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Who’s to Blame? Options, Options, Options

Published: September 15, 2009

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24-25.

That’s it, folks. That’s the final score.

Whether you threw something through your television, broke down and cried, or laughed it off with a typical “what do you expect, it’s Buffalo” joke, Buffalo played their hearts out, were expecting to win it—not just keep it close—but in the waning moments broke your heart just one more time.

So, who’s to blame?

It’s not just one man that cost this team the win, quite a few guys cost the Bills this one.

Let’s start with Terrell Owens. Where was he? I know the game plan was to get the ball in Fred Jackson’s hands, but two receptions for 46 yards—while it’s actually great Y.P.C.—won’t get it done. A drop on third down was critical; Buffalo has to sustain drives if they want playoffs this year. Owens has suspect hands, and it showed.

Lee Evans also dropped a pass on third down, and even though it is uncharacteristic of him, it is not acceptable. Why wasn’t Josh Reed, Mr. Reliable, making those crucial third down catches? He made one and wouldn’t you know it, it got called back. Other than that, Reed wasn’t a target.

Overall execution and third down conversions were huge. Buffalo only completed 40 percent of their third downs and had a grand total of 276 yards to New England’s 441.

Which brings us to the next point: the offensive line actually held up okay. Edwards got sacked four times, but for the most part, he had time and put the ball on the money. It’s nice to see him make smart decisions.

Penalties killed the Bills’ offense, though. Demetrius Bell in particular looked green. He had a holding penalty and two illegal formation penalties called against him. He also gave up two of the four sacks Edwards took.

I’m not saying he was horrible, but he’s got a long way to go. The good thing is he’s young and so are the guys around him, and so in time, this line can really grow together. Upside is there, so keep your chin up rook(s).

Outside of the fourth quarter, Buffalo’s pass rush was pretty good. Aaron Schobel had arguably the greatest game of his career with the sack and pick-six. Schobel is still the DE that plays Tom Brady best.

Aaron Maybin didn’t look like a world beater, but he certainly showed promise at times. He runs fast and is always moving, even if he is getting engulfed by much bigger offensive linemen. You also have to add into account that he was put in strictly situational roles throughout most of the game.

The DBs gave up the dink and dunk, though. Randy Moss and Wes Welker both combined for 24 completions for over 200 yards. Nobody can really be sold on the way Buffalo plays their pass coverage. They give too much of a cushion and don’t play enough press.

Against the run, Buffalo did a pretty good job, but they need to find a way to force the opposing team to run the ball if they want to win games because they absolutely cannot stop the pass.

Brady threw two touchdowns and guess what: It was the exact same play call, and the ball went to the exact same player, Ben Watson. Keith Ellison did a nice job trailing Watson, but he gave up those big plays, which should make Bills fans uncomfortable now that Paul Posluszny is out indefinitely with a broken arm.

Finally, Leodis Mckelvin should have never taken that ball out of the end zone. You really can’t place any blame on him for being aggressive and having that win-the-game mentality. But if you have that mentality, you must protect the football. He failed to do this.

Now, there are rumors about a player on Buffalo’s squad house being vandalized because of the loss and if that’s true, it’s a very class-less act.

Who could it be?

Bell, for all his penalties and sacks? McKelvin, for the fumble? Or Ellison, for giving up two big touchdowns on the exact same play call? Or was it somebody else entirely?

Word will get out eventually. Ultimately though, the team lost; this is a team sport. Buffalo could have won the game, but in the waning minutes of the game, instead of putting the heat on Brady, they chose to drop seven and rush four. It should have been the other way around.

Rush seven, drop four; that’s playing to win when you need a win with your defense. Dick Jauron and Perry Fewell would do well to remember that next time.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Offensive Problems: Aaron Maybin Is the First Step To the Solution

Published: August 30, 2009

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QUESTION:

How could a defensive player be a solution to the offense’s problem?

ANSWER:

The Bills defensive player would have to contribute towards keeping the opposing offense off the field and off the scoreboard.

CONCLUSION:

The Bills starting defense held Pittsburgh to 10 points in one half of football. Trent Edwards gave them another seven.

How ironic that is. Have you ever given your seven game? A J.P. Losman seven game? Is Edwards turning into flash in the pan? He showed signs as a rookie than faltered as a second-year man down the stretch and now he is showing a horrible grasp for pressure and poorly anticipates throws.

