A recent trend and the 2008 AFC East

[Welker83]

They also added Posluszny and Wendling.

i thought they reached a little for wendling, but they were much needed pick-ups. Still, that teamlost A lot of productive vets, and rookies have a habit of not producing fully right away...

 

[Pat_the_Patriot]

I already covered Buffalo with the "three team division" comment. Nevermind winning it, Buffalo doesn't even make the AFC East this year.

I think that, when all is said and done, the AFC East will finish out as follows:

1. New England
2. Buffalo
3. Jets
4. Fins

MIA will be just that this year (IMHO).... MIA, I believe that they'll have a top ten pick again next year.... Saban just did too much (or not enough, depending) to that team in too short a time.

NYJ are "doing it right"... rebuilding, gaining strength... .but I don't think Pennington lasts the season... and without Pennington throwing the ball, I just think that the Jets are sunk. If Pennington goes out in weeks 1 - 4, they'll struggle to win 6 games.... even with Pennington, I think that they will have to play better than last year to win 9 games.

BUFF, I think... will surprise us all. I like what they're doing up there. They are getting rid of the cancers, cutting fan faves to make way for system players, drafting smart, picking up the FAs that they think can help them now and in the future and, in general, just rebuilding correctly. I don't think they have a shot against us... but I do think that they have a shot at being in the wild card hunt in the last quarter of the season (for that sixth spot).... I'd say a lot of teams had better watch out for the Bills this year.... I think they'll surprise some folks.

Just my thoughts (which are as worthless as any other fans)... but I'm not sure why the Bills get no respect at all.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Lets put this to rest - THE BILLS WILL NOT BE BETTER THAN THE JETS!

The Bills will be lucky if they are not one of the top 5 worst teams this year,The team lost 3 great and VERY important players and although they did well in the draft it will take a few years to regain their strength back as a threat in this division.

Mark it down - Bills LAST in the east.

Regardless of how banged up the Jets get,they will win at least 8 games this year,likely a few more.

 

[Welker83]

Lets put this to rest - THE BILLS WILL NOT BE BETTER THAN THE JETS!

The Bills will be lucky if they are not one of the top 5 worst teams this year,The team lost 3 great and VERY important players and although they did well in the draft it will take a few years to regain their strength back as a threat in this division.

Mark it down - Bills LAST in the east.

Regardless of how banged up the Jets get,they will win at least 8 games this year,likely a few more.

I agree..
1. Pats
2. Jets
3. Fins
4. Bills

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Pats
Jets
Bills
Phins

Even though the Bills lost key players, they have an OK young QB whom the new (last year's) coaching staff seems able to handle. They drafted well, adding youthful vigor. Enough to surpass the fading Phins who also lost players and who'll be adjusting to yet another "next Don Shula" coaching staff.

 

[zippo59]

So I came up with this while browsing Jets Insider. I posted my thoughts, but not a single person responded. They instead only responded to their resident Pats troll, calling him names and blaming him for dragging down their site. The irony was not lost on me.

Well, since those Jets fans were useless I turn to my PatsFans brethren:



In a previous thread I predicted the Jets to fall to 7-9 while Miami rises to 9-7. After looking up these stats I found some basis for my earlier prediction.

What does everyone think? Are the Jets any different, or will they suffer the same fall? Will Miami jump back up to playoff contention? Is NE pretty much guaranteed the division title? Would 3rd place be a successful season for buffalo (I say yes)?

Wait, so according to this the Dolphins will come in second next year? Aqua will be thrilled.

 

[Born_a_Patriot]

Oops...must be a typo..cause you obviously mean buffalo...you know the team that lost it's RB, 2 LB's, and #1 CB, while adding only 2 linemen castoffs and a running back in the draft that would have been a late first round pick a year ago...

Everytime I see your Avatar I loose my lunch.

 

[Aqua4Ever04]

Wait, so according to this the Dolphins will come in second next year? Aqua will be thrilled.

HAHA! Good stuff.

 

[The Gr8est]

They also added Posluszny and Wendling.

Wendling? I know many of us fans really liked him, but he DID last until late (6th round?). Who's right and who's wrong? My money is on the personnel directors of the 32 teams who didn't think very highly of him in a weak draft.

