The AFC East is made up of the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills. The division with a perennial powerhouse (Patriots) and three that hover around mediocrity — only to jump occasionally to greatness, or simply get hot at the end of the season — is one where anything can happen.
It is also one of those divisions with some of the most interesting coaches in the NFL. Below, we go inside the leaders of each team; in other words, we go deep.
Bill Belichick, The New England Patriots
Belichick will go down as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the NFL. With his no-nonsense demeanor and an ability to find the weakness in the most solid opponents, Belichick is well respected by those he coaches, and well feared by those he plays.
Pros: Belichick is hands down an excellent coach. He has a penchant for shutting down even the greatest offensive adversaries and an ability to win championships without a team full of superstars. Plainly put, he makes those who play for him look good. He also, prior to the past two seasons, was unstoppable in the playoffs. Last year — as he upset the 14-2 San Diego Chargers and his polar playoff opposite Marty Schottenheimer — we saw some of that ol' postseason magic return.
Cons: Belichick's usually solid defense didn't seem so solid in 2006, particularly during the AFC championship game. Belichick is going to have to fine tune his elaborate defensive schemes if he wants a shot at the Super Bowl. Newcomer wide receiver Randy Moss is another potential negative factor. It appears that Terrell Owens broke down Bill Parcells last season, likely being a factor in his retirement. Will Moss — with his Owens-like attitude — do the same to Belichick? Only time will tell.
Eric Mangini, The New York Jets
Mangini, at 36 years old, is just getting started, but got off on the right foot last season when his team finished 10-6. His sophomore year will be one in which fans will get a better idea of the person known as "Mangenius."
Pros: Mangini is one of the hardest working people in the NFL. After starting out in the pros as a 23-year-old ball boy, he climbed the ranks and landed a job as a head coach. He was mentored by Bill Belichick and learned how to coach defense from him. Mangini was part of the Patriots' coaching staff when their defense was unstoppable and full of Pro Bowl talent. As a head coach, Mangini is not afraid to be bold and surprising on the field and, off the field, he possesses a talent for drafting gifted players.
Article comments
1 - gerry
im here rooting for mangenious and the jets i think we all are gonna be surprised when the jets win the supor bowl this year all but me
2 - Tim
Very good blog. You dissected the coaches in the AFC East quite well. As a fan of the Pats, and a lifelong New Englander I have paid close attention to this division over the last 22 years.
I have a feeling you are correct in saying the Jets may take a step back while Miami will probably jump forward a bit. Miami's defense is amazing and if Cameron can get the offense rolling they could definitely push the Patriots. Brady always struggles with the 'phins.
The only disagreement I have with you is on the Moss/Owens comparison. Moss and Owens are really quite different in my opinion. Owens is completely self centered 100% of the time (win or lose he's all about making himself the center of attention.) Moss on the other hand has only behaved poorly when his team is losing. His biggest sin has been apathy. He seems to lose interest when he's in a hopeless situation. I also think Moss has been one of the most gifted athletes to ever play in the NFL. (Whether his skills have eroded or not is up for debate...) Owens is great, but his biggest talent seems to reside in his mouth and running it 24/7.
If things go well in New England he could bounce back big-time and have the kind of year he had early when he played for the Vikings.
Again, thanks for the great analysis and excellent blog! :-)
3 - billvv
Re Maingini and the Jets: While I understand the sentiment that "getting to the playoffs is futile if you don't win." Half the teams making the first round did and would not trade the opportunity with the teams not making it at all. For whatever reason those teams lost, they are better off the next year for the experience. The taste of the loss remains the last impression from that year and, with 21 of 22 players returning, I think that will play a big part of preparing for the FIRST contest of the new year!
4 - Dan
I couldnt get past the Pats "cons" in your article. Listing the Patriots defense as a con for last season because of one game is just wrong! They had an outstanding defensive year last season. If I remember correctly they had the lowest points against in the NFL (or close to the lowest). Do you normally ignore the totality of evidence to support your opinion?
