Sportsnet's Jim Lang previews each of the NFL's divisions leading up to the opening kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 10. Today he explains why the Patriots are still the class of the AFC East.
In the moments immediately after the Super Bowl XXIL (January 2007), I stood on the lush grass at the University of Phoenix Stadium and wondered how in the world could there ever be a finish as exciting as the one I had just witnessed. One year later, I stood on the lush grass at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and I couldn't believe what kind of incredible ending that I had just experienced. Two consecutive Super Bowls have produced two consecutive awesome, thrilling endings. What will transpire on Feb. 7, 2010 on the green grass of Landshark Stadium in Miami is anyone's guess.
Before I take a look at all the teams in their respective divisions I will leave you with this: only two teams - the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals - finished the 2008 season with a perfect 6-0 record within their own division.
THE AFC EAST
BUFFALO BILLS
(2008 record: 7-9)
It's been a long time - way too long -- since the Buffalo Bills have been in the playoffs. Determined to get off the post-season schneid, the Bills stuck out their necks and signed wide receiver Terrell Owens to a one-year contract. An incredibly gifted receiver, T.O. comes to Buffalo with a lot of baggage and a reputation of a quarterback killer. Owens is also a bona fide deep threat and the Bills are desperate to kickstart their vertical passing game. That means QB Trent Edwards will have to take his game to the next level. To that end, Edwards has spent countless hours in the film room and working out.
Another new wrinkle with the Bills this season is the no-huddle offence. Neither Edwards nor head coach Dick Jauron would say exactly how much they plan on using the no-huddle in a game situation. They could use it for a series, a quarter or maybe an entire half. It's the threat of the no-huddle that the Bills hope opposing defences will be forced to respect. I know from speaking to Edwards during camp that he's stoked at the prospects of the potential of the no-huddle. The running game is respectable, even though Marshawn Lynch was suspended for the first three games of the regular season for an off-field incident. Freddy Jackson and Dominic Rhodes are capable backups and should be able to pick up the slack until Lynch returns.
The biggest challenge for the Bills offence is its rebuilt offensive line. The disgruntled Jason Peters was dealt to the Eagles, leaving a big hole in the line. With Peters gone, Langston Walker moves over to left tackle. Brad Butler, a guard, moves over to right tackle. Two raw rookies, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre, will be asked to start at the guard positions. How this offensive line jells and how well it can protect Edwards will be the determining factor on whether the Bills offence can function at a high level. If the offensive line struggles, Edwards won't make it through the season.
Slowly, but surely, the Bills defence is improving. They have some solid veterans in defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and linebacker Kawika Mitchell. They also have talented young studs in cornerback Leodis McKelvin and linebacker Paul Posluszny. After an unnecessary 27 day holdout, first-round pick and blue-chip defensive end Aaron Maybin finally signed a contract. Maybin will help, but at the end of the day, the Bills defence just doesn't have the depth to survive any major injuries to its key starters.
One thing the Bills truly excel at is special teams. Led by the man that is viewed as the best assistant at his position, Bobby April, the Bills rank near the top of every special teams category in the NFL.
If the Bills can stay healthy and somehow find a way to get back into post season, they will have earned it because of the difficulty of their schedule. While it's great treat for NFL fans in Canada to see the Bills playing another regular-season game in Toronto; it's the culmination of a brutal four-game stretch for Buffalo. Following their bye week, the Bills are at Tennessee, at Jacksonville, home to the Dolphins, and then four days later they host the Jets at Rogers Centre. Kicking off the regular season with a Monday nighter (Sept. 14) in New England no treat either.
There is enormous pressure from the fans and media in Buffalo for Dick Jauron to get the Bills back into the post-season. Allowing Turk Schonert to work a no-huddle offence into the Bills' playbook might be a sign that Jauron's ultra-conservative ways may be changing. A lot of what the Bills are hoping to accomplish on offence this season is all predicated on Terrell Owens staying healthy and putting up impressive numbers. If, all the stars and the planets are aligned and if everyone stays healthy, then maybe the Bills have a shot. Then again, as a wise man once said in Apocalypse Now, "if" is the middle word in life.