So…

17-0. That’s the final score of Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo. For the second time in a row Buffalo showed that they can’t score on offense, they can’t sustain offensive drives, they can’t put consistent pressure on opposing QB’s, and their pass defense looked putrid.

It starts with Trent Edwards. He played bad, so bad that the coaching staff should honestly be considering Fitzpatrick as the starter.

Edwards would not pull the trigger for anything. He targeted Lee Evans once and Josh Reed once and guess what? Neither one of these guys were expecting the pass. Neither guy caught a pass.

Are these guys confused? It doesn’t seem like these players are in sync. The receivers are acting like they are decoys. They never seem to be expecting the ball to be thrown their way. Bills fans don’t expect Josh Reed to be in Buffalo after this year.

Don’t count on Edwards as your starting QB after this year either. Maybe he could develop into to a spot starter, but he sure as hell didn’t look like a starter.

If the season goes up in flames, look for Buffalo to look for their QB in next years draft. Jevan Snead, anybody?

Alright forget that for now. Terrell Owens won’t be thrilled if Edwards continues to play timid football. What will that do for Buffalo? Nothing. T.O. will walk out the door after this season and everybody who bought 81 will feel shortchanged.

Okay, okay, maybe that is a little harsh. Or maybe it isn’t. What are these preseason games really about? I would hope not a total embarrassment. You would think after 13 years Buffalo would find and answer at QB, but so far no good.

So let’s get to the bright spot. Aaron Maybin showed up big. There has been plenty of debate as to what he could do for the team and many people were saying he was undersized and weak. First game in and he got himself a sack.

He hustles. You can tell he wants it. He has a lot to learn about the pro game, but he seems to have the determination that you need to succeed. He was double covered on quite a few plays, but he somehow found ways to put some pressure on the QB. He seemed to be the only one, too.

Problem is Buffalo needs more than just Maybin on that defensive line. Where was Chris Kelsay, or Ryan Denney? This was a starter’s games. They sure didn’t look like starters.

Marcus Stroud sat as did Aaron Schobel, so it’s hard to gauge what this defense can really do. The Bills are still lacking a true dominant force in the middle of the defensive line and they should be thinking about getting replacements for the aforementioned Kelsay and Denney next year.

Honestly nobody really looked like a star in this game, at least not on Buffalo’s squad. Nobody besides Maybin really stood out. Jairus Byrd was okay. Marcus Buggs was making a case for himself as backup MLB.

Little known Marcus Smith totaled four tackles in the game. That was a tie for first with Chris Ellis on the D-Line. John McCargo burst through the line a couple times but was unable to come up with any tackles. He may find himself getting cut.

The secondary was getting burned. Reggie Corner was abused. Hines Ward schooled him so bad. There is a reason that he had seven tackles in the game. McKelvin wasn’t outstanding either.

As usual Donte Whitner was everywhere. He really flies to the football. This is no joke. He usually takes the correct angles to the ball carrier as well. Anybody calling Donte Whitner a bust is fooling themselves.

Outside of Paul Posluszny the only guy I trust to make a tackle on the entire Bills defense is Whitner. Kawika Mitchell is a solid tackler, but he has been known to take bad angles at times.

Final assessment: The Bills just aren’t physical enough. Instead of letting the defense dictate what you do, make the defense react to what your offense is bringing. That’s what the offense needs.

Defensively Buffalo needs to tighten up in the trenches and jam the receivers and then maybe you bring a ball game.

Punishment Bias: Marshall Walks, Marshawn Chalks

Published: August 3, 2009

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Various news stations are reporting at this time that Marshawn Lynch’s three game suspension will be upheld. For you diehard Bills fans this feels like a blow below the belt.

For one, Lynch is an integral part of this offense and is a force that should be reckoned with every Sunday, and two, this sentence seems a little harsh considering it is only one of two completely unrelated incidents Lynch has been involved in since joining the Buffalo Bills in 2007.

Maybe there is a pattern. Yet, if there is a pattern, than why is it Brandon Marshall, footballs equivalent to Chris Brown, gets a free pass? How many run-ins with the law has he had? Here’s a good answer, you can’t count them with just your hands.

So why is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell taking a relatively lax stance with Marshall, while slapping Lynch harder than when Brown took shots at Rihanna?

It seems to me that Goodell wants to come down hard on gun possession in light of Plaxico Burress’ case, but doesn’t seem to care for the issue of domestic violence.

