NFL Prognostication .... AFC EAST

The 2008 season provided no lack of quality story lines and many of them came straight from the AFC EAST .

Bert Favor got the Jets off to a 9 - 3 start . Tom Brady got hurt for the year early in week one and the lowly Miami Dolphins turned in the greatest single season turn around in NFL history . ( without a dancing Jason Taylor ) . Now as the season progressed young Matt Cassel steadily improved while an ageing Bert Favor got old quickly and the Dolphins managed to win the division .

****EDITORS NOTE****** The author of this blog ( Peter D McGarry ) is a lifelong Green Bay Packer fan and after 16 years of defending # 4 has decided it is no longer in his best interest to ever say that name correctly again . ************************************************

That being said the 2009 AFC EAST is again the source of several multiple compelling stories . Tom Brady is back , Favor is gone and the worlds biggest and baddest crybaby has moved to Buffalo . It could prove to be an interesting year , but not in the win/loss columns .

The Dolphins and Bills are improving but the records wont show it . Even if the Bills are more competitive this year with T.O. they are not going to start any better than 8 - 4 at the absolute most . That would be remarkable for starters but the real downer is that they finish off the season with the Pats , @ Atlanta , and finally home to the Colts . If they aren't 10 and 3 going into that then they aint making the dance .

Like wise the Jets have a lot of talented players but figure to loose some close games as neither the rookie Sanchez or the backup Clemons give them a proven closer .

Now the dolphins are a good team again but they just don't have the fire power to compete with the Patriots for the whole season . Not to mention they start the season going to Atlanta , home for the Colts , and @ San Diego before division games with rivals Buffalo and the Jets . With a bye in week 6 the Dolphins could be 1 an 4 . That would make them spoilers at best .

Which brings us to the New England Patriots . I only have one stat . When Tom Brady starts more than 4 games in a season the Pats win the division . Barring injury it will hold true in 2009 .

PREDICTION

NEW ENGLAND - ( 13 - 3 )
MIAMI - ( 9 - 7 )
NEW YORK - ( 6 - 10 )
BUFFALO - ( 6 - 10 )