WhatIfSports predicts the AFC East

[Wide_Receiver]

2001 Dolphins went 11-5, won the division and got spanked by the Ravens. 2008 Dolphins went 11-5, won the division and got spanked by the Ravens.

2001 Dolphins were 8th offensively and 11th defensively
2008 Dolphins were 21st offensively and 9th defensively

Tough to make a claim that this Dolphins team is better than that one at this point in time.

The 2009 Dolphins are a much, much better football team than they were in January of this year.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

The 2009 Dolphins are a much, much better football team than they were in January of this year.

It was flat out comedy watching the Dolphins get annaliated by the Ravens in the '08-9 playoffs. They looked like a team that shouldn't have been there. In fact, they looked like a high school football team playing against the Ravens.

 

[Wide_Receiver]

It was flat out comedy watching the Dolphins get annaliated by the Ravens in the '08-9 playoffs. They looked like a team that shouldn't have been there. In fact, they looked like a high school football team playing against the Ravens.

Despite that, if Ted Ginn secures that hand off on the end around, he goes in to make it 20-15 with 8 minutes to play. We're going for two point to make it a three point game with a half of a quarter to play.

But yeah, we did play terribly in that game. But that's also the same team that beat the Patriots by 25, so yeah.

 

[Deus Irae]

The 2009 Dolphins are a much, much better football team than they were in January of this year.

That's just you hoping and praying. I'm not saying that you're wrong, but it's just as unknown as the state of the Patriots defense.

 

[Wide_Receiver]

That's just you hoping and praying. I'm not saying that you're wrong, but it's just as unknown as the state of the Patriots defense.

We finally had direction and continuity in our front office and coaching staff. The young talent that emerged last year will only continue to grow and the continued change in the roster will pay dividends. You can't fix a 1-15 team over night.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Despite that, if Ted Ginn secures that hand off on the end around, he goes in to make it 20-15 with 8 minutes to play. We're going for two point to make it a three point game with a half of a quarter to play.

But yeah, we did play terribly in that game. But that's also the same team that beat the Patriots by 25, so yeah.

What ever makes you feel better.

Then the Pats returned the favor and gave the Dolphins a 20 point beat down in their own house.

 

[BradyFTW!]

How do you figure that the division is ultra-competitive, anyways? The Patriots will be elite, the Dolphins will be sorta decent, the Jets will be bad, and the Bills will probably be worse. None of these teams has even a chance of legitimately challenging the Pats unless Brady gets hurt again.

 

[BradyFTW!]

We finally had direction and continuity in our front office and coaching staff. The young talent that emerged last year will only continue to grow and the continued change in the roster will pay dividends. You can't fix a 1-15 team over night.

Bengals fans said the same thing in 2005. Saints fans said it in 2006, and Browns fans said it in 2007. It's still too early to tell if last year was the beginning of a trend for the Dolphins, or the combination of a historically easy schedule, Brady being hurt, and Pennington pulling together a good year.

We'll see in 2009...

 

[Wide_Receiver]

Bengals fans said the same thing in 2005. Saints fans said it in 2006, and Browns fans said it in 2007. It's still too early to tell if last year was the beginning of a trend for the Dolphins, or the combination of a historically easy schedule, Brady being hurt, and Pennington pulling together a good year.

We'll see in 2009...

None of those executives had the track record that Bill Parcells does. And it's no mystery as to why the Cowboys offensive line regressed so terribly a year ago and there's no mystery why the locker room completely collapsed. Tony Sparano was the glue in that coaching staff. And Jeff Ireland is a Parcells disciple that I have full confidence in to take complete control once Bill heads to the beach for good.

 

[Wide_Receiver]

How do you figure that the division is ultra-competitive, anyways? The Patriots will be elite, the Dolphins will be sorta decent, the Jets will be bad, and the Bills will probably be worse. None of these teams has even a chance of legitimately challenging the Pats unless Brady gets hurt again.

I think the Patriots, Dolphins and Bills are all good teams while the Jets are falling further and further back. I could see three teams in this division winning 8+ games.

 

[Deus Irae]

We finally had direction and continuity in our front office and coaching staff. The young talent that emerged last year will only continue to grow and the continued change in the roster will pay dividends. You can't fix a 1-15 team over night.

2 years = continuity? Then you've had plenty of that this decade.


You played an easy schedule last season and caught a break because there was a quality QB that sprung loose late. Couple that with Brown and Williams being healthy, and the team surprised a lot of teams for a little while. They didn't surprise New England in the rematch and they sure as hell didn't surprise the Ravens.

Expect a step back season, as frequently happens with Parcells.

 

[NewYorkJets1993]

I think the Patriots, Dolphins and Bills are all good teams while the Jets are falling further and further back. I could see three teams in this division winning 8+ games.

LOL!!!!!! You're joking right?????? Mind telling me how we're falling "further and further back"? The only department we've fallen back on is Wide Receiver. That's it. Quarterback? Improved. RB? Improved? Defense? Improved A LOT. Coaching? Improved. O-Line? Improved, one more year of continuity, and they were one of the best in the NFL even as of last year.

One of the dumbest statements I've ever heard.

Is this Aqua??

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Bengals fans said the same thing in 2005. Saints fans said it in 2006, and Browns fans said it in 2007. It's still too early to tell if last year was the beginning of a trend for the Dolphins, or the combination of a historically easy schedule, Brady being hurt, and Pennington pulling together a good year.

We'll see in 2009...

You forgot Joey Porter playing out of his head last year,I doubt he gets even half those sacks he had last year - 7 at most.

