2011 NFL Season Preview: AFC East
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- Created on Friday, 09 September 2011 00:22
- Written by Joey B
Unfortunately for Buffalo and Miami fans, there isn’t going to be much change this year in the decade of dominance that has taken place in the AFC East. I would say that other than the Patriots winning 14 games last year, there wasn’t anything that surprised people too much about how the division unfolded. I only say the 14 game winning Pats were a surprise because I believe experts picked them to win 11-12 games. Without further ado, here is how the AFC East will shake down this season.
New England Patriots (13-3)
Other than adding the games most feared defensive player of 3 years ago and a Pro Bowl caliber wideout, the Pats had a quiet offseason. Oh wait, that isn’t quiet at all. Looks like Bill Belichick is going to shake up the defense a bit by playing more 4-3 style than the 3-4 that they did in years past. This and the addition of Fat Albert should fix the pass rush problem they had over the past few seasons. Although many reports that the chemistry between Brady and Ochocinco has not come to fruition yet, I can’t see this relationship flourishing into anything less than 800 yards and 6 TDs. They are going to dominate on both sides of the ball and should win at least 12 games. Look for the Pats to be serious Super Bowl contenders once again. Now if they can only win a playoff game.
New York Jets (10-6)
I fear that I am going out on a limb a little bit giving the Jets 10 wins but they keep proving me wrong every year when I only predict them to go .500. Bottom line is, their quarterback is sub-par at best and if he does not develop into the star they think he can be, the Jets are destined to be mediocre offensively for the next 10 years. Their defense is obviously what carries their team. The loss of Ellis and Taylor hurts their pass rush and Cromartie being one year older does not help their situation at corner. If Kyle Wilson can step in and play a solid nickel or take over for Cromartie, that helps with the Island on the other side. They have a bunch of question marks on the field but sure don’t on the sideline. Rex Ryan has done great things with this team over the past two years and as long as he is there, they will threaten any team in the AFC. Look for them to win 10 games and once again, make noise in the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins (7-9)
With Chad Henne behind the helm and no decent backup does not bode well. He is an interception machine with a strong arm. They have far too many holes in both the offense and defense to get to even .500. One area they are solid though is the O-line. They are big and strong on the O-line and refuse to get pushed back. If Reggie Bush can resurrect his running back career anywhere, it will be in Miami just because of the line that will be pushing up front for him. Look for Bush and rookie Daniel Thomas to be the only exciting part of this team. Their front 3 on defense is average at best and their linebackers are either too old or rookies. That generally doesn’t bode well for stuffing the run. They have a solid secondary but can’t cover forever if the front 7 can’t get pressure. Look for the Dolphins to win 7 games at most and not scare anyone with the wildcat anymore.
Buffalo Bills (5-11)
It must be tough being a Bills fan. You make the Super Bowl 4 years in a row during 90’s and never win and now you have to sit through every Sunday with your team getting demolished by everyone. They did pick up some nice pieces in the draft and hopefully Merriman can show signs of what he was 5 years ago but that is not close to enough. They need at least 1 or 2 more years of being terrible, therefore having high draft picks, before they are anything close to a playoff team. Remember that old saying, “defense wins championships”? Well the Bills don’t have one so hello high draft pick. Andrew Luck maybe???