Let’s review the facts of Lynch’s case. He was with a group of friends when police pulled up to his vehicle they picked up a scent of marijuana and decided to approach Lynch and his friends.

They searched the vehicle and found marijuana cigarettes in the vehicles ashtray prompting them to search the remainder of the vehicle. They found a pistol in a backpack in the trunk of Lynch’s car.

Now in all probability the gun is used for life threatening and self defense purposes only. Think about it, the gun isn’t in the glove box, it’s not on his person, and it certainly isn’t being used to threaten anyone.

The man is from Oakland, if you think he wouldn’t have a gun, coming from where he’s from, you are sadly naïve.

The hypocrisy of the whole situation should utterly disgust anyone who is against gun control. Maybe it’s just me, but owning a pistol is a little less condemning in my eyes than assaulting helpless women.

Ultimately it can do Lynch some good, he chalks it up as a learning experience and doesn’t make the same mistakes again, while Marshall walks and is doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again.

Maybe Goodell thinks its redundant to punish Marshall, while there is hope for Marshawn.

Who knows what goes on in the mind on the Roger “The Enforcer” Goodell?

Media Love/Hate? Sick of Edwards Having to Talk About T.O

Published: July 30, 2009

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At the plate, I love what Terrell Owens brings to the football field. I like how over his career he has done so many incredible and questionable things. From running over Ray Lewis, to the star crucifixion, and the gutsy performance in Super Bowl XXXIX, T.O has had one wild ride in the N.F.L.

And it’s not over. Not yet, anyway. For all that Owens has brought to the game of football he hasn’t achieved the ultimate goal, a Super Bowl title. So why hasn’t there been any talk of this? Buffalo hasn’t been to the playoffs in a decade

Why must fans hear the same questions directed to Trent Edwards over and over again? Are you worried about how Terrell Owens will affect your football team? Have you spoken to quarterbacks that Owens has worked with in the past?

We all understand that T.O is the biggest thing to happen to Buffalo since, well Drew Bledsoe. Getting the key to the city before ever playing a down in a Bills’ uniform is certainly making Byron Brown look like a sycophant, as does mobs of people at airports and the neighborhood grocery market.

Now if I feel this, won’t the players feel the same way? Who is the true leader of this locker-room now? I have a feeling it isn’t Trent Edwards. When does there come a point where we sit down and say enough is enough?

I say this because I genuinely feel that there is enough hype surrounding Buffalo now. Or at least there has been enough media coverage of Owens and maybe fans would like to hear from somebody else for a change.

I know, I know, there isn’t another superstar to talk about. Well that could change this season. If all else, stop handing the microphone to Edwards to talk about Owens and hand it to somebody else to talk about him.

How about getting Marshawn Lynch for an interview? Fred Jackson? An offensive lineman? Turk Schonert? I know all the big media sources just want the big names, but it would really help if they would diversify.

I guess the only thing I can say is the local media are the only ones who get it right. Maybe I should stop watching ESPN, reiterating information is getting bland.

Here’s another good question: How are the other receivers taking all the T.O chatter? I know they haven’t proven half of what T.O has, but come on now every other Bills receiver has been here their entire professional career. Don’t they get a little love?

If the larger media outlets would focus on smaller issues it would make for a better presentation. Of course the flip side would be we could hear hours and hours of information about the Pittsburgh Pirates on ESPN, and I’m sure nobody outside of Pittsburgh wants to hear that.

So in retrospect we can thank the big media guys, because as big as they are, they are usually the slowest to the hot story and usually never have the best information.

Here’s to the rest of the Buffalo Bills roster, keep flying under the radar.

Public Relations for Mike Vick: Terrell Owens Says He Should Play

Published: July 27, 2009

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Okay, this is something interesting to chew on: Mike Vick in a Buffalo Bills uniform.

There has been plenty of talk as to where Mike Vick will end up for the 2009 season, and so far the experts are saying Oakland or Jacksonville, and quite possibly Tampa Bay.

Well, why not Buffalo?

Okay, your first reaction as a fan may be, “What are you, crazy? We don’t need Vick, we have Trent Edwards.” Or here’s a better response—getting Mike Vick would be like beating a dead dog. What would be the point?

In any case, the point would be that this is a copy-cat league, and if the Wild-Cat formation can be effectively used, other teams will be sure to follow suit.

NFL.com is reporting breaking news today that Vick will be able to play in the NFL this year. He can practice with whatever team decides to pick him up, and he is eligible to play the final two weeks of preseason. He may not be able to suit up for regular season games until October, but he can still practice with the team.

Terrell Owens has an interesting take on the Vick situation: “I think it’s unfortunate. I think the way the commissioner has handled it, I think it’s unfair to Michael Vick,” said Owens.

“I think he’s done the time for what he’s done. I don’t think it’s really fair for him to be suspended four more games. That’s almost like kicking a dead horse in the ground. I think a lot of guys around the league need to speak up. I think the players union needs to step in because the guy’s already suffered so much. To add a four-game suspension on a two-year prison sentence, that’s ridiculous.”

Owens also had some interesting comments about whether he would care if Vick was a teammate. “Well, why not?” asked Owens. “Again, Michael Vick is a guy that really hasn’t had any character issues besides what he got a prison sentence for, so why not?”

Throw in some rumors that have been circling around training camp that Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, and Leodis McKelvin were lining up in Wild-Cat formation and you get the general idea on why the Vick questions keep coming up in Bills training camp.

Adding Vick to Buffalo’s offense would bring a whole different bag of tricks and treats to confuse and befuddle defensive coordinators. Remember not to bring your Droopy costume to the party.

At worst, Vick could come in and help Buffalo prepare for some of the things Miami will be trying to do now with the addition of Pat White. At best, Vick could contribute to this team as a slash player—sometimes QB, sometimes HB, sometimes WR.

There really is nothing Vick can do to harm this team. Jauron and Co. need to win now, and any player that can make this team better would surely be a welcome addition.

Getting Vick would be relatively easy considering there may not be a whole lot of teams out there interested in him, but if there is one guy who is advocating for his reinstatement, it’s T.O.

Who knows how much of an impact T.O. will have on the average fans perception, but if anything he could soften the blow to a surprise signing by the Buffalo Bills.

Vick would probably play for the veteran minimum, so it really can’t hurt to throw him a bone.

Bringing the Sack Back: What Buffalo Needs to Contend

Published: July 21, 2009

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In the past three years under Dick Jauron, the Bills have struggled to get to the opposing QB. It’s no big secret. From 2006 to 2008 they have only managed to bring the QB down 90 times, and every year the sack total went down.

Now there could be a few reasons for the sack total decrease.

Maybe it’s the scheme that Jauron runs. Most of the time he relies on the front four to put pressure on the QB, while he occasionally sends a LB or a DB on a blitz. Either way, the play-calling has been predictable.

It’s time to take the training wheels off. The players in the system, although young, have the experience that’s needed. It’s time to start putting more on players’ plates. Get innovative.

Jauron reportedly acknowledges this by mentioning running some 3-4 looks this season to Pat Kirwan of NFL.com.

What could a 3-4 defense do to help sack totals?

Well for starters rookie Aaron Maybin would surely benefit on passing downs. If asked to hold the point of attack or take on behemoth blockers, the coaching staff would be setting Maybin up to fail. He’s simply not big or strong enough to do those things yet.

By putting Maybin in as a rush LB this allows the coaching staff to take advantage of his lightning quick first step without taking on the big uglies.

Imagine Spencer Johnson and Marcus Stroud on the ends eating up blockers while Aaron Schobel and Aaron Maybin just come with the heat. On obvious passing downs this could prove to be quite effective.

The only reason the Bills can’t run the 3-4 full time is because they have no true NT that can eat up blocks in the middle. A man who plays NT takes a special type of talent and rare size.

Another reason the sack total could be on the decline might be the fact that the top three pass rushers are fighting a losing battle in age. Aaron Schobel turns 32 this season, Chris Kelsay will be 30, and Ryan Denney is already 32.

While they are all solid veterans, Schobel is the only proven sack artist. Kelsay and Denney are great point-of-attack holders and sound against the run, but offer next to nothing in a 3-4 scheme as both rely on power to get to the QB, not speed.

Simply put they are solid 4-3 DE’s, but would not be big enough to be solid 3-4 DE’s.

Schobel has a lot to prove himself, seeing as he is three years removed from his 14.5 sack season. He is coming back from his Lisfranc foot injury and only time will tell how effective he can be.

Another thing the coaching staff needs to do is get LB’s and DB’s more involved in blitz packages. Kawika Mitchell performs well when asked to blitz. Last year he tied for tops on the team with four sacks.

