Post by Badacidtrip on Jul 30, 2009 12:36:04 GMT -5
This is part 1 of a 8 part series where i will break down each team on why they did what they did last year & what to expect this year. Starting with the AFC East;
**Defending Division Champ**
Miami Dolphins (11-5)
Offense; PTS 21st / Yards 12th / Pass Yds 10th / Rush Yds 11th
Defense; PTS 9th / Yards 15th / Pass Yds 25th / Rush Yds 10th
The most obvious stat with the Dolphins last year was the unheard of turn around of their previous season in which they went 1-15 to 11-5. I think everyone will agree this largely due to the play of QB Chad Pennington. Everyone loves to point out the "wildcat" when they speak about Miami's offense last year but in truth, Chad was the piece that made that offense move. Finishing in 2nd place with a 97.4 QB rating behind only Philip Rivers(QB) of the SD Chargers, they made that turn around because of him. Their defense finished 15th in YPG which isn't much to look at but remember their defense really started to come together mid-way through the season & ended with a very strong 9th ranked defense in Points allowed.
This year however, they face a much harder division so i don't expect to see the same results. Talent wise i cant see them going toe to toe with New England or Buffalo this year but i don't expect another 1-15 season. Unfortunately i see them finishing 3rd in their division due to the simple fact they didn't improve as much as their division rivals. If Chad can put up another stellar season they may prove me wrong but the odds aren't in their favor...
New England Patriots (11-5)
Offense; PTS 8th / Yards 5th / Pass Yds 12th / Rush Yds 6th
Defense; PTS 8th / Yards 10th / Pass Yds 11th / Rush Yds 15th
You cant talk about the Patriots without mentioning Tom Brady(QB). While Matt Cassel(QB) did a very good job filling in for the future hall of famer, you just cant replace a player like that. With Brady last year there's no doubt they make the playoffs & possibly go to the Super bowl. If you look at this team last year they basically had no weakness, unless you want to count their 15th ranked rush defense as a weakness. They do everything well which makes them hard to break down.
Instead of looking back with the Patriots I'm going to look forward, this year. With Brady back they control this division once again. They have all the tools in place to make another Super bowl run & Brady is poised to grab another MVP trophy in my mind (maybe even a comeback player of the year award?). Regardless its hard to pick against the Patriots when all they do is win. That's why I'm picking them to regain their throne as AFC East champs.
New York Jets (9-7)
Offense; PTS 9th / Yards 16th / Pass Yds 16th / Rush Yds 9th
Defense; PTS 18th / Yards 16th / Pass Yds 29th / Rush Yds 7th
Last year was a disaster for the Jets..They started the season 8-4 and looked poised for a playoff run..Then they lost 3 out of their last 4 games starting with the 49ers in SF & ending with the Dolphins @ home. With Brett Favre(QB) at the helm many picked NY as a wild card team and believed they could push deep into the playoffs with one of the best generals to ever play the game. Though the blame doesn't fall all on Favre's shoulders. The defense has to be the first place you look as to why this team failed down the stretch.
This year the jets place their hopes with new head coach Rex Ryan who brought with him Bart Scott(ILB) from Baltimore. With the addition of Lito Sheppard at Corner this defense may turn the corner. Vernon Gholston(OLB) will be key if Rex wants this defense to make plays. In his rookie season Vernon added a Meir 13 tackles to his resume. But their is hope for this young pass rusher as it usually takes 2-3 years for them to adjust to the NFL. Case & point would be Mario Williams(DE) from the Houston Texans who many thought was a bust after his rookie year. One of the hardest positions to learn in the pro's has to be the edge pass rusher. Whether it be the DE in a 4-3 or a OLB in a 3-4 its something that takes time to master. The big story in NY this year is the 1st round rookie Mark Sanchez(QB) who the Jets traded up in the draft to obtain. It remains to be seen whether he'll play this year or not but they may have found their future star. Though it wont help them this year, very rarely do rookie QB's elevate a NFL team. I see some dark waters ahead this year but there is defiantly light at the end of this tunnel. I don't see the Jets making a playoff push this year & i don't think they can compete with the other teams in the division so I'm placing them last in the AFC East.
Buffalo Bills (7-9)
Offense; PTS 23rd / Yards 25th / Pass Yds 22nd / Rush Yds 14th
Defense; PTS 14th / Yards 14th / Pass Yds 13th / Rush Yds 22nd
The Buffalo Bills are a curious team. Last year they started fast going 4-0 before having the roof fall down on them. The defense has played well in Buffalo for a number of years, its been the offense that cant catch up in recent memory. Last year Trent Edwards(QB) emerged as the clear starter for this football team, leaving JP Losman(QB) out in the cold. But Edwards kept getting injured throughout the year. First it was his head, then his ankle, then his groin...so on and so on...The poor guy couldn't get a break. With Losman in the huddle the offense went no where fast. Eventually leading to the poor finish and last place for the Bills.
Enter 2009, with the addition of Aaron Maybin(DE) & Terrell Owens(WR) both sides of the ball are immediately upgraded, the offense in particular. Lee Evans(WR) will no doubt post career numbers playing opposite TO in what could be a top 10 passing offense. But its not all good up there in Buffalo, the front office made a huge mistake trading away all-pro Jason Peters(LT) to the Eagles. The WR core is no doubt strong in Buffalo and the QB is smart and accurate but without an offensive line you wont get much production from either. I have three huge question marks for Buffalo this season which will make or break this team. Will Edwards make it through the season? Will the offensive line be good enough to allow Edwards the time he needs? & What is going to happen with Marshawn Lynch(HB). If these three things pan out, this offense is scary. I'm going out on a limb and I'm going to say they finish 2nd in this division & they will grab a wild card spot. The talent is there on both sides of the ball, its only a matter of putting it all together.
