Bills are no doormat
Taking a good look at the 4 teams in the AFC East, I don't see a pushover. The Bills have a few more holes than the other three, but they've done a lot to improve their offense and they have an easier schedule. A lot of people forget how good Bledsoe is. His last few seasons with NE were a struggle b/c they had one of the worst O-lines in the league, not to mention no RB. Buffalo did a lot to improve their line (drafting M. Williams and signing Teague). With time to throw and guys like Moulds, Price, Centers, etc. to throw to, I think Bledsoe could be a pro bowler again. Also, I think Buffalo's two young RBs will be better this season behind the improved O-line. Give Bledsoe a year to gel with his new teammates and give the front office another offseason to bolster the D-line, and Buffalo could be the team to beat in 2003.
As for 2002, I really don't sweat the Jets. I don't care if they get Warren Sapp and Ray Lewis tomorrow, Captain Overthrow (Testeverde) and the Smurf Village (Chrebet, Moss, et al) will account for enough turnovers to nullify any defense. Also, don't discount the importance of chemistry. The core players on Miami's defense have been together for 4 years now. Meanwhile the Jets' D will likely include 7 or 8 new starters including 2 rookies, at least 6 free agents and a young, unproven player switching positions (Ellis).
As for NE, they lost some depth, have a tougher schedule and just simply cannont repeat the four leaf clover cinderella season they just had. Their QB is inexperienced, their receivers are short and they only have one good CB which can be dangerous for a team that relies on the blitz so much.
I like Miami's chances a lot. The team looks good from top to bottom, including depth at most positions. My concern is the O-line. Of the 11 guys competing for 9 O-line spots, 4 (Searcy, Dixon, Smith, Spriggs) are coming off serious injuries, 2 (Ruddy, Perry) are coming off disappointing seasons, 1 hasn't played b/c of a weight problem (Nails), 1 is a rookie (McKinney) and 2 are unproven (Andrews, Cesario). Only RT (Wade) is a sure thing. If enough guys can stay healthy and the coaching staff can find the right O-line combination, I think the Dolphins will not only win the division but could seriously compete for the Super Bowl. I dont' think there's a single team in the whole AFC that we don't match up favorably with, however I really hope that if we're still playing at the end of January that the Rams aren't the team on the other side of the field. They made us look like a college team last season.
