The AFC East: Still ours?

[JSn]

I think that the Bills are a legit contender and as of week 1 1/2 I've favored them to win the AFCE.
Sadly the FA improved Jets are contenders but their winning depends on both Buffalo AND NE going down the tubes.
Miami is better than I expected but not a contender. NFW.

Our chances depend on (1) Cassel's continued development, (2) whatever is going on with the OL geting fixed and on (3) several of the younger players becoming key contributors late in the season.

You forgot (4) A little luck. I cite the Vikings win last night.

 

[Deus Irae]

Taking a look at Buffalo's upcoming schedule:

bye
Chargers
Dolphins
Jets
Patriots

tells me that we'll know a lot more about Buffalo compared to the rest of the East after week 10. The Patriots seem to have a tougher schedule leading up to the matchup:

Chargers
Broncos
Rams
Colts
Bills

Neither Buffalo nor New England faces much of a schedule in the games between their first encounter and their second meeting on the last week of the season.

Bills:

Browns
Chiefs
49ers
Dolphins
Jets
Broncos

Patriots:

Jets
Dolphins
Steelers
Seahawks
Raiders
Cardinals

I think that the next 5 weeks should pretty much tell us where New England fits into the AFC East picture.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

You forgot (4) A little luck. I cite the Vikings win last night.

Good point. See the Houston self-destruction last Sunday where Rosencrantz and Gilderstein gave the win away?

The Pats SB seasons have always contained a couple games of luck. My fav was the David Patten pass reception while lying unconscious agin' Buffalo.

 

[JSn]

The Pats SB seasons have always contained a couple games of luck. My fav was the David Patten pass reception while lying unconscious agin' Buffalo.

That I have not seen. Is it youtubed?

The Ravens game last year was luck. Who's luck, I'm not sure, but lucky for shiz.

 

[spacecrime]

if they swept through the next 4 games, the division title would still be within reach most likely.

Ya think? That'd make them 8-1 with the games coming up to play against the Raiders, Cards and Seahawks, and a rematch against the Doofins.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

That I have not seen. Is it youtubed?

The Ravens game last year was luck. Who's luck, I'm not sure, but lucky for shiz.

I hate to break it to you folks but there was a time before YouTube and such. Really!

In the olden days there was just USENET where alt.sports.football.pro.ne-patriots and other newsgroups were text only posts with NO hyperlinks or pictures, nevermind videos. Really. People actually survived in those kinda conditions.

 

[JSn]

I hate to break it to you folks but there was a time before YouTube and such. Really!

In the olden days there was just USENET where alt.sports.football.pro.ne-patriots and other newsgroups were text only posts with NO hyperlinks or pictures, nevermind videos. Really. People actually survived in those kinda conditions.

I know, but a lot of old stuff is turning up on youtube.

Heck I remember when I had to write letters and read magazines for "the latest". Talk about lame... or...

 

[chrisfx811]

Ya think? That'd make them 8-1 with the games coming up to play against the Raiders, Cards and Seahawks, and a rematch against the Doofins.

Iirc, my quote was directed at the second set of 4 games, 9-12. I meant that if we split 5-8 or even went 1-3 we could still take the division by winning games 9-12 as they contain 3 division games and an in conference foe.

 

[jmt57]

The Bills have a few little things in their schedule that may possibly help them a little bit. They got to play Seattle in Week One when the Seahawks had no receivers; they get San Diego at home, and with two weeks to prepare; and make only one trip across three time zones (last week's 41-17 loss to Arizona.) In addition they get more of a home field advantage against Miami than the Pats did; the warm-weather Dolphins have to play in Buffalo in December. It's odd that Buffalo has no division games until Week 8 - giving them plenty of time to get tendencies of division opponents on film.

 

[Patjew]

Good point. See the Houston self-destruction last Sunday where Rosencrantz and Gilderstein gave the win away?

The Pats SB seasons have always contained a couple games of luck. My fav was the David Patten pass reception while lying unconscious agin' Buffalo.

It was after that play that I said "something is going on here".