Pennington seldom has two decent years in a row and J. Taylor is not the man he used to be and does anyone outside of Florida really believe Tony Sparano is the next great coach? - I don't.

Parcells make good moves last year and fooled a lot of teams,won't happen again.

 

[BradyFTW!]

None of those executives had the track record that Bill Parcells does. And it's no mystery as to why the Cowboys offensive line regressed so terribly a year ago and there's no mystery why the locker room completely collapsed. Tony Sparano was the glue in that coaching staff. And Jeff Ireland is a Parcells disciple that I have full confidence in to take complete control once Bill heads to the beach for good.

And what track record, exactly, are you talking about? Parcells as a coach made teams competitive and disciplined, but the last time that a team that he was affiliated with won a playoff game was 1998. In his three seasons in Dallas, they made the playoffs once, on a 9-7 wildcard berth.

I agree that Parcells is a good coach, but get real, he's not made of magic. There is a very, very long list of coaches that came in and made large impacts in their first year, only to stagnate after that.

Parcells' track record, last 12 years:
1997 (Jets): 9-7, missed playoffs,
1998 (Jets): 12-4, 1-1 in playoffs
1999 (Jets): 8-8, missed playoffs
2000 (Jets, GM): 9-7, missed playoffs
2004 (Cowboys): 6-10, missed playoffs
2005 (Cowboys): 9-7, missed playoffs
2006 (Cowboys): 9-7, 0-1 in playoffs
2008 (Dolphins, EVP): 11-5, 0-1 in playoffs.


So, just to summarize, over the last 12 years, he's been a coach, GM, or EVP for 8 of them. His teams have gone 73-55, which averages out to 9-7 per season. His teams have made the playoffs three times, winning one game combined in those three trips. That's not exactly a rare and distinguished track record.

 

[NewYorkJets1993]

You forgot Joey Porter playing out of his head last year,I doubt he gets even half those sacks he had last year - 7 at most.

Pennington NEVER has two decent years in a row and J. Taylor is not the man he used to be and does anyone outside of Florida really believe Tony Sparano is the next great coach? - I don't.

Parcells make good moves last year and fooled a lot of teams,won't happen again.

Fixed. He never has had two good years in a row, in his career.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

LOL!!!!!! You're joking right?????? Mind telling me how we're falling "further and further back"? The only department we've fallen back on is Wide Receiver. That's it. Quarterback? Improved. RB? Improved? Defense? Improved A LOT. Coaching? Improved. O-Line? Improved, one more year of continuity, and they were one of the best in the NFL even as of last year.

One of the dumbest statements I've ever heard.

Is this Aqua??

I must ask you,Do you really think Sanchez is an improvement over a future HOF legend when Sanchez has yet to take a snap?? - What are you basing this on?

Wasn't the Favre led Jets 8-3 before the bottom dropped out? - I really would not bet on Sanchez winning 8 of his first 11 games. - Sanchez may indeed be better for the Jets than Favre was after he gets acclimated to his team and the brunt of New York fans and media, but it will take a year or two or maybe longer for that to happen...if it ever does that is.

 

[BradyFTW!]

LOL!!!!!! You're joking right?????? Mind telling me how we're falling "further and further back"? The only department we've fallen back on is Wide Receiver. That's it. Quarterback? Improved. RB? Improved? Defense? Improved A LOT. Coaching? Improved. O-Line? Improved, one more year of continuity, and they were one of the best in the NFL even as of last year.

One of the dumbest statements I've ever heard.

Is this Aqua??

No kidding. For one I agree with you in general- the Bills are clearly the redheaded stepchildren of the AFCE. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Jets finish 2 and the Dolphins 3 or vice versa.

In what universe has your quarterbacking improved, though? For all of his faults, Favre was still, at worst, a below-average starting NFL QB. Rookie QBs rarely have the kind of success that Ryan and Flacco had last year. More than likely, you're going to take a major step back in the QB dept. this year. What really matters is whether or not he develops in the coming years.

Edit: FWIW I did like Sanchez at USC; living out here in LA I caught a lot of his games, and I do think that he's the real deal. There's nothing that I'd love more than to see him bomb horribly in NYC though.

 

[NewYorkJets1993]

i must ask you,do you really think sanchez is an improvement over a future hof legend when sanchez has yet to take a snap?? - what are you basing this on?

Wasn't the favre led jets 8-3 before the bottom dropped out? - i really would not bet on sanchez winning 8 of his first 11 games. - sanchez may indeed be better for the jets than favre was but it will take a year or two for that to happen...if it does.

Maybe we will take a slight step back because Sanchez is a rookie. But look at it from this perspective, we won't be pissing away games that we should win.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Maybe we will take a slight step back because Sanchez is a rookie. But look at it from this perspective, we won't be pissing away games that we should win.

IMO The key for the Jets to win the division and/or make the playoffs is based on their defense and the combo of Jones and Washington on Offense,I see Sanchez as a manager,not a leader in his rookie season and I see the Jets as mainly a running team.. and in reality thats the best way to approach the season if I were RR.

 

[BradyFTW!]

IMO The key for the Jets to win the division and/or make the playoffs is based on their defense and the combo of Jones and Washington on Offense,I see Sanchez as a manager,not a leader in his rookie season and I see the Jets as mainly a running team.. and in reality thats the best way to approach the season if I were RR.

Do you think that the Jets have a shot at the playoffs this year? Honestly, I'd be more surprised to see the Phins make it than the Jets. I could maybe see the Jets sneaking in at 9-7 or so if the cards fall right for them, though that'd be tough since 2 of their losses are going to be the Patriots