NFL Briefs - AFC East

With its salary cap and collective bargaining agreement, the National Football League (NFL) has become the major professional sports league with the most parity. The NFL schedule makers also penalize the good teams from the previous season by increasing the difficulty of their opponents. That means that it's easier in the NFL for a franchise to rise from the ashes to reach the playoffs or even the Super Bowl.

AFC East -
The success of the Miami Dolphins has, since the retirement of Dan Marino, been built upon a suffocating defense. The offense usually scores just enough, or not quite enough, points to win. It's been hard for the Fins to escape the middle of the pack because the passing game has usually been subpar. Enter Trent Green... He has put up some nice numbers in Kansas City, but he has yet to display the leadership skills necessary to take a team to the Big Game. I rate Miami as an extreme longshot. (6-10)

The once-mighty New England Patriots almost made it to the Super Bowl last year, but the Indy offense kicked it into gear in the second half of the AFC Championship game to roar away with the conference title. Can Brady and crew rebound to get back to the promised land? With the highly publicized addition of Randy Moss, the Pats' offense may (or may not) improve (see Oakland last year). The Patriot defense seems to be in decline, and this does not resemble the team that won 3 super bowls, which was built on great defense and unheralded position players on offense. The Pats are definitely set to make a run in the playoffs, but I see them going out in the first or second round. (11-5)

Quarterback J.P. Losman displayed more talent in his third season than in the previous two, and seems ready to move into the upper half of QBs in the league. For the Buffalo Bills to win enough games to make the playoffs, he has to be brilliant, and avoid costly turnovers. His 14 interceptions from last year were too high for a team that plays low-scoring games. The Bills' defense can be just plain suffocating. However, with the off-season loss of linebackers Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher, this could be another tough season for Buffalo fans. I think that a .500 season will be a tall order for this group. (7-9)

In the recent past, the New York Jets have sometimes put late-season runs together, but have always come up short of the Super Bowl. In order for the Jets to compete for the title in 2008, they will need quarterback Chad Pennington to perform at a level he hasn't played at since 2002, when he posted 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Don't count on it. On the other side of the ball, newly-signed cornerback Darrelle Revis should pay dividends down the road. However, first-year corners are always targets for NFL passers, so expect the Jets to give up some big plays. I project the Jets to just miss the playoffs in '08. (9-7)