Getting guys like Paul Posluszny, Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty, Reggie Corner and Brian Scott to run blitzes from all different angles of the field could prove beneficial to Buffalo’s success on thwarting offenses.

Scott and Whitner both bring the speed to where if they were coming off the blind side the opposing QB would never know what hit him.

Posluszny could run delayed blitzes and whether its Youboty or Corner at NB using them in certain passing situations to be an extra blitzer could prove to be beneficial.

All in all this pass rush isn’t ready to dominate like the New York Giants just yet. Those guys are positively stacked with young solid players like Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka.

If Buffalo could get close to 40 sacks and bring solid pressure next season that would positively affect so many facets of the defense. Turnovers would be generated whether it be forced fumbles or interceptions.

Not sure Buffalo is completely done rebuilding the D-Line just yet, with so many things they have left to do. They could still stand to draft future replacements at DE or rush LB’s next year. They could also stand to get a behemoth NT.

Let’s just hope for a winning season and maybe some playoff action. Jauron has built a solid core and it would be shame to watch him have to walk away from it.

So there is just one request, please Buffalo please, bring the sack back.

Is Rian Lindell Kicking His Way Out of a Job?

Published: July 16, 2009

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Rian Lindell holds a few records right now. For one, his 261 consecutive extra points are the most for any kicker who has started his NFL career. He also holds a Bills record for field-goal percentage at 83.04.

Thing is, he misses kicks in big games that count. Not to say that any one game doesn’t count, but when the big-game pressure is on, Lindell seems to fold.

Going back to 2004, the Bills in the playoff hunt, facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lindell is sent out for a potential nail in the coffin field goal to get into the promised land. What does Lindell do? He misses the kick.

In 2006 with an opportunity to get a huge upset over the Indianapolis Colts, J.P. Losman finds a way to get Lindell in field goal position. What happens? Lindell misses the kick. Indy wins 17-16.

In 2008 Monday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns, Lindell is asked to step up and make the winning kick. Less than minute to go and Buffalo is down 29-27. What does Lindell do? He misses the kick.

In the same season, playing against the San Francisco 49ers, with windy conditions, Rian Lindell was asked numerous times to put points on the board. What does he do? He misses two kicks and the Bills fall 10-3.

Now putting all this into perspective, with the playoffs the goal this year, does Buffalo really want to march into the season with a shaky kicker?

The Indianapolis Colts have seen what happens when you do that. All you have to do is ask Mike Vanderjagt what happened to him after 2005? He sure didn’t kick the winning field goal for Indy in Super Bowl XLI. That was Adam Vinatieri.

Who knows with Lindell, but nobody in Bills Nation wants déjà vu. Another Scott Norwood reminder is something all Bills fans can live without.

Sorry Shawn: Look to the Derek’s for Serious Contribution

Published: July 13, 2009

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There has been a lot of rave on how much of a steal Shawn Nelson has been for the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of this years NFL draft. Sorry Shawn, maybe down the line but not this year.

Talent wise, climbing the ladder, making the tall grabs, stretching the seam, mismatches with smaller defenders, sounds great. Three problems exist though – raw blocking technique, lack of familiarity with NFL routes, and camaraderie with Trent Edwards.

Those three problems with Nelson are strengths of the Derek’s. They are familiar with Edwards, and they know what’s expected of them.

Derek Schouman a seventh-round pick in 2007 out of Boise State is slated to be the starting TE in training camp. He came in the same year as Edwards and probably knows him best.

Schouman has had some durability issues, he missed almost his entire rookie season due to a sprained ankle, but last year seeing time behind Robert Royal he managed to post a solid 10.2 YPC average and find the end-zone once.

Heavily contending for the starting role is Derek Fine. One of last years two fourth round selections out of Kansas. Buffalo made room for Fine to grow as a contributor by cutting Royal.

Fine is a solid in line blocker, who runs great underneath routes and possesses deceptive speed. Because he is a bit bigger than Schouman, he could be vying for the more traditional TE role, while Schouman takes on the H role.

Where Nelson will contribute this year is pulling defenders away from Terrell Owens and Lee Evans. There really aren’t enough balls to go around for him to have a huge statistical impact, but he can definitely run a fade up the middle and pull safeties.

Not saying Nelson can’t come in and make a contribution, but it will likely be a small one. Buffalo usually takes baby steps with their rookies, no reason to do it differently now.