**Defending Division Champ**
Miami Dolphins (11-5)
Offense; PTS 21st / Yards 12th / Pass Yds 10th / Rush Yds 11th
Defense; PTS 9th / Yards 15th / Pass Yds 25th / Rush Yds 10th
The most obvious stat with the Dolphins last year was the unheard of turn around of their previous season in which they went 1-15 to 11-5. I think everyone will agree this largely due to the play of QB Chad Pennington. Everyone loves to point out the "wildcat" when they speak about Miami's offense last year but in truth, Chad was the piece that made that offense move. Finishing in 2nd place with a 97.4 QB rating behind only Philip Rivers(QB) of the SD Chargers, they made that turn around because of him. Their defense finished 15th in YPG which isn't much to look at but remember their defense really started to come together mid-way through the season & ended with a very strong 9th ranked defense in Points allowed.
This year however, they face a much harder division so i don't expect to see the same results. Talent wise i cant see them going toe to toe with New England or Buffalo this year but i don't expect another 1-15 season. Unfortunately i see them finishing 3rd in their division due to the simple fact they didn't improve as much as their division rivals. If Chad can put up another stellar season they may prove me wrong but the odds aren't in their favor...
New England Patriots (11-5)
Offense; PTS 8th / Yards 5th / Pass Yds 12th / Rush Yds 6th
Defense; PTS 8th / Yards 10th / Pass Yds 11th / Rush Yds 15th
You cant talk about the Patriots without mentioning Tom Brady(QB). While Matt Cassel(QB) did a very good job filling in for the future hall of famer, you just cant replace a player like that. With Brady last year there's no doubt they make the playoffs & possibly go to the Super bowl. If you look at this team last year they basically had no weakness, unless you want to count their 15th ranked rush defense as a weakness. They do everything well which makes them hard to break down.
Instead of looking back with the Patriots I'm going to look forward, this year. With Brady back they control this division once again. They have all the tools in place to make another Super bowl run & Brady is poised to grab another MVP trophy in my mind (maybe even a comeback player of the year award?). Regardless its hard to pick against the Patriots when all they do is win. That's why I'm picking them to regain their throne as AFC East champs.
New York Jets (9-7)
Offense; PTS 9th / Yards 16th / Pass Yds 16th / Rush Yds 9th
Defense; PTS 18th / Yards 16th / Pass Yds 29th / Rush Yds 7th
Last year was a disaster for the Jets..They started the season 8-4 and looked poised for a playoff run..Then they lost 3 out of their last 4 games starting with the 49ers in SF & ending with the Dolphins @ home. With Brett Favre(QB) at the helm many picked NY as a wild card team and believed they could push deep into the playoffs with one of the best generals to ever play the game. Though the blame doesn't fall all on Favre's shoulders. The defense has to be the first place you look as to why this team failed down the stretch.
This year the jets place their hopes with new head coach Rex Ryan who brought with him Bart Scott(ILB) from Baltimore. With the addition of Lito Sheppard at Corner this defense may turn the corner. Vernon Gholston(OLB) will be key if Rex wants this defense to make plays. In his rookie season Vernon added a Meir 13 tackles to his resume. But their is hope for this young pass rusher as it usually takes 2-3 years for them to adjust to the NFL. Case & point would be Mario Williams(DE) from the Houston Texans who many thought was a bust after his rookie year. One of the hardest positions to learn in the pro's has to be the edge pass rusher. Whether it be the DE in a 4-3 or a OLB in a 3-4 its something that takes time to master. The big story in NY this year is the 1st round rookie Mark Sanchez(QB) who the Jets traded up in the draft to obtain. It remains to be seen whether he'll play this year or not but they may have found their future star. Though it wont help them this year, very rarely do rookie QB's elevate a NFL team. I see some dark waters ahead this year but there is defiantly light at the end of this tunnel. I don't see the Jets making a playoff push this year & i don't think they can compete with the other teams in the division so I'm placing them last in the AFC East.
Buffalo Bills (7-9)
Offense; PTS 23rd / Yards 25th / Pass Yds 22nd / Rush Yds 14th
Defense; PTS 14th / Yards 14th / Pass Yds 13th / Rush Yds 22nd
The Buffalo Bills are a curious team. Last year they started fast going 4-0 before having the roof fall down on them. The defense has played well in Buffalo for a number of years, its been the offense that cant catch up in recent memory. Last year Trent Edwards(QB) emerged as the clear starter for this football team, leaving JP Losman(QB) out in the cold. But Edwards kept getting injured throughout the year. First it was his head, then his ankle, then his groin...so on and so on...The poor guy couldn't get a break. With Losman in the huddle the offense went no where fast. Eventually leading to the poor finish and last place for the Bills.
Enter 2009, with the addition of Aaron Maybin(DE) & Terrell Owens(WR) both sides of the ball are immediately upgraded, the offense in particular. Lee Evans(WR) will no doubt post career numbers playing opposite TO in what could be a top 10 passing offense. But its not all good up there in Buffalo, the front office made a huge mistake trading away all-pro Jason Peters(LT) to the Eagles. The WR core is no doubt strong in Buffalo and the QB is smart and accurate but without an offensive line you wont get much production from either. I have three huge question marks for Buffalo this season which will make or break this team. Will Edwards make it through the season? Will the offensive line be good enough to allow Edwards the time he needs? & What is going to happen with Marshawn Lynch(HB). If these three things pan out, this offense is scary. I'm going out on a limb and I'm going to say they finish 2nd in this division & they will grab a wild card spot. The talent is there on both sides of the ball, its only a matter of putting it all together.