FFF v2 - The AFC East

Welcome to FFF version 2.0. Today we will be looking at the schedules of our beloved AFC East, home of YOUR NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. Unlike Rex Ryan, I will try not to be overly-bias and make outlandish proclamations about MY team....

• Buffalo Bills - The Bills schedule is about as exciting as the Bills' team. They have just six games against 2010 playoff teams, four of which are versus the Pats and Jets. Unfortunately for them, they face plenty of teams that are currently getting stronger, including the completely revamped NFC East. They begin the season on the road in Kansas City, one of the toughest stadiums to play in as a visitor in the league. Their home opener comes in week 2 against a sporadic Raiders team, a game that Buffalo can probably steal if they can keep Darren McFadden and Michael Bush at bay. In week 3 they face off against the Patriots at home, and unless Bruce Smith pulls a Benjamin Button, they have no chance of winning. Next up are the Bengals on the road, which will either be their first win or get them to .500. Before their week 7 bye, Philly comes to Buffalo followed by a trip to Giants Stadium. The Bills don't have a prayer in either of those matchups. Following the bye are the Redskins and Jets at home. The Redskins will probably struggle under John Beck this season, giving the Bills hope for their third win, but they will surely lose their first matchup with the Jets. The team then hits the road for three straight games against Dallas, Miami, and ending with the Jets again. They will be lucky to win one of those contests, and if they do it will be the Dolphins who they take down. Their next opponent is the Titans, who will be one of the more intriguing teams to watch this year. Led by Matt Hasselbeck, they could be a lot better then last year's 4-12 team, hosting a more balanced run-pass attack then years past. It is easy to imagine Chris Johnson rushing for 200 yards against the porous Bills run defense. Next is a road trip to San Diego, which can be chalked-up as another loss. They finish the season off with home games against Miami and Denver, and finally a road trip to New England. Best case scenario, they win two of the three, either taking down the Dolphins and Broncos, or splitting the two games and stealing one from the Pats (although unlikely as New England will be looking to preserve their 15-0 record). In the end, Buffalo will spend the season battling for the basement with Miami. My prediction: 5-11 at season end.
  
• Miami Dolphins - Although Miami added Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas to their offensive backfield, they still have the weakest overall offense in the East, mainly because of Chad Henne. Henne has already been booed by Dolphin fans in preseason practices, foreshadowing another tumultuous season. I'm not going to bother going through their schedule, because I don't think they will win more than four games. Cleveland, Washington, Buffalo, and Oakland are the only teams they have a remote shot at beating. The team looks a lot like the 2007 Dolphins, who went 1-15. The only positive is that their home games are against weaker opponents, giving them a slight edge in a few contests, but ultimately they probably sneak just two or three wins out of the season in boring, low scoring, mistake-filled games. They will beat the Browns, Redskins, and split with Buffalo, leading them to a 3-13 record. The season will be a reminder that they still need a quarterback, but should be in good position to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes with one of the worst records in football.
• New York Jets - The Jets are a tricky team to predict. Aside from the fact that I hate them and would love nothing more then for them to go 7-9, they also are prone to meltdowns in certain games, losing when they should win and vice-versa. In terms of personnel, not a whole lot has changed on the offensive side of the ball. They replace drop-happy Braylon Edwards at WR with Plaxico Burress, who is fresh off of a 2 year prison sentence. Plax is about to turn 34, but as a big, possession receiver, age shouldn't hinder his ability as much as a WR that relies on speed. Once he develops a rhythm with Mark Sanchez, the two could be very threatening. On the defensive side of the ball, they have a retooled defensive line, but are virtually the same elsewhere. The reason they lost five games in 2010 was because their offense became anemic against top defenses. Without taking their game against Chicago into account, they scored a combined 18 points in their first four losses. In a league where shutouts are a rarity, the Jets were one of just four teams to be blanked last year, proving their lack of offensive prowess at times. With matchups against Baltimore, Kansas City, Philly, the Giants, and the Patriots, they face a few tough defenses in 2011, but also face plenty of softies as well. Unfortunately for the Jets, losers of two straight AFC Championships, they did little to improve their weaknesses in the off-season. Sanchez has gotten better, but he will never be a top-5 statistical QB, and their receiving depth is glaring weakness after losing Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, and Brad Smith. Disregarding Dustin Keller's presence, they will be forced to use Patrick Turner or rookie Jeremy Kerley in three WR sets. Without an established passing attack, they will struggle against big offensive lines, especially New England's and Kansas City's. They will lose at least one matchup against the Pats, and will lose to Baltimore, KC, and Philly as well. In the end, they will finish 11-5 and make the playoffs as the wild card again. But they are a first-round playoff casualty this year, as other AFC teams have done much more to improve themselves.
• New England Patriots - They didn't address their horrendous pass-rush the way most would've thought, but Albert Haynesworth is the key to the Patriots' season. If he forms a dynamic duo with Vince Wilfork, this team has Super Bowl written all over it. For what it's worth, the Patriots have a perfect blend of youth and veterans on both sides of the ball. On defense, they may be exposed in the secondary at times, but up front they are as big and physical as any team in the league. With a defensive front of Fat Albert, Wilfork, Mike Wright, Brandon Spikes, Jerrod Mayo, and Jermaine Cunningham, teams will have an extremely difficult time running the ball. As they have in the past few seasons, they will man-handle Miami and Buffalo, as well as weaker opponents like Washington, Denver, and the regressing Chargers. They get the Colts at home, but go into Pittsburgh in late October and Philly in November. Those will be their most challenging non-division games, but if they can avoid the injury bug and play Patriot football, they can handle anything thrown their way. They are helped by facing Pitt coming off a bye, but are forced to face Super Bowl contenders with their matchup against the NFC East. Just as there are many uncertain scenarios league-wide, the Patriots season will be determined by the success of their newcomers. But the Pats still have the makeup of a 13+ win team, and should win the division for a third straight time. The Patriots will go 13-3, and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, which will lead to their first Super Bowl berth since 2007.