And that brings me to the big question as we enter the 2014 season: can anyone in this division catch, or even keep up, with the Patriots?
1. New England Patriots (projected division winners) - Despite all the changes that inevitably come over time, the Patriots always seem to play with the same degree of consistency during the Belichik/Brady era. And so long as Belichik and Brady are still there, it is hard to imagine them falling too far from the top. I mean, think of all of the dangerous weapons just on offense that New England has been forced to adjust to do without over the years for various reasons, from defections to other teams, to injuries, to...well, murder. From Randy Moss to Ocho Cinqo, from Aaron Hernandez to Rob Gronkowski, from Dan Woodhead to Wes Welker. In 2008, the Patriots even had to play the entirety of the season without Tom Brady himself, after he was injured in the first half in the opening week. Yet, they hardly ever miss a beat! Whether you are a fan of this team or not, or possibly even the proverbial, dreaded "hater", you have to admit, that is incredibly impressive! You have to admit that you wish your team showed such consistency! Is it possible that another team in this division could upend New England and end their reign of dominance? Sure it is. But it is not likely, as the Patriots still have the most talent and experience of anybody. They have been to three consecutive AFC Championship Games, and were a Super Bowl team just a couple of years ago. A healthy lineup this year should be able to perform sufficiently well to clinch yet another division title, and possibly, even probably, one of the higher seeds in the AFC. This is one franchise that just knows what they are doing, and gets the job done. Whatever improvements the other teams in the division - particularly the Jets and the Dolphins - the fact remains that the Patriots are the best here until proven otherwise. Frankly, I don't see anyone here that will be able to prove any such thing this season, and the Patriots should win this division handily yet again.
2. New York Jets (projected second place) - Rex Ryan might not be the most likable guy in the world (there's just something about that whole Ryan family in general), but the Jets have enjoyed some of their best success during his tutelage. True, the last few seasons were a struggle. But remember, he led the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances in a row, and were in the games and played fairly well both times. His defense lost it's edge over the course of years, but they appear to be on the verge of bouncing back now. This defense allowed 20 or fewer points for eight games last season, which is exactly half the season! If they can improve on that, they can possibly produce a winning record this season on the strength of their defense alone! The offense, while not particularly strong, should be improved over last season, when they had a very dismal showing, and ranked near the bottom, statistically. And all of that translates to a fairly successful season coming up, provided that they remain healthy and focused. But the Jets might want to steer clear of the infamous brash trash talking that, supposedly, fires up the team, but for which they almost always get burned at some point or other. Ryan apparently learned his lesson, after one too many predictions of the Jets landing in the Super Bowl at season's end went awry. No more talk about being the best defense, or the best to play your position. The emphasis should be on proving it where it counts the most - on the field. Talk, as the saying goes, is cheap, and that is a lesson that these Jets should have learned better than anybody else, by now. They can enjoy a successful season if they all things work in their favor, like the already mentioned health and focus (and luck certainly would be needed as well), but they also need to remain united as a team, and focused on what they do on the field, not on trash talking off of it. But if they play their cards right, the Jets could see their flight take off this season, and land, if not in the Super Bowl, than at least in the playoffs. If everything goes right. A big "if", especially for this team...
3. Miami Dolphins (projected third place) - The only reason that I do not have Miami in second place, and quite possibly in position to make a serious playoff run themselves, is that I believe the Jets will have a solid season this year. But if New York does not do that, Miami is right there, nipping on their heels. But Miami is, I suspect, still building towards producing a winner, and not quite there yet. They can enjoy successful runs but, if last season showed anything, this team too often cannot sustain it. Remember when they had everyone standing up and taking notice after the very impressive 3-0 start last season, after having defeated two playoff teams from the previous season? They then lost four in a row, including at home to Buffalo! In fact, the Buffalo Bills swept this team last year! The Dolphins had another impressive, three game winning streak late in the season, winning at the Jets, at Pittsburgh, and at home against New England. But overall, Miami posted a rather dismal 2-4 record within the division, and remember, other than the Patriots, this was a weak division! They simply have to do better than that, if they want to be a playoff contender. As tough as they were on defense, this teamed struggled mightily at times offensively, even if Tannehill appears to be their man at the helm. They only broke through for 30 or more points once all season, and scored a grand total of 7 points combined in their final two games, when they were fighting for their playoff lives! This season, the tests begin right way, as they open the season at home against the Patriots, then go off to Buffalo for a road game against that team that, rather inexplicably, had their number last year! The Dolphins were shut out, 19-0, by the Bills in Buffalo in last year's meeting, and it goes without saying that, win or lose, they need a better showing this time around! Outside of the division, Miami has some tough games on their schedule - playing the Packers, the Chiefs, the Chargers, and the Ravens at home, and going on the road to play Detroit, Chicago, and Denver! They can win some of those, if everything holds up, but Miami is not good enough to expect to win those games without exhausting their physical and mental capacities, and using a lot of ingenuity. Miami looked like a serious playoff contender for much of last season, and even managed to muster four wins against eventual playoff teams! But they absolutely need to find the consistency that has been missing in recent seasons. If they can get past those hurtles, this could very well be a legitimate playoff contender!
4. Buffalo Bills (projected last place) - Ah, Buffalo! The Bills had some high expectations each of the last few seasons, but they always seem to wind up as a losing team by season's end. Last year, this team was not remarkably impressive on either offense or defense. They managed to score in the upper twenties or more only three times last season, during a four game stretch towards the end. And they were 2-2 during that most impressive offensive stretch of their season! EJ Manuel seems to be their man at QB, but the Bills still have not exactly been lighting it up consistently, and need improvements both on offense and defense this year. They have their share of tough games this season, all part of the deal with the AFC East having to meet the NFC North and especially the AFC West this year. With games at Denver, at Chicago, and at Detroit, as well as home games against Green Bay, San Diego, and Kansas City (and that's just mentioning those games outside of this division), Buffalo has their work cut out for them if they are going to improve upon last year's 6-10 mark. They have some tough games to start with, too, which means that they have to find a way to avoid the possibility of a very poor start. But the Bills have some talent in place on both offense and defense, and if everything works out well for them, they can take strides, even possibly dramatic and surprising ones, towards improving this year. Traditionally, however, they have struggled, and that is why I expect them to be the cellar dweller in the AFC East this season, once again. I would love to say otherwise, but I just don't see any reason to expect anything different this coming season.
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