Buffalo Bills: Young “D” Is the Key

Published: July 2, 2009

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Everybody is talking about how in 2009 the Buffalo Bills and its offense, led by Trent Edwards, is going to have to lead this team into the playoffs.

The news flash is Trent Edwards and Turk Schonert are baby-stepping their way into improvements.

The point is if the Bills get anywhere it’s because their defense got them there.

You can argue any way you want to, but Dick Jauron is a defensive minded coach who preaches ball control and sound defensive play.

For the past three years Jauron’s play-calling has been pretty Vanilla. Granted the Bills defense is fairly young and you don’t want to throw too much at them to overwhelm them. This year though, the playbook has to be opened.

Donte Whitner and Paul Posluszny make a nice core to build around, but there are a lot of young players on the squad that need to really make a name for themselves.

Leodis McKelvin needs to show that he can handle a full time role at CB. Ashton Youboty and Reggie Corner need to step up and play the nickel CB role well. The only entrenched starter is Terrence McGee.

Ko Simpson and Jairus Byrd will battle it out for FS, but must prove they can play as well as Whitner to get a shot as the starter. Otherwise the starting safety tandem will be Donte Whitner and Brian Scott.

The linebackers are pretty much set in stone as of right now.

Yes, Keith Ellison is the expected starter on the strong side. That is scary.

Unless Alvin Bowen or Nick Harris can prove to be smarter players and better tacklers, expect to see Ellison on the field.

Kawika Mitchell will start on the weak side again. The surprise of camp may be that undrafted linebacker Ashlee Palmer may be backing him up. He did manage to get some first team reps in spring OTA’s.

Paul Posluszny is the starting Mike backer and that’s not changing any time soon. The Bills do however have solid depth with John Digiorgio. He just has to come back from his ACL injury.

The weakest part of this defense is no doubt on the line.

It’s also the oldest part of the defense. Incumbent starters at the DE are Aaron Schobel on the right and Chris Kelsay on the left.

Both of these guys need to show they can still play because simply put, Chris Ellis and Aaron Maybin are waiting for the first opportunity they get. They are both young and are playing for a lot less.

They could be playing really hungry. No doubt they would want a starting spot.

Finally the middle of the line has entrenched starters Marcus Stoud and Kyle Williams. Stroud definitely helped sure up the run defense last year and Williams performed admirably, but the Bills have no pass-rush specialist in the middle.

John McCargo was supposed to be that guy, but so far hasn’t lived up to his first round billing. Perhaps he does this year because Bill Kollar is long gone from the team.

The bottom line is the Bills are counting on a lot of young players on this defense to carry the team and they should now have the experience to do it.

Improved AFC East: It’s Anybody’s Division

Published: June 26, 2009

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Okay, I read Tom Casale’s recent article “Improved AFC East Is Still Patriots’ Division To Lose” and it just didn’t sit right with me.

I mean really? Last I checked, the Dolphins were in the playoffs last year, not the Patriots. Last I checked, except for the Bills, every team split in the win loss column in the division.

It doesn’t really matter to me that Matt Cassel was the QB and if it was Tom Brady they would’ve dominated. That’s not what happened. Yes, Brady may be the best QB of this decade and maybe even all time, but how much could he have done getting sacked 47 times like Cassel did?

It’s obvious that the Giants figured out how to beat Brady; bring the heat. They exploited something in the Patriots. Their offensive line is getting old and it just isn’t as good as it used to be.

There is no denying that they were still good enough to be ranked fifth in total offense, but you have to believe teams game-plans changed when Brady was out of the line-up. The heat will be coming this year though.

You could argue New England’s dominance over this decade as the sure fire team to beat, but there are lingering questions. Like will Tom Brady be 100 percent at the start of the season? Can the offensive line hold up? What about the defense? Isn’t it getting a little old?

So among all these questions, what did Bill Belichick do to improve his team for 2009?

Well, they brought in Fred Taylor, who is on the back end of his career. He might be able to produce for a year or two, but the main thing they are getting out of him is putting Lawrence Maroney and his putrid 3.3 YPC on the bench.

They also brought in Joey Galloway, who although is up there in years, still has speed and can be an effective decoy. Randy Moss and Wes Welker are extremely dangerous and unless these guys break their legs are going to dominate.

