Sunday, September 12, 2010

NFL 2010 Preview-AFC East

Miami Dolphins (11-5): So, about a month ago, Erik calls me up because he wants to make fun on Teddy Bruschi who, in Erik's unesteemed opinion, had just said two of the dumbest things he'd ever heard. He asked me two questions. The first, "Who will be the comeback player of the year?" I can't remember my answer, but Bruschi's was Wes Welker, which is indeed stupid. The second, "Who will be the most improved player this year?" I answered with Chad Henne. This was Bruschi's answer and, of course, Erik was flabbergasted. It made me laugh. With Brandon Marshall demanding the ball, a solid defense, and the perfection of the Wildcat, Henne may not be the most talented quarterback in the world, but he's going to look great.

New England Patriots (9-7): New England's goose is finally cooked. They're old and beat up, they have no running game, and their defense is suspect. Tom Brady is still a very good quarterback, one of the best, but his receivers get worse every year. How many games will Wes Welker play before destroying another knee? That they believe they can continue with Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris at running back tells me they think they're better than they are. Nine wins isn't bad, of course, but their loser fans will be disappointed without another playoff run. They really need to think about a certain amount of rebuilding, but they are much too arrogant for that.

New York Jets (7-9): I love a team that talks smack, but if you don't back it up, you wind up like me in fantasy football: hated and bad. This is the Jets, who are a massively overrated group who pulled a real Redskins-style offseason, signing up every veteran jerk on the market. Mark Sanchez plain isn't good and, while their defense certainly is, they aren't going to be able to score any points. It'll be funny to watch them fail, since they think so highly of themselves. Will Revis get complacent now that he's been paid? It's always a danger; teams are certainly going to test him this year. I'm sure he wants them to bring it on, but these guys aren't going back to the playoffs this year, no way.

Buffalo Bills (4-12): It's easy to forget that they field a team in Buffalo, but I'm always reminded when I see their low number on the scoreboard. This is a terrible team; not quite Rams terrible, but really close. CJ Spiller has a chance to be good, but not on this team. They have some good players on defense and Lee Evans is an excellent receiver who has had a waste of a career due to the ridiculous choices the team makes at quarterback. They're going to be brutal to watch this year. Four wins might be a stretch.