AFC East

This might be the division with the most questions in it. It is fairly certain that the Patriots are still the best team, but after that, the teams could finish anywhere, so lets take a closer look:
New England Patriots:The case is still arguable that the team that they had last year was the best in history. But that was then and this is now. They lost Asante Samuel, and actually a good deal of their defensive backfield. They also lost Donte Stallworth. And most importantly they lost the element of surprise. Last year, nobody knew if Randy Moss's days in Oakland were a fluke or not, and so he and Tom Brady almost got a free pass to start of their season of record breaking pace. But you could see towards the end of last season and into the playoffs how they slowed down. Teams had started to clamp down more on that duo, and I expect more of the same this season. Couple that with the fact that the defense isnt getting any younger, and you start to see that this is not the same team as last year. But thats not saying that Brady, Moss, and gang dont have anything up their sleeves. They will both do quite well, but dont expect any more record breaking numbers, and Wes Welker will still probably do well, too. Laurence Maroney will have his moments, but lets face it, this team is all about the passing game. And while, yes, the D is old, that doesnt mean that they are not serviceable. As a side note, I am excited to see Jerod Mayo play with this talented veteran bunch surrounding him. Anyway, this team should win the division with little difficulty. The real question is: Will this team push for another perfect season? And if they do, will they break down by the end of the playoffs the way that they did last season? I say, AFC Championship game is the ceiling for this team. There are younger and better squads who are going to get their chance this season.
New York Jets: Ah, the Brett Favre "Era" has begun. I dont see him lasting much longer than two seasons in this environment, but well get there soon enough. First of all, after the dismalness of last season, New Yorks front office was very busy trying to turn this team into a contender immediately. New names and faces include: Brett Favre, Alan Faneca, Dustin Keller, Kris Jenkins, Vernon Gholston, and the excting thing is that all of those guys could have an immediate impact. So, lets start with the offense. Yes, Brett Favre makes it immediately better, but I think that the biggest addition to this team was Alan Faneca, who, when paired with Nick Mangold and D'Brickshaw Ferguson, could help make this a fantastic left side of the line, opening holes for the underachieving Thomas Jones. This is particularly important because Favre, even though he is great, doesnt have much help in the passing game. Coles and he will be a great combo, and Cotchery could become something, but Im not seeing this team as one that is built around the pass. Even last year, the Packers didnt get to where they were without Ryan Grant. Favre needs a running game, and I think that he might get it. One surprising position of depth for the Jets is the tight end position. They have four guys who could conceivably start for other teams. And we all know how much Favre likes his tight ends...Defensively, things arent looking so good. Jenkins does immensely improve the middle of the line, but still, this team could be invovled in some shootouts. I think that the playoffs are a possibility, and really, for the front office, the head coach, and for Brett Favre, a must. If the Jets arent in the playoffs, then all of those guys could be gone next year. But its going to be tough in the AFC...
Buffalo Bills-I dont even know where to begin with this team. Are they underachievers or overachievers? Lets look at some examples: QB Troy Edwards? Overachiever. Seriously, how is he starting in the NFL for a team that at least somewhat expects to be in the playoff picture. RB Marshawn Lynch? Overachiever. From a borderline first rounder to the ROY, if Adrian Peterson had never been born. WR Lee Evans? Im not sure. The guy seems like he came out of nowhere to be one of the top WRs in the game, but yet he clearly cannot be the one go t0 option for this team. Anyway, as a whole, this team, at times, seems like they are better than they should be, while at other times seems like they arent getting all that they should be out of their relatively high draft picks. (By the way, its not even really a question of whether JP Losman is an underachiever or overachiever, is it?) The good news for the Bills is that now they have had a full offseason having this group of young guys together, which should help them improve. Pair that with newcomers James Hardy (WR) and Leodis McKelvin (CB) and the future is looking bright in Buffalo (or Toronto, or whatever). Playoffs might be a reach for this season, but Im not going to completely count them out yet. Two seasons down the road, and they might be in the position that the Browns were in last season.
Miami Dolphins: First of all, yes, I am claiming as of right now that they have a VERY outside shot of getting into the playoffs THIS SEASON. After that, I am very confused about most of the things that this team is doing. QBs: Draft Beck in the second last year, draft Henne this year, and then trade for Pennington? Yeah, he absolutely gives you a better chance to win this year, but are you really going to go for that? If I ran this team, Beck would be given till week nine to win four or five games, and if that didnt work, I would give Henne a shot. I wouldnt even have traded for Pennington. RB: Why are bringing back Ricky Williams, much less starting him in front of a young and talented Ronnie Brown? Im not even sure that this guy gives you a better chance to win this year. Im honestly just baffled. Overall, the two headed attack at RB will work better, but I would give Ronnie the bulk of the carries, and spend most of my time with Ricky trying to keep his mouth shut and away from rolled up pieces of paper. Im still confused about the Tedd Ginn decision last year, but I suppose I should have moved past that by now. Jake Long? Yes the decision to draft him made sense on one level: the financial level. It was cheaper to draft him #1 over either Chris Long or Matt Ryan, but other than that, I think that they needed to improve either their QB situation with Matt Ryan, or made what I think would have been the best pick with Chris Long #1 overall. He could be your next Jason Taylor, whos presence they are going to miss immensely, no matter how many Phillip Merlings and Quentin Moses's you draft. Speaking of, on the whole, I was very proud of their draft, producing Long, Merfling, Moses, and Henne. Significantly better than last year. So, on the whole, this should be a rebuilding year for them, unless all of thier apparent bonehead decisions turn out to work perfectly for them. Im not sold, though.
Tomorrow we take a look at arguably the best division in all of sports: the AFC South. It is legitimate to believe that all four squads have playoff hopes. So, until then, ponder these questions: Do the Colts have enough left in the tank? Can Garrard take the next step to stardom? Does Vince Young have enough weapons at his disposal yet? Can a Texan QB go one game without being sacked?

Blessings:
I am, in fact, thankful for football. It maketh me happy.