Strengths and Weaknesses of our main AFC foes

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

My Analogy of the main contenders in the AFC and what I presume to be the strengths and weaknesses of the teams expected to give us the most challenges to claiming the AFC title.....


INDIANAPOLIS
STRENGTHS - Peyton Manning and his WRs are still as dangerous as ever,Addai compliments the offense with a solid running game
WEAKNESSES - Losing two starting corners and replacing them does not bode well for the Colts,They will probably need to score more than 31 points in most games to be competitive in this conference becasue I think the secondary will get pounded,Even with Bob Sanders.

DENVER
STRENGTHS - Travis Henry will provide the Broncos with yet another time consuming ground game,great pickup for them and on defense they have Champ Bailey and Dre Bly at corner-2 of the best at the position
WEAKESSES - I Still am not convinced Jay Cutler is the second coming of John Elway,Similar to what Phillip rivers is in San Diego,An unknown quality at this early point in his career-He needs to have a great season for Denver to be the best in the AFC.

SAN DIEGO
STRENGTHS - Easy one - its Ladanian Tomlinson,simply the best there is at RB and no one close-he wins games on his own it seems sometimes..
WEAKNESSES - Unproven WRs which scare no one and their secondary is still suspect and lacks true speed.

JACKSONVILLE
STRENGTHS - Very solid front defensive line,near the best in the league and I expect a very good year out of Maurice Jones Drew as he beocmes the main man behind the QB as this year goes on.
WEAKNESSES - Unsure which QB is good for this team,I think the coaching staff is not sure either,this may bite them in the ass as the season progresses and thier WRs are O.K. but not known as big time game breakers yet.

NEW YORK JETS
STRENGTHS - Thomas Jones adds firepower to the running game and the OL should continue to gel as a very strong unit-Chad should have good time to find open guys this year,Look for him to have the lowest amount of sacks or near that for this year.
WEAKNESSES - Defensive line does not scare me and they don't get to the QB often,Most mobile QBs will eat up that pass rush for big plays downfield.

BALTIMORE
STRENGTHS - That defense from DL to LB and back to Ed Reed are still a force to reckon with,even with the loss of Thomas this unit is as good as it gets in this league,Don't expect too many teams to put up 20+ on them.
WEAKNESSES - The WR core is weak and does not pose a threat to teams with a good secondary,That showed against Indy last year in the playoffs when Bob Sanders and Harper put the clamps on thier receivers and left McNair up in arms.


CINCINNATI
STRENGTHS - Best Offense inthe NFL with a great rusher in Rudi Johnson and you can't find a better group of WRs to have played together for awhile in Johnson,Houshmenzada and Henry - Plus Palmer is a great QB when he has decent time in the pocket.
WEAKNESSES - The defense is very poor against he run if you look at last years team and the linebackers are a bit slow off the ball-Just like Indy this team needs to put 31 or more on the board to win games many times this year cause that D will give up points for sure.

What do you think?
Any other contenders?

 

[Rob0729]

INDIANAPOLIS
STRENGTHS - Peyton Manning and his WRs are still as dangerous as ever,Addai compliments the offense with a solid running game
WEAKNESSES - Losing two starting corners and replacing them does not bode well for the Colts,They will probably need to score more than 31 points in most games to be competitive in this conference becasue I think the secondary will get pounded,Even with Bob Sanders.

I think their run defense is still a major concern for them. So is Bob Sanders' health. I think Dallas Clark is one of their biggest strengths because he has allowed Manning to change his game.

DENVER
STRENGTHS - Travis Henry will provide the Broncos with yet another time consuming ground game,great pickup for them and on defense they have Champ Bailey and Dre Bly at corner-2 of the best at the position
WEAKESSES - I Still am not convinced Jay Cutler is the second coming of John Elway,Similar to what Phillip rivers is in San Diego,An unknown quality at this early point in his career-He needs to have a great season for Denver to be the best in the AFC.

Their LBing corp has been depleted with the loss of Al Wilson and their d-line has some real questions. I agree with their CBs being their biggest strength. I think the addition of Graham will help their offense, just not as much as his pricetag indicated.

SAN DIEGO
STRENGTHS - Easy one - its Ladanian Tomlinson,simply the best there is at RB and no one close-he wins games on his own it seems sometimes..
WEAKNESSES - Unproven WRs which scare no one and their secondary is still suspect and lacks true speed.

I think their biggest weakness is their coaching. Norv Turner is just one of those retreads that keeps on popping up. They have turned over almost their entire coaching staff and that will screw with some of the continuity that this teams has built up.

JACKSONVILLE
STRENGTHS - Very solid front defensive line,near the best in the league and I expect a very good year out of Maurice Jones Drew as he beocmes the main man behind the QB as this year goes on.
WEAKNESSES - Unsure which QB is good for this team,I think the coaching staff is not sure either,this may bite them in the ass as the season progresses and thier WRs are O.K. but not known as big time game breakers yet.

The Jags have a great defense that was depleted last year because several key players were injured. I think that is their biggest strength.

