It’s almost not fair, playing in the AFC East these days. At most, the best and toughest division in football can only send three teams to the postseason. With the injury to the Jets’ Chad Pennington, which will keep him out for most of the season, things may get sorted out a bit easier.
But with the rest of the competitive AFC competing for those same playoff spots, the end of the year may be heartbreaking for the Pats, Dolphins or Bills.
Come on, Tagliabue-put one of these teams in the Cleveland and Cincinnati-infested AFC North!
But I kid, I kid. The story in this division is definitely the quarterback…shall we say, “situations.” We have free agent quarterbacks replacing erratic, degenerate quarterbacks. We have ancient quarterbacks replacing injured quarterbacks. We have young quarterbacks competing against the old quarterbacks they once replaced. And what does this all mean? Well, this division race will likely be decided by the guys lining up under center. And that’s bad news for a couple of teams.
So how to choose? How do you pick ’em? Well, taking the quarterback outlook into account, here’s how I see it. Last year, the Jets took the division. The year before it was the Pats. And the year before that, it was those pesky Dolphins. And thus…
1. Buffalo Bills
Everybody says the Bills are still a year away. And hey, they might be. But in this league, teams come out of nowhere all the time, a year or two before they’re supposed to be competitive. This year’s Bills are a prime candidate for the NFL’s sleeper role.
Forget the offseason loss of Peerless Price. Sophomore stud Josh Reed could be one of the league’s breakout players this season, and help make a dangerous tandem along with Eric Moulds, one of football’s top receivers year in and year out.
Pro Bowlers Drew Bledsoe and Travis Henry make this fast-paced offense one of the league’s best. If Bledsoe can come out like he did last season, he has a reasonable shot at breaking Dan Marino’s single-season passing yards mark. Hey, all he’s gotta do is average 317.8 yards a game. With the ammunition he’s got, why not?
Head coach Gregg Williams was one of the league’s most improved coaches in 2002 and has really taken control of this team. His defensive savvy-especially with the addition of All-Pro linebacker Takeo Spikes-will catapult the Bills to the top of the division. Write that down, people.
Predicted Finish: 11-5
2. New England Patriots
The Patriots were the league’s best story not only in 2001, but also at the beginning of last season, as they looked like champs on their way to a 3-0 start.
What followed, however, was one of the biggest falls from grace of last season. Four straight losses, added pressure on Tom Brady that he couldn’t quite handle and a defense that wasn’t quite as steady as the season before all doomed the Pats’ chances, and they ended up missing the playoffs.
They will be back in the hunt in 2003. The additions of nose tackle Ted Washington (who will fit in perfectly in coach Bill Belichick’s new 3 4 defensive scheme), long time Chargers star safety Rodney Harrison and pass rushing linebacker Roosevelt Colvin, the Patriots will be able to ride the defense into January once again.
Tom Brady is a mature and intelligent quarterback and, needless to say, he’s a proven winner. New England fans should be confident that he’ll be just fine this season. Now if only they could find a running back, they might really have something.
Predicted Finish: 10-6
3. Miami Dolphins
Could the ‘Fins really miss the playoffs two seasons in a row? Could Dave Wannstedt be looking for a job next February? Could there be a more boring quarterback controversy than Jay Fiedler (ugh!) vs. Brian Griese?
Yes. Yes. And no.
Ricky Williams, by far the best inside running back in pro football today, could reach 2,000 yards if he stays healthy. While that may mask the inevitable inconsistency of Miami’s passing game, he won’t be able to carry the offense forever, and the team will eventually be exposed for what it is: a group with a great defense (especially with Seau in the mix), a dominant running back…and Fiedler running the show.
With a better quarterback, the Dolphins would have made last year’s Super Bowl an all Florida affair. Griese will take his place permanently at some point this season. You know this. I know this.
But Griese hasn’t exactly been a model of consistency the past two years, either. And his body ain’t exactly made of bamboo.
And so, the story of the 2003 Dolphins will be much like last year: the QBs will doom their chances.
Predicted Finish: 9-7
4. New York Jets
Despite the loss of budding star Laveranues Coles, the J E-T-S Jets Jets Jets still had a legitimate shot at the division title-that is, until a certain other budding star (cough*Pennington*cough) broke his wrist.
Vinny Testaverde was brought back from the crypt…or sorry, I mean the bench, to lead the Jets’ troops this season. He should be able to step in and keep the team competitive, but he’s not the answer.
Herman Edwards remains one of the best, but most underrated coaches in the NFL, and he will keep his team in the hunt. But the loss of Pennington will probably be too much to make up for.
Next year, though…watch out.
Predicted finish: 8-8