quarterback of the future. What about Chad Henne? Is he ready to become an NFL starter? It will be pretty hard for him when their best receiver is Ted Ginn, Jr. Greg Camarillo, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess don’t strike fear into the hearts of anyone. Their strength will come in their run game; if Ronnie Brown and Rickie Williams can be a decent two-headed monster, they will really help this team – but can they?

Just like every other team in this Division, the Defense better be solid, and the Dolphins’ is pretty good. Their base 3-4 is a pretty stout one, with Kendall Langford (6-6, 295lbs) and former first round pick Phillip Merling (6-4, 295lbs) at Defensive End and 310 pound Jason Ferguson at Nose Tackle, they have a solid front. But the strength is what is behind them: Joey Porter, Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele, Jason Taylor, will Allen, Yeremiah Bell, Gibril Wilson and Eric Green might make up one of the most consistent back 8 in the AFC (if not the league.

Here is the problem: the Wildcat was cute last year, but will it work this year? They surprised people with their direct snaps and Running Back passes. But will they keep them off balance when they line up against those same teams now? And with their schedule…they have quite a hill to climb.

2008 Record: 11-5
2009 Prediction: 7-9 – 2nd in the Division



New England Patriots

How frightening are the Patriots? I have gone on record (repeatedly) about how I dislike the Pats and Red Sox…this doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate their work.

If the Pats went 11-5 last season WITHOUT Tom Brady, what can they do now?

Speaking of Brady, did you know he was probable for this week’s game?

There is something nice about a professional team that can create a system that churns out good players – when they are through with you, they let you go, and then they go out and win. Just ask Richard Seymour ho was just traded to the Raiders for this year’s 1st-round pick.

I don’t think there needs to be much more then this said: they are still very good, but most of the team (which was old last year) is still on the team. They have lost a lot on the Defensive side and don’t have a backup QB that is worthy of even being mentioned. They truly might be an injury away from the season being over (for real this year). They will not get a lot of stops on Defense, however their Offense should make up for that.

2008 Record: 11-5
2009 Prediction: 10-6 – 1st in the Division.



New York Jets

And then there are the New York Sanchez’s.

I like Rex Ryan and I like what he can do with a Defense – but it will be a miracle if he can do it this year.

They will fall off this year with a rookie QB under the helm.

2008 Record: 9-7
2009 Prediction: 5-11 – 4th in the Division