At the beginning of the 2009 NFL regular season, the AFC East had very high hopes and much was buzzing in this division. The Buffalo Bills picked up Terrell Owens, the Miami Dolphins were coming off a successful campaign, the New York Jets drafted the Mark “The Sanchize” Sanchez and the New England Patriots were expected to win it all.
One thing that’s great about the NFL is anything can happen (Please see post not yet written: Why Betting the NFL is Impossible). Just when you think you have it figured out, the New England Patriots lose a home playoff game…err…get embarrassed in a home playoff game. Let’s take a look how each team’s season panned out and what we can expect in the future:
New England Patriots:
The New England Patriots had their hero, Tom Brady, back in action. The NFL’s golden boy didn’t disappoint - however, his counter part, Randy Moss, looked as if he was sleep walking through many games. What really struck me about some of Randy Moss’s pitiful mid-season performances was when he held a press conference and said he can carry the team on his shoulders.
I’m all for talking a big game - assuming you can back it up. I could have easily duplicated Randy Moss’s effort in the New England Patriots first-round playoff home loss against the Baltimore Ravens. Hey Bill Belichick, suit me and up and I will stand on the field and not move - I can do that! The Patriots seem to have lost their aura and shield of invincibility. Sorry to go here but maybe they are no longer taping other teams? Just a thought.
New York Jets:
TheDailyContributor.com is located in Southern California so it was near impossible not to watch Mark Sanchez play for the USC Trojans Football team. I must admit I did not think Sanchez would have preformed so well in his rookie year. Yes, Sanchez had his share of rookie moments - all rookies do. But the fact of the matter is Sanchez, a rookie, has led his team to the second round of playoffs via an impressive road win defeating the Cincinnati Bengals.
It pains me to admit that the New York Jets have an extremely bright future ahead of themselves. If Darrelle Revis and the rest of the New York Jets defense continues to play at the level it’s currently playing at, they will find themselves in the second round of the playoffs, and beyond, pretty frequently. Look for the Jets to take over the Patriots as the perennial AFC East champions.
Miami Dolphins:
Let me start by saying how impressed I was with Ricky Williams this year. The man was simply on a mission and if you watched any of his games this year you could see how hard he was running. Ricky was running with absolute purpose this year to create one of the leagues better backfields along side Ronnie Brown.
I’m also very impressed with Chad Henne and believe he will be a star in the National Football League. However, the Dolphins need to give Pat White more touches - I attended the University of Connecticut and became accustomed to watching Pat White and the West Virginia Mountaineers Football team absolutely shred my beloved Connecticut Football defense. Play Pat White - bottom line.
Buffalo Bills:
When I was younger the Buffalo Bills were one of the best teams in the NFL. Now, to start their 2009 NFL regular season, they pick up the once-epic Terrell Owens just to sell tickets. Perhaps if he can hold on to the ball it would have worked. It’s very frustrating being an NFL fan and to have to watch this once-proud franchise fritter and waste.
I believe Roger Goodell should have the authority to strip an owner from his / her team. It’s pathetic watching the Buffalo Bills be horrible. Signing Terrell Owens proves to me that this franchise is headed in the opposite direction to where it should be going. Why sign an aging star just to sell tickets? From a business stand point it still doesn’t make sense because the overall product is still horrible. Ship the Bills to L.A., they don’t deserve them any more.
2010 Regular Season Standing Predictions:
1) New York Jets (11 - 5)
2) Miami Dolphins (9 - 7)
3) New England Patriots ( 9-7)
4) Buffalo Bills (5 - 11)