NEW YORK JETS
STRENGTHS - Thomas Jones adds firepower to the running game and the OL should continue to gel as a very strong unit-Chad should have good time to find open guys this year,Look for him to have the lowest amount of sacks or near that for this year.
WEAKNESSES - Defensive line does not scare me and they don't get to the QB often,Most mobile QBs will eat up that pass rush for big plays downfield.

I agree with most of this, but Chad's durability has to be a concern. He got through last year ok, but will he do it two years in a row. If they lose Pete Kendall, it could be a big blow to their offense. D'Brickishaw Ferguson gave up a lot of sacks last season and supposably Kendall covered up for a lot of his weaknesses.

BALTIMORE
STRENGTHS - That defense from DL to LB and back to Ed Reed are still a force to reckon with,even with the loss of Thomas this unit is as good as it gets in this league,Don't expect too many teams to put up 20+ on them.
WEAKNESSES - The WR core is weak and does not pose a threat to teams with a good secondary,That showed against Indy last year in the playoffs when Bob Sanders and Harper put the clamps on thier receivers and left McNair up in arms.

I think QB is a concern. McNair started to show his age down the stretch and I don't know if he can hold up for an entire season this year.

CINCINNATI
STRENGTHS - Best Offense inthe NFL with a great rusher in Rudi Johnson and you can't find a better group of WRs to have played together for awhile in Johnson,Houshmenzada and Henry - Plus Palmer is a great QB when he has decent time in the pocket.
WEAKNESSES - The defense is very poor against he run if you look at last years team and the linebackers are a bit slow off the ball-Just like Indy this team needs to put 31 or more on the board to win games many times this year cause that D will give up points for sure.

I think the mentality of this team need to be considered a weakness. A lot of questionable characters.

What do you think?

Very good analysis overall.

 

[shakadave]

INDIANAPOLIS
STRENGTHS - Peyton Manning and his WRs are still as dangerous as ever,Addai compliments the offense with a solid running game

The running game is solid mainly because of the passing game. Lots of RBs would do well there, even Edgerrin James!

WEAKNESSES - Losing two starting corners and replacing them does not bode well for the Colts,

I don't think the replacements will constitute a huge dropoff.

DENVER
STRENGTHS - Travis Henry will provide the Broncos with yet another time consuming ground game,great pickup for them and on defense they have Champ Bailey and Dre Bly at corner-2 of the best at the position

Also it seems like every year their run defense is better than it looked on paper, so their defense could be VERY good this year.

SAN DIEGO
STRENGTHS - Easy one - its Ladanian Tomlinson,simply the best there is at RB and no one close-he wins games on his own it seems sometimes..
Not to mention the offensive line

WEAKNESSES - Unproven WRs which scare no one and their secondary is still suspect and lacks true speed.

Hopefully coaching turnover is also a weakness here.

JACKSONVILLE
STRENGTHS - Very solid front defensive line,near the best in the league and I expect a very good year out of Maurice Jones Drew as he beocmes the main man behind the QB as this year goes on.

How does Jacksonville seem to always have a good running game without usually having a good passing game?

NEW YORK JETS

BALTIMORE
STRENGTHS - That defense from DL to LB and back to Ed Reed are still a force to reckon with,even with the loss of Thomas this unit is as good as it gets in this league,Don't expect too many teams to put up 20+ on them.
WEAKNESSES - The WR core is weak and does not pose a threat to teams with a good secondary,That showed against Indy last year in the playoffs when Bob Sanders and Harper put the clamps on thier receivers and left McNair up in arms.

I'm doing this from memory, but don't the Ravens now have a good-looking set of receivers?

CINCINNATI
STRENGTHS - Best Offense inthe NFL

I totally disagree. The Bengals offense is very overrated. I'd easily rather play their offense than Indy's or even San Diego's. It's not like the Bengals kept losing 38-35 last year. Look at Cincy's offensive success against very good teams.

WEAKNESSES - The defense is very poor against he run if you look at last years team and the linebackers are a bit slow off the ball-

Aren't they getting back a couple 1st-round-type talented linebackers this year?

. .. ... ....

 

[Grizzafted]

The bottom line is we need a better pass rush this year. We were deficient in that regard last year, evidenced most dramatically in the AFC title game. We didn't pressure Rivers much, and almost no pressure on Manning. I think with Rodney back in the lineup and AT coming off the edge that should change. I hope, at least.

Never mind wide reciever. If we can consistently pressure the quarterback, we'll win a super bowl this year. If not it could be tough.

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

The bottom line is we need a better pass rush this year. We were deficient in that regard last year, evidenced most dramatically in the AFC title game. We didn't pressure Rivers much, and almost no pressure on Manning. I think with Rodney back in the lineup and AT coming off the edge that should change. I hope, at least.

Never mind wide reciever. If we can consistently pressure the quarterback, we'll win a super bowl this year. If not it could be tough.

You can say that about most any team, most any year....