 

[zippo59]

Wendling? I know many of us fans really liked him, but he DID last until late (6th round?). Who's right and who's wrong? My money is on the personnel directors of the 32 teams who didn't think very highly of him in a weak draft.

I'm not saying he's great or anything but he is one of the bigger names to look out for. It wouldn't be the first time a good player came out of the sixth round.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

These four posts seem to be the crux of the matter.

To me the Jets are tied to Pennington and his health (which applies to most teams and their starting QB). Think about it with a healthy Pennington they usually win 9 or 10 games without a healthy Pennington they win about 25% of their games.

So IMO if Chad stays healthy they win 9 or 10 games this season if isn't then I guess we'll find out if Clemens is ready.

Penny is a good QB, despite the noodle.

Simple explanation for what happened:

You finish last, and next year you play the last place teams.

You finish second, and next year you play the second-place teams.

That would make teams who are not truly improving, but merely treading water, bounce up and down in the standings.

Schedule impact.

Biggest problem for the Jets last year was stopping the run. They ranked #24 in the league in rushing yrds allowed and a dismal 27th overall in yards allowed per carry.

As far as I can tell, they haven't done anything to improve in that area and it will kill them in 2007.

They also had one of the luckiest seasons in recent NFL history with regard to injuries to starting players. They were unbelievably healthy all last season. That's unlikely to happen two years in a row.

The tools Mangini inherited and needed to adapt to his plans.

The "surprise" element that the Jets enjoyed last year is gone. Teams will be ready for them this year, but tI think the Jets will be prepared for that. Mangini saw what happened in 2002 the year after New England won their first SB and I think he's going to do a marvelous job of avoiding that trap.

However as someone said earlier, Pennington's health is key for the Jets.

Look for a big year from Brad Smith.

Mangini's ability to plan ahead and adapt is key. He's bringing in competition for DL slots, we must also remember most of his players were new to the 3-4, he got some impressive results out those folks.

Free Agency:
- Acquired: FB Darian Barnes (Miami); DE Kenyon Coleman (Dallas); QB Marques Tuiasosopo (Oakland); DE David Bowens (Miami); DE Andre Wadsworth (Arizona); DE Michael Haynes (Chicago)
- Lost: FB BJ Askew (Tampa Bay)
- Trade: RB Thomas Jones (Chicago)

Draft: CB Revis, ILB Harris, OT Bender, WR Stuckey.

UDFA:
Kyle Steffes, RB, North Dakota State; Jessie Allen, FB, Virginia Tech; Mark Zalewski, LB, Wisconsin; Brett Ratliff, QB, Utah; Leonard Peters, SS, Hawaii; Kevin McCulloch, LB, Cincinnati; Mike DeVito, DT, Maine; Matt King, DE, Maine; Andrew Wicker, OL, Ole Miss; Dominic Moran, OL, Western Michigan; Dustin Osborn, WR, Colorado State; Alvin Banks, RB, James Madison; Mike Dominguez, LS, Boise State; Charles Clark, S, Ole Miss; James Ihedigbo, S, UMass (try-out); Paul Thompson, WR/QB, Oklahoma; Caleb Hendrix, CB, Southern Miss

When you look at what Mangini is doing, it seems he and Tannenbaum are trying hard to build the same kind of relationship Belichick and Pioli enjoy. They have a team that played both Superbowl teams tough and nearly beat them early in the season when they where still learning the lessons Mangini was teaching, they did beat the Pats in Foxborough to give themselves some confidence. They are the #1 contender the Pats must face for the AFCE and Mangini has, on paper, improved his defensive backfield, ILB corps, RBs, and created strong competition on the DL.

Miami is a big question mark, but Buffalo looks a lot better on paper than I think people want to give them credit...since I want a tough division to make the Pats work for every yard, I'm hoping all three improve.

May paper-tiger ranking:
Pats
Jets
Bills
Dolphins.

 

[Welker83]

Everytime I see your Avatar I loose my lunch.

Sweet! thanks a lot man!

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Pats finish first, after that there's a drop. Assuming Green goes to Miami, I can see them improving. The Jets schedule is tough, so they drop. Buffalo is an abortion and they have a tough schedule. I'll go with this as my predictions

NE - 13-3
Jets - 8-8
Miami - 8-8
Buffalo 3-13

 

[AFPatsFan12]

Simple explanation for what happened:

You finish last, and next year you play the last place teams.

You finish second, and next year you play the second-place teams.

That would make teams who are not truly improving, but merely treading water, bounce up and down in the standings.

The concept of "first place" vs. "last place" schedules is exceedingly overrated since the 2002 reallignment. We can peg who 14 of 16 opponents are for each of the AFC East teams years and years into the future. The only difference between first and last place schedules are two games. Of course, you would rather play Oakland and Houston than San Diego and Indy, but 2 games difference is not enough to explain extreme record fluctuations from year to year (which is why I get a kick out of fans *****ing about who they're playing, when as soon as the final gun has sounded on week 17, next year's opponents are locked).

 

[evans555]

Lets put this to rest - THE BILLS WILL NOT BE BETTER THAN THE JETS!

The Bills will be lucky if they are not one of the top 5 worst teams this year,The team lost 3 great and VERY important players and although they did well in the draft it will take a few years to regain their strength back as a threat in this division.

Mark it down - Bills LAST in the east.

Regardless of how banged up the Jets get,they will win at least 8 games this year,likely a few more.

Listen buddy you know nothing about Buffalo Bills football absolutly NOTHING....Let me guess you turn ESPN on your television and assume what ever comes out of Mortenson or Wingo's mouth is truth......

Yes Nate the great was a major loss (although SF overpaid imo)

BUT to say Spikes and Fletcher were GREAT and IMPORTANT players is a joke. Fletch is and was one of the worst LB's against the run and was a product of "racking" up tackles because of a garbage Bills D-line. HE IS OLD the Bills are going youth, My question to you: Do you even know what D the Bills play (Oh wait you will prob. google it) Flech dosnt fit the cover 2, if you have any knowledge of football you would know this

And Spikes Was great.....The key would is WAS. I'm also assuming your knowledge of AH surgery or lack there of is also comparable to your football knowledge

Stick to your team when trying to use your crystal ball..........

And get ready to hear alot about Lynch running behind Jason Peters and Derrick Dockery

 

[Aqua4Ever04]

Pats finish first, after that there's a drop. Assuming Green goes to Miami, I can see them improving. The Jets schedule is tough, so they drop. Buffalo is an abortion and they have a tough schedule. I'll go with this as my predictions

NE - 13-3
Jets - 8-8
Miami - 8-8
Buffalo 3-13

That's pretty reasonable. I too think the Jets will fall off and also that Green finally gives some stability at the quarterback position and lastly that the Bills will be awful. Give the Fins another win, the Jets one less and the Pats go 12-4.

This probably the first time I've ever agreed with you.

 

[Fencer]

Spikes got injured early in the season, right? So he's not a big loss vs. last season.

As for the Jets -- that's quite a list of aging but not wholly useless DL they've brought in. The Jets are indeed building the right way. And Mangini on a good day is indeed in BB's league coaching-wise, which is why he got to be a BB coordinator and why he got good secondary play out of people like immortal Hank Poteat.

Let's not be too smug about them.

 

[bradmahn]

Spikes got injured early in the season, right? So he's not a big loss vs. last season.

As for the Jets -- that's quite a list of aging but not wholly useless DL they've brought in. The Jets are indeed building the right way. And Mangini on a good day is indeed in BB's league coaching-wise, which is why he got to be a BB coordinator and why he got good secondary play out of people like immortal Hank Poteat.

Let's not be too smug about them.

...Maybe with BB on a bad day (see Jets win this season). Look at the playoffs when Mangini came at the Pats with the same gameplan, how did Belichick handle that one?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

This probably the first time I've ever agreed with you.

Jacky my man, you should feel honored!

 

[rookBoston]

13-3... 12-4...?

Where are the 16-0 predictions? That's what this board was full of in 2002. And this team, on paper is way better than that one was.

I think 14-2 and 15-1 are very much in play for this season. We can talk about tough competition in the Division, but the only thing preventing this team from going undefeated it mental stamina.