What about defensive pressure? Richard Seymour topped the team with eight sacks. No wonder they were trying to pull Julius Peppers away from Carolina.

They drafted a solid safety in Patrick Chung, but I’ve never heard of any of their other draft choices. I’m no expert, so I really can’t say too much on their draft.

So what does Rex Ryan the new head coach for the Jets have to say about all this? “I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings, I came here to win, let’s put it that way…I’m certainly not intimidated by New England or anybody else.”

And why should he be? For the past couple of years he has been running the defense for one of the best defensive teams in the league. Granted, he doesn’t have the personnel that he had in Baltimore, but he shouldn’t have any trouble getting his hybrid scheme up and running.

There certainly is a long uphill battle that the Jets will be facing this year. Mark Sanchez should be the starter week one and its way to early to tell whether he can carry this team. This team could struggle mightily.

For this reason and this reason alone the Jets need to establish a strong running game early. Drafting Shonn Greene should help alleviate some of the pressure off of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. Greene could be Jones’ eventual replacement.

It will take pressure off Sanchez, who needs to develop a strong rapport with Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey. He should be looking Dustin Keller’s way as well.

Defensively the Jets need to work on their pass rush. They drafted Vernon Gholston last year and he has been a bit of a disappointment so far. Nobody on their roster topped ten sacks and they could really use somebody.

You can’t say the secondary has been a disappointment though. Darrelle Revis is a standout player and should be for many years to come. Kerry Rhodes has been dominant as well. The addition of Lito Sheppard certainly doesn’t hurt either.

David Harris and Brian Scott should make an imposing any RB trying to run the football. Kris Jenkins isn’t exactly a pushover either.

The Jets can definitely contend this year. They just have to play smart fundamental football.

On to the team that is flying under the radar the Buffalo Bills. Let’s be honest here, nobody expects Buffalo to do anything. A lot of the experts are pegging another 7-9 finish. Really, it’s gotten bad in Buffalo.

With no play-off appearances this decade they have been the definite bottom feeders in this division.

So what did Buffalo do? They made some serious noise. Inking Terrell Owens to a one year deal worth $6.5 million, but that’s not all.

They went and got the pass rusher with the quickest step in Aaron Maybin via the draft. Buffalo needs a pass rush in the worst way. Their top sack man last year Ryan Denney isn’t even a starter. He finished with four sacks. That’s embarrassing.

They totally dismantled their offensive line. Every guy lining up for them will be in a different position that they did the previous year. Well not Geoff Hangartner, the Bills’ other free agency pick up.

Not to mention two of the guys starting, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre, are rookies.This could be a recipe for disaster or it could pan out. It has to if Trent Edwards wants to survive the season.

The most positive thing that can be said about Buffalo right now hangs on how the line holds up. Terrell Owens and Lee Evans on the same squad, need I say more?

Even if Buffalo falls out of contention early they should be fun to watch. It shouldn’t be typical boring Dick Jauron football this season.

Last year this time if you asked me if I thought the Dolphins would be the AFC East champs, I would have said yea right.

Yet, first year head coach Tony Sparano found a way to make arguably the best turnaround for a team in NFL history, and he did it playing smart fundamental football. They controlled the clock, kept Chad Pennington on his feet and didn’t turn the ball over.

The biggest weakness on this squad was their secondary, and now with Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, and Chris Clemons, this secondary should have a better handle on playing the Bills and Patriots plethora of receivers.

It helps that they got pressure on opposing QBs, tallying 40 sacks on the year. Joey Porter had his best year as a pro at the age of 31. Something tells me that Porter wouldn’t be happy with Casale’s article. “You’ve got to beat somebody to be the champs. We had to beat somebody to be the champs.”

The defense should be much improved if Porter performs like he did last year. Every other team in the division should be worried. Oh, and Jason Taylor is back. Things are going to be nasty.

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams effectively ran the Wild Cat last year and now Pat White is on the squad. Jeeze Louise.

After looking at the Dolphins squad I’m just not ready to anoint the Patriots the AFC East crown just yet, even if the Dolphins have a weak receiver group.

Channing Crowder has thoughts of his own as well, The Jets “didn’t even win the division and now they’re all talking about how [the AFC East] goes through New England,” Crowder said Tuesday. “That’s what gets me bothered. I don’t care about the other stuff, but don’t say the division goes through New England.

“It goes through Miami.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting ready for a dog-fight for the AFC East.

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