Amazing fact: On this, the 50th anniversary of the formation of the old AFL, it's amazing to think that Ralph Wilson's initial investment to bring the Bills into the fledgling league was just $25,000. According to Forbes Magazine, the Bills are now worth about $820 million dollars in U.S. funds. Not a bad return on your investment.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
(2008 record: 11-5, won division)
I interviewed head coach Tony Sparano last year at the Dolphins palm tree-lined practise facility in Davie, FL. I found the Dolphins head coach to be engaging, funny, intense, passionate, and above all else, tough. Sparano will tolerate just about anything from his players, just as long as they play tough. Then again, when Bill Parcells is your boss, what else would you expect?
That team toughness was a big reason Sparano was able to take a team that had won exactly one game in 2007, and lead them to the playoffs with a 10-6 record in 2008. That is a remarkable turnaround no matter the circumstances. Another big reason was the "Wild Cat" formation. Miami unleashed the "Wild Cat" against the Patriots in Week 3 and blasted New England 38-13. The "Wild Cat" didn't always enjoy that kind of success, but it was productive enough that it forced other teams to try to copy what the Dolphins were doing.
The Dolphins offence is an eclectic mix of talent and personalities. You have the cerebral skills of soft-spoken quarterback Chad Pennington, the brute strength and power of the Yoga master, Ricky Williams, and the versatility of Ronnie Brown, a kid who grew up in a classic small town in rural Georgia. Then you have the blinding speed of Ted Ginn Jr. and the grittiness of Anthony Fasano. Holding the whole thing together is Jake Long and the Dolphins' offensive line.
In 2008, the Dolphins defence was led by former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter. The man with the "golden guns", Porter led the AFC with 17 and half sacks. When I mean "guns', I mean Porter's biceps. Porter has the kind of huge and ripped arms you see in bodybuilding magazines. Not only is Porter strong, he's also extremely fast coming off the edge. Former CFL All-Star and BC Lion, Cameron Wake is trying to make the team as a backup to Porter. Outside of Porter, there are no real stars on the Dolphins defence. However, the Dolphins defence loves to hit and they almost never give up on a play. But when you have a defence filled with players who are willing to sell out on every play, you don't need a lot of stars.
If there is one team that is determined to prove that 2008 was not a fluke, it's the Dolphins. Sparano and the Dolphins will find out in a hurry what they are made of: in the first three weeks the Dolphins face the Falcons, Colts and Chargers.
Cool fact: After a stellar NCAA career with West Virginia, everyone passed on quarterback Pat White. Everyone but Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland and Bill Parcells, that is. While not a prototypical drop-back passer, the selection of White in the second round has the potential to be the steal of the draft. White's skill set will only make the Dolphins "Wild Cat" formation that much more effective and unpredictable.
NEW YORK JETS
(2008 record: 9-7)
J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets. This season, the team might have to change that chant to J-E-T-S, fight, fight, fight. If the New York Jets end up brawling with the opposition some time this year, don't be surprised to see new head coach Rex Ryan standing there with an ear-to-ear grin and cheering them on. With Ryan in charge, expect the unexpected. The son of the infamous Buddy Ryan, Rex is about as far away from an old school coach as you could find. The Jets might not have the jam to beat every team they face, but Rex Ryan is going to make sure Gang Green refuse to back down from any battle.
If Bart Scott, Nick Mangold, Kris Jenkins and Alan Faneca represent the street brawling side to the Jets, then first-round pick Mark Sanchez represents their glamorous side. After a stellar quarterback career at USC, Sanchez brings cover boy good looks and a rifle arm to the offence. Ryan and the Jets paid a heavy price to land Sanchez on draft day. Now the pressure is on Sanchez to repay the organization by putting up the kind of lights out numbers that made him such a star at USC. Sanchez and back-up Kellen Clemens can't do any worse than Brett Favre did last year. A broken down Favre did not have one 300-yard passing game and he led the NFL with a whopping 22 interceptions.
Playing quarterback in New York City isn't easy, especially if you have members of the press already comparing Sanchez to Joe Namath. Outside of Jerricho Cotchery, Sanchez doesn't have a lot to work with in the passing game. If the Jets are smart, they will have Sanchez hand the ball to Thomas Jones as much as possible as he learns how to play quarterback in the NFL. I have always felt Jones is an underrated running back. The guy ran for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and for whatever reason, Jones never receives the hype that other less productive backs get from the football press.
One of Ryan's smarter moves during the off-season was bringing linebacker Bart Scott with him from Baltimore. While Scott will help to anchor the Jets' front seven, young cornerback Darrelle Revis is a budding phenom and the star of the secondary. Revis is quickly becoming the kind of cornerback that quarterbacks around the league are reluctant to test.
