AFC East Preview
Kristian Wiles
August 28, 2009
Posted under AFC East, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
Summary: The Bills will welcome the T.O. show to Buffalo this season. He adds to an already strong group of wide receivers allowing the Bills to open up the offense and balance the load between the passing game and a pretty strong running game. If Owens can make it through the season without creating the drama that he is known for the Bills could be a legitimate contender for the division or a wild card spot. If not, the experiment could hurt the confidence of a QB on the rise.
Who to Watch: Trent Edwards started last season with a strong showing at QB. He was coming into his own as the team leader and had the Bills looking like a legitimate contender early. If the team is going to be successful Edwards must limit mistakes, take charge of the offense (including T.O.), and continue to make good decisions on the field.
Fantasy Picks: Edwards has the weapons to put up some good numbers. Parish, Evans and Owens will help one another, as defenses will find it difficult to cover all three effectively. Marshawn Lynch has had two 1,000-yard seasons in a row with several TDs in each. It’s fair to expect that he will deliver again.
Projected Finish: 8-8, 3rd in the division
Miami Dolphins
Summary: The Dolphins are coming off their first division title since 2000. The wildcat offense was very successful for Miami last year and looks to have caught on to some extent across the league. The team has the personnel to continue deliver on what they were able to accomplish in the wildcat as long as the players are still able to perform and other teams haven’t figured it out.
Who to Watch: RB Ronnie Brown has looked sharp this preseason. This is important because he’ll need to elevate his game if the Dolphins are going to keep up with Brady and the Pats. One thing that is constant in the NFL is the opposing coach’s ability to figure you out and adjust. Since Chad Pennington’s arm isn’t getting any stronger, Brown will be the keys to Miami’s success at putting points on the board.
Fantasy Picks: Not a whole lot to work with on this team. Pennington has something to prove but has never put up big numbers. Brown could be in a position to get more touches if reports about Williams loosing a step are true. Other then that, Ginn Jr. could be decent pick up if you have injuries or Pennington is replaced with a big arm QB.
Projected Finish: 9-7, 2nd in the division
New England Patriots
Summary: The Pats are coming off a disappointing season last year when the team failed to win the division for the first time since 2002. It’s hard to pick against them this year with their future hall of fame quarterback coming back with more weapons on offense and a very strong defense. Miami and Buffalo could make it hard for New England if they are able to build on the momentum they created in 2008.
Who to Watch: Brady is arguably the NFL’s player to watch. He is coming off a devastating injury following the most successful regular season in history. So far this preseason its business as usual but we have yet to see him in more than a couple offensive series. Will he keep it going? All past evidence says yes.
Fantasy Picks: Tom Brady is back and is poised to pick up where he left off. He would be my first pick at QB. He will have three main targets at receiver in Moss, Welker, and Galloway. Moss sounds particularly motivated saying that he thinks this offense could be better than the 2007 team.
Projected Finish: 12-4, 1st in the division
New York Jets
Summary: New coach Rex Ryan has set a different tone in New York. He is dynamic, competitive, and players seem to be excited that he is leading the team. His offense doesn’t look like it will be as good as last year but the defense is coming together with the additions of LB Bart Scott and CB Lito Sheppard. However, it may not be enough to help the Jets compete for the division title again.
Who to Watch: With Favre’s departure, the quarterback position was up for grabs until earlier this week when QB Mark Sanchez was named the first rookie starter in over 40 years. He has shown great poise as a leader in the huddle and possesses the talent to be successful. Kellen Clemens has to be frustrated about losing the starting job two years in a row, first to Favre and now to a rookie. Guess everyone was right; you’re not a starter.
Fantasy Picks: RB Jones had a fantastic season last year and appears to be the best option on the Jets offense this year as well. However, he might be the only real option. It’s a lot to expect Sanchez to put up big numbers. Not a lot of fantasy points available with the NY Jets.
Projected Finish: 6-10, 4th in the division