 

[patriotsdynasty12189]

Dont forget the Chargers are replacing 2 starters at inside linebacker and we, ourselves know how hard that can be... Brown/Beisel anybody???

 

[Aqua4Ever04]

Not saying they're both contenders, but I think you should always include your division rivals. Miami and Buffalo are there and we all know Miami always presents a threat to the Patriots.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Not saying they're both contenders, but I think you should always include your division rivals. Miami and Buffalo are there and we all know Miami always presents a threat to the Patriots.

Buffalo will be lucky to win 4 games this year with all of those key player losses.

And for Miami that 6-10 record last year really scared the sh!t out of the Patriots,What a threat they are

 

[Kontradiction]

I personally think that Quinn Gray should start at QB for Jacksonville. Watching what he did in that Kansas City game was pretty impressive (considering it was the last game of the season and the first time he played at the professional level). Surely he'll make better decisions than Byron Leftwich.

 

[RyanTheColtsFan]

Not saying they're both contenders, but I think you should always include your division rivals. Miami and Buffalo are there and we all know Miami always presents a threat to the Patriots.

No.

10 chars

 

[Aqua4Ever04]

Buffalo will be lucky to win 4 games this year with all of those key player losses.

And for Miami that 6-10 record last year really scared the sh!t out of the Patriots,What a threat they are

I agree about Buffalo, but please, continue to disrespect the Dolphins. Not matter the records, it's always a tough game and Miami gets at least 1 every year from the Pats.

 

[Aqua4Ever04]

I personally think that Quinn Gray should start at QB for Jacksonville. Watching what he did in that Kansas City game was pretty impressive (considering it was the last game of the season and the first time he played at the professional level). Surely he'll make better decisions than Byron Leftwich.

What about David Garrard? I just don't think they should've given the job to Leftwich. Let the best QB in camp and preseason earn the job rather than putting an end to it. What does Del Rio do if Leftwich lays an egg while Gray or Garrard dominat the preseason field? Is he stuck with Byron because he gave him his word?

 

[patriotspride]

Not saying they're both contenders, but I think you should always include your division rivals. Miami and Buffalo are there and we all know Miami always presents a threat to the Patriots.

ya they are a threat to win one out of two every year against the pats and end up in last place . pay your lost bets

 

[evans555]

I agree about Buffalo, but please, continue to disrespect the Dolphins. Not matter the records, it's always a tough game and Miami gets at least 1 every year from the Pats.

AND BUFFALO GETS 2 EVERY YR FROM MIAMI.......So whats your point aqua??????????

 

[mgteich]

Cinci the best offense? I think Indy, SD and NE have better offenses.

 

[PATRIOT64]

Cinci the best offense? I think Indy, SD and NE have better offenses.

Personally I think Cincinnati is at least #3 in the league as an offense in whole and if you have seen NE as an offense this year to rank em in the top 3please tell us where you saw them on the field because to my knowledge this team has not even played a down yet in 2007.
Stop with the 'on paper' great offense till we see it in live action - Right now Cincy has more proven consistent high scoring offense than New England with two all pro receivers that have played together long enough to know we can probably expect much of similar play this year -the same with Indy,although definately New England,once again 'on paper' should be somewhat dominant,ask me in November where NE lies in terms of great offense.
As far as San Diego is concerned I can't say anything till Rivers proves he can play consistently.

 

[Aqua4Ever04]

Cinci the best offense? I think Indy, SD and NE have better offenses.

I think Cincinnati might be one of the most complete offenses of all of these teams. If you look at New England and Indianapolis, they both have young and not completely proven running backs. (Yes they may etch their names into the household of the NFL this year but as for now, still young guys.) And they have better receievers than New England and obliterate San Diego in the pass catching department.

 

[Aqua4Ever04]

AND BUFFALO GETS 2 EVERY YR FROM MIAMI.......So whats your point aqua??????????

Use excessive capitalization and puncuation to emphasize your point, not working for me. This is also irrelevant to the subject, please stay on topic.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

A few thoughts:

Cinci's offense isn't on par with NE and Indy. Unless they had LDT no running back makes up the difference between Manning/Brady and everyone else. Palmer may be the best of the rest, but he isn't Brady or Manning.

Miami and Buffalo, while in the division and a threat to win a game, are not a threat for the conference.

Baltimore and Jax aren't real contenders with their QBs. Great defenses can only slow down top offenses like NE, SD, and Indy. You need to be able to outscore them, which Baltimore and Jax cannot. Even if they are fortunate enough to beat one of them they'll have to beat another. Not happening.

The Jets aren't real contenders yet. They're taking a step back this year, unless you think they didn't overachieve last year.

Dre Bly is overrated. I hope NE doesn't have to face Denver. Blah blah blah.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

Anyone not worried about Miami is nuts. Even if they aren't a playoff contender, they ALWAYS play us tough. It's known in my household as the annual Tom Brady tenderizing party by Jason Taylor. Sorry but Miami can play when they want to play. They remind me of the Pats in the 70s. The Pats would lose to the cream puffs and beat the iron of the league.