2011 AFC East Predictions
Written by Steve Janus
The AFC East figures to be a two-team race between the New England Patriots and New York Jets. The Patriots won the division in 2010 with a 14-2 regular season mark, but the Jets also made their way to the postseason with an 11-5 mark. The Patriots looked like they had the Jets completely figured out in a 45-3 win at home in week 13, but it was Rex Ryan and New York that got the last laugh. New York beat the No. 1 seeded Patriots 28-21 to make it back to the AFC Championship game, but once again came up short in their attempt to make it to the Super Bowl. The Miami Dolphins finished 3rd in the East with a disappointing 7-9 finish, while the Buffalo Bills held the bottom spot at 4-12.
While a whole lot doesn’t figure to change in the division this season, here is a quick breakdown of each team and where I see them finishing the 2011 campaign.
1. New England Patriots – New England made some interesting moves this offseason, adding in wide out Chad Ochocinco and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. While many teams wouldn’t risk letting these players ruin a locker room, head coach Bill Belichick has complete control of this team. If the two buy into the system, the Patriots could be in line for another historic season. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Tom Brady, who is coming off an unbelievable season, and have a ton of young talent that figures to really make an impact this season.
2. New York Jets – While I have the Jets listed below the Patriots, their postseason win at New England shows there isn’t a whole lot that separates these two teams. The Jets will remain one of the top defensive teams in the NFL as long as Rex Ryan is in charge, but the offense still has some room to grow, especially third-year quarterback Mark Sanchez. The Jets have swapped out wide outs Braylan Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, and Brad Smith, with veterans Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason. While the Jets have proven they can win in the postseason, it would really make things a lot easier on them if they could find a way to top New England in the division.
3. Miami Dolphins – I was surprised the Dolphins decided to bring back head coach Tony Sparano, but a lot of that could have had to do with the weird offseason with the lockout. There were also a lot of rumors going around that they were looking to upgrade over Chad Henne at quarterback, but they didn’t end up pulling the trigger. The Dolphins were a shocking 1-7 at home and 6-2 on the road. They have a very underrated defense that could help them turn things around faster than people expect, but I just can’t see them competing with the Patriots and the Jets this season.
4. Buffalo Bills- The Bills were another team that could have went after a quarterback, but I feel they made the right choices of keeping Ryan Fitzpatrick and putting the focus on improving the defensive side of the ball. Buffalo used seven of their nine draft picks on defense, most notably defensive end Marcell Dareus, inside linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, and corner Aaron Williams. I like the direction head coach Chan Gailey is taking this team, but they are still a year or two away from really competing in the division.
Individual Team NFL Season Predictions
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