If there's one thing that Rex Ryan is good at, it's coaching defence in the NFL. So it stands to reason that the Jets defence should be well prepared for every game and should come up with some big plays. The big worry in New York is whether a rookie quarterback working with a group of receivers who are thin on talent can excel under the bright lights of the city that never sleeps.
One thing is for sure: Ryan will have a lot of help this season because the Jets have a mind-boggling 22 assistant coaches on their staff, including three strength and conditioning coaches. Contrast that with the sparse Patriots coaching staff of 12 assistant coaches.
Interesting fact: When the Jets arrive in Toronto to take on the Bills at Rogers Centre on Dec. 3, Rex Ryan will be coming home. The Jets new head coach and his twin brother, Rob, both attended school in Toronto while their mother worked in the city. You should Google the comprehensive article written by Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun for more details; it's a great read. Steve went to high school with Rex and Rob's older brother.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
(2008 record: 11-5)
Memo to the rest of the NFL; Tom Brady is back and he's ready to dominate again. The return of Brady masks the loss of quarterback Matt Cassell and player personnel genius Scott Pioli to Kansas City.
There isn't a team in the NFL that doesn't fear the New England Patriots offence when Brady is healthy. Before Giants fans start ranting and raving, don't forget that after the 2008 Super Bowl, the story came out that Brady played hurt. Yes, the Giants front four laid a beating on him that day, but Brady was playing hurt and still almost won the game. When Brady is injured, he's merely human; when he's healthy, he borders on the ridiculous. No matter what Brady and Bill Belichick say, I have to think the Patriots braintrust is privately worried about Brady's surgically rebuilt knee. I am more than willing to give Brady the benefit of the doubt that his knee is 100 per cent, and that means Randy Moss and Wes Welker are poised to have monster seasons again. Fantasy football players are drooling at the prospect of Brady, Moss and Welker racking up the kind of sick numbers they did in 2007. As is Patriots policy, the team will once again go with the concept of a running back by committee, including veteran Fred Taylor.
I have concerns about Brady staying healthy for 16 games because I have even greater concerns about the Patriots' offensive line. The weakest link on the Pats O-line is the Canadian kid, Brantford's Nick Kaczur. If I am playing the Pats, I would load up on Kaczur's side of the ball and force New England to use a tight end or running back to help him out. Eventually the pressure will get to Brady. This is where no one really knows if Brady's knee can stand up to the inevitable pounding he will have to endure this season.
Belichick is a great coach, arguably one of the best of his generation, but even a coach as great as Belichick can't go out and block for Brady. If Brady is healthy and throwing darts to Moss and Welker, well than Belichick looks like a genius. If Brady goes down to injury this year, there's no Cassell hanging around to save the day.
The Patriots always seem to be able to put together an excellent defence. The Pats landed a Grade A stud last year when they drafted linebacker Jerod Mayo. This young dynamo from the University of Tennessee is the perfect player to bridge the old guard and the young turks on the Patriots' defence. For the Pats' defence, it all starts up front with Vince Wilfork and Richard Seymour. The Patriots are still feeling the effects of the departure of Asante Samuel to the Eagles. If the Pats have one area on defence that begs to be tested, it's at the cornerback position.
In the first half of the decade, the Patriots won the Super Bowl three times in four years. Since then, the Pats have suffered one painful loss after another. Over the past four seasons the Patriots have won an impressive 49 regular-season games. Yet, consider the end result of those four seasons. The Pats lost to the Broncos in the AFC Divisional playoffs; the next year they lost to the Colts in AFC Championship games; the year after they lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl; and then missed the playoffs altogether in 2008. With each year, Brady's challenge of trying to win a fourth Vince Lombardi trophy keeps getting tougher.
Shocking fact: One reason the Patriots missed the playoffs last year is the issues they had on defence deep in their own end. Only the winless Detroit Lions were ranked lower in in red zone defensive efficiency. Small wonder the Pats selected a defensive player with their first three draft picks in this year's draft.
Final thoughts:
In the end, Miami, New York and Buffalo are all chasing the Patriots. If Brady can stay healthy, the Patriots are the team to beat in the AFC East. Win or lose, with Terrell Owens in Buffalo, the Bills will never be accused of being dull this season.
