(Michael MacDonald October 20, 2009)
I was absent the past week nursing a wrist and hand injury which may be just as well…the NFL craziness has continued unabated and the AFC East is no exception. I was o for 3 in my week 5 picks and would have been 1 for 2 in my week 6 picks. So, setting embarrassment aside, here is the AFC East in a nutshell as we head into Week 7.
New England Patriots (4-2)
Sunday's Patriots-Titans game was played in a mid-October snowstorm. (Photo Sun Chronicle)
The Pats blasted the Tennessee Titans 59-0 in a mid-October snow-bowl in Foxboro in a game that featured the return (yet again) of linebacker Junior Seau. Oh, and it featured Tom Brady passing for 6 touchdowns with 3 to Randy Moss, 2 to Wes Welker and 1 to Kevin Faulk. Laurence Maroney quieted critics – for now – with a 123 yard performance and the Pats set numerous records against a Titans team that is imploding.
Linebacker Adalius Thomas was an unexplained scratch from Sunday’s game.
Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker following a first quarter reception against the Titans. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
The Patriots surprised no one when they released wide receiver Joey Galloway. Maybe a little more surprising was the cutting of linebacker Tilly Banta-Cain last Monday and then the resigning of him today with a deal that locks him in through at least 2011.
The Patriots travel this week to London to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6). Patriots 38 Buccaneers 10. Following the game, the Patriots go into their bye week.
New York Jets (3-3)
New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez getting sacked by Buffalo Bills' Chris Draft in the fourth quarter Sunday. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Jets looked like Giants killers when they opened the season at 3-0 but have looked very mortal since. As predicted in this column, reality had to set in for rookie QB Mark Sanchez–he has been picked 8 times in the last 3 games. Sanchez will probably grow into a special player but one has to hope that the Jets aren’t putting too big of a load on his shoulders. The Jets need to take a hard look at the QB situation both for the short-haul (Sanchez’ play is getting worse each week) and for the long haul: no one wants to see a QB fail because he was thrown to the wolves before he was ready.
The Jets had a record-setting performance from RB Thomas Jones (210 yards) but otherwise suffered from erratic play in a 16-13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. They dodged a bullet when the Bills missed a field goal attempt in the final seconds of the game and had a chance to win in overtime. After winning the toss, the team drove to the Bills 22 but a penalty set them back to the 32. With 4th and 13, the Jets lined up for a field goal and then executed one of the worst looking fake field goals in history. Ineptitude ensued.
New York Jets' nose tackle Kris Jenkins is helped off the field after suffering a torn ACL in the second quarter of Sunday's game with the Bills. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Nose tackle Kris Jenkins was lost for the rest of the season with a torn ACL…next to the Patriots’ Vince Wilfork, Jenkins may well have been the best in the game.
The Jets travel to Oakland for a game that had looked to be a laugher but the Raiders (2-4) shocked the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday with a 13-9 upset. Prediction: Jets 24 Raiders 13. Following the game, New York returns home for a tough divisional game with Miami.
Miami Dolphins (2-3)
Miami Dolphins QB Chad Henne hooked up with TW Anthony Fasano for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Jets two weeks ago. (Photo by Miami Herald)
The Dolphins are coming off of a bye week which they probably didn’t want. After starting the season at 0-3, the team won two impressive divisional match-ups over the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. The other Chad — QB Chad Henne — looked particularly sharp in poking holes in the highly regarded Jets defense.
Miami plays host to a powerhouse New Orleans Saints (5-0) team. The Dolphins are a team that may match up well with the Saints with linebackers Jason Taylor and Joey Porter making life difficult for QB Drew Brees and perhaps stuffing outside runs by RBs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell. While it’s tempting to look for an upset, I don’t see it happening. Prediction: Saints 21 Dolphins 17. Following the game, the Dolphins travel to New York for a divisional showdown with the Jets in a game that may decide both teams’ fates for the year.
Buffalo Bills (2-4)
To win, the Buffalo Bills needs to find a way to get the ball to WR Terrel Owens. Trade rumors have also swirled around TO. (AP Photo/David Duprey)
Will the real Bills please stand up? After losing to the Cleveland Browns (1-5) the week before, the Bills stung the Jets 16-13 in an overtime game not played particularly well by either team. QB Trent Edwards was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with what turned out to be the second concussion of his NFL career. His status for the coming weekend is unclear but I’d bet we’ll see Ryan Fitzpatrick again. Fitzpatrick went 10 for 25 in the remainder of the game and was effective in avoiding the Big Mistake against the Jets defense. Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch combined for 113 yards rushing while WR Lee Evans had four receptions for 68 yards and 2 touchdowns. Terrel Owens caught just 3 passes for 13 yards.
Rian Lindell missed a 43-yard field goal attempt in very windy conditions as time ticked off the clock sending the game into overtime. He hit a 47-yarder to win the game in OT.
Despite the win, the Bills are not performing at the level they should be. Owens has been a total non-factor. I think many of the problems can be laid at the feet of Bills head coach Dick Jauron. From having a team that commits way too many penalties to getting rid of an effective offensive coordinator and having an all-pro wide receiver that has been totally unused, Jauron may be a coach whose time has come and gone.
The Bills travel to Carolina for a game with the Panthers (2-3) who have scored just 85 points so far this year. Despite the Bills problems, I look for them to get another notch in their holsters. Prediction: Bills 16 Panthers 9. After the Carolina game, the Bills host the Houston Texans (3-3).