Belichick did an amazing job with what he had last season. There were glaring holes in the Pats D, especially in the later part of the year. Bill did an outstanding job of filling those holes and making teams pay for trying to exploit them.
5 - Paotie
I miss Jimmy Johnson. Too bad Jerry Jones let his Super Sized ego shove his own foot deep up his ass. Barry Switzer was a joke from Tinsel Town - a perpetual soap opera in full-swing.
I like the Pats. I appreciate the work ethic that Brady brings, as well as his demeanor. On that note, I seriously wonder if Charlie Weiss will begin his downward spiral at Notty Dame now that Shorty Quinn has departed.
Wonder if Moss was a victim of playing on grass. Speed on turf differs from grass. Climate-controlled stadiums offer little wind factor, so maybe that's partially to blame for his poor performance with the Raiders. Then again, the Raiders will forever be doomed for as long as Al Davis continues ruling from his throne.
Pro football just isn't what it used to be.
I don't even remember who won the Super Bowl and could care less, and I used to be a die-hard NFL fan until Jerry Jones bilked the heck out of the NFL and made gadzillions until he looked like a skeleton clothed in leathery skin.
6 - Harold
Belichik is already the greatest coach ever with 5 championships including the 2 he coached the Giants to. After all, without Belichik, Parcells has a career losing record and has never won a single playoff game!
7 - Akhilleus13
Well, Cameron will be stuck with the same GM for awhile. Apparently having your team underachieve while you make several questionable trades, free-agent signings, and draft picks means you get an extension while you still have everything to prove:
- Brad from The Sports Desk at TheNewsRoom.com
8 - JJ
I don't think the Pat's defense was very good last year at all. In only four games did they keep opponents under ten points. In the detriot and second Miami game their defense was awful. Though they beat Detriot, but still, they scored 21 points on them.
9 - Jeff
Jordan,
Decent review in spots - but, seriously, this needs some work and perspective. The criticism of Belichick's defense was misguided as one comment above pointed out. Furthermore, their defense was hindered seriously by injuries. Losing an all-pro safety did not help. If Rodney Harrison plays in the Colts game - the Pats win. A healthy Harrison would have been a bigger factor than Bob Sanders was to the Colts.
As to the Moss-Belichick comparison to Owens-Parcells? Clearly an apples to oranges perspective. As Johnny Mac would say, "You cannot be serious!" Parcells was in the hot seat and had no capital accumulated at Dallas last year. He had no desire from the beginning to have Owens on the team. Nor did he have any leadership on the offense to control Terrell. Belichick, on the other hand, has massive capital with 3 SB championships and was one play or two away from a 4th last year. He also has multiple leaders on offense and defense to keep Moss in control, including a certain HOF QB. There's just nothing similar about the two situations and to make that comparison just doesn't go deep enough. Even Moss himself, while not the best citizen, has never single handedly ruined a team and teammates the way Owens has. Whether Moss will be the player he was three seasons ago - that's another matter.
Dick Jauron as the "Yoda" of NFL coaches? Sorry, but that really does not represent Jauron. He accidently struck gold in 01 - and he has some toughness as a coach. But, he's never been a guru kind of coach. Jauron is more average to slightly above average than anything else. The Bills would have to have massive talent and get very hot to win a SB under Jauron. He has mediocre written all over him.
Cameron has potential to be very good, but Dolphin fans will need to be patient until the offensive line comes together. As to the criticism of Cameron's GM - well, that's just not based on fact. Meuller has been successful in two organizations, won GM of the year, and had his hands tied all last year by Saban. Saban was the real GM and ran his show like the dictator he most favors physically - Napoleon. Meuller was a glorified scout for Nick - at best. This, btw, is the first time in Dolphin history that they have had a true GM (the closest thing to this was when Beathard was the head of scouting in the 70's). Since Shula's days they've always had a coach/GM. That model has far less chance of working than split duties (ala the Patriots with Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick).