2014 AFC East Predictions

1. New England Patriots (13-3): The biggest offseason signing by the New England Patriots is clearly the addition of cornerbak Darrelle Revis. Revis made a name for himself on the New York Jets, when he made three All-Pro teams and was considered to be the best cornerback in the league. Revis suffered an off-year last season coming off of ACL surgery, and he then signed a one-year deal with the Pats who are looking to replace Aqib Talib. Revis is bound to improve in 2014, and may even return to his original form as the league's best cornerback. The Pats signed Seahawks corner Brandon Browner right before the Revis signing, yet he will be forced to miss the first four games of the season; however, once he returns, the Patriots may have the best cornerback-duo in the league. The Pats also drafted an injury-prone defensive tackle Dominique Easley, who tore his ACL twice in two years, but clearly is a talented defensive prospect. On offense, star quarterback Tom Brady will look to avoid a slow start like last season due to his relatively inexperienced receiving corp, but if tight end Rob Gronkowski manages to play for the majority of the season, the Patriots could have the best record in the AFC.

2. New York Jets (9-7): The New York Jets signed three big names on offense in the offseason, which could drastically help or hurt this team. Four-time Pro-Bowler Michael Vick is an incredible talent with great arm strength and the ability to run the ball. Although the Jets signed him, he is second behind Geno Smith on the depth chart, which may change after training camp. The Jets also added speedy running back Chris Johnson, as well as wide receiver Eric Decker to improve the entire offense. The Jets defensive line is young and talented, consisting of Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Damon Harrison (deemed "Sons of Anarchy"). The Jets managed to finish 8-8 last season, and with even more talent on this roster, they can make a run at a spot in the playoffs. I believe if Michael Vick manages to start in more than 12 games, the Jets will make the postseason.

3. Buffalo Bills (8-8): In my opinion, the Buffalo Bills managed to sign the best prospect from this past NFL Draft in wide receiver Sammy Watkins, which will surely help second-year quarterback EJ Manuel. Manuel's first season was less than stellar, seeing how he threw just 11 touchdowns with 9 interceptions. Buffalo's receiving corp has a lot of young talent, with guys like Watkins, Robert Woods, and Mike Williams from Tampa Bay, yet they also have a running back duo of CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson to take some pressure off of Manuel. On defense, defensive end Mario Williams has played all 32 games within the past two seasons, as he has obtained 23.5 sacks while on the Bills. Williams is one of the main reasons why the Bills ranked second in the league in sacks last season, enough to keep this defense afloat. Hopefully, the pass rush can continue their dominance into 2014, enough to give Buffalo a shot at the postseason.

4. Miami Dolphins (6-10): 2014 will likely be Ryan Tannehill's last season as a starter in Miami if the Dolphins' record fails to improve. While the Dolphins managed to reach a .500 record for the first time since 2009, the Dolphins added some pressure on Tannehill by signing Matt Moore from the Carolina Panthers. Wide receiver Mike Wallace is the clear star of this offense, even though he had the lowest touchdown total of his career, and also failed to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Miami's pass rush managed to do relatively well thanks to All-Pro defensive end Cameron Wake, as well as Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Randy Starks. Thanks to recent acquisitions, the Dolphins may have one of the best cornerback duos in the league thanks to Brent Grimes on one side, and now, Cortland Finnegan out of St. Louis on the other. The Dolphins do not have enough talent or experience on this roster though, especially on offense, to contend for a spot in the playoffs. 

Week 15 Predictions

Game to Watch: Patriots @ Dolphins: After a slow start in their game against Cleveland last weekend, the New England Patriots clawed there way back, eventually scoring the final touchdown of the game with 31 seconds left to play, as they went on to win 27-26. Even though the Patriots won the battle, one can argue this team "lost the war", as Rob Grownkowski suffered a season ending injury to his knee early in the game. Gronkowski joins Jerard Mayo and Vince Wilfork on the Injured Reserve, and the Patriots can not afford to lose anyone else if they wish to capture the 1st overall seed in the playoffs. The New England Patriots are 7-0 against the Miami Dolphins within the past five seasons, but tomorrow appears to be somewhat of a trap game for Brady and the Patriots. The Miami Dolphins have won two straight games, where quarterback Ryan Tannehill has thrown for 531 passing yards with 6 touchdowns in those two games. Tom Brady does not his best in extremely warm weather, especially that of Miami, Florida. The Dolphins are very likely to upset New England and the wake of Gornk's devastating injury.
Dolphins over Patriots 24-20

Stand Out Performance: RB LeSean McCoy: Last Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions played in one of the more exciting games of the season. As the snow piled up on the ground, LeSean McCoy rushed for an astounding 217 yards and two rushing touchdowns. This week, McCoy and the Eagles will be playing in the Metradome, completely protected from the environments. Since the running game is what allowed Philadelphia to be leading the NFC East with three games left to play, Chip Kelly will likely stick to his original game plan and run the ball with McCoy. Seeing that Minnesota will not have its two top running backs against the Eagles, Philadelphia is bound to shut down Minnesota's offense, leading to more offensive opportunities for the Eagles to score.
RB LeSean McCoy: 185 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 40 receiving yards

Player to Watch: QB Jay Cutler: Despite quarterback Josh McCown's extraordinary play as of late, the Chicago Bears have decided to start Jay Cutler in their Week 15 matchup against the underrated Cleveland Browns. Cutler had passed for over 1,900 yards with 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions before injuring his ankle back in November against the Lions. Once McCown stepped in, the Bears went 2-2, but the red hot McCown is coming off of his third straight game with at least 300 yards. Marc Trestman's decision to start Cutler is very interesting, and I predict Cutler to be pulled from the field by the third quarter of Sunday's game.
QB Jay Cutler: 195 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Week 15 Predictions:

Broncos over Chargers (Incorrect)

Falcons over Redskins

Browns over Bears

Colts over Texans

Jaguars over Bills

Dolphins over Patriots

Eagles over Vikings

Seahawks over Giants

49ers over Buccaneers

Panthers over Jets

Chiefs over Raiders

Cowboys over Packers

Saints over Rams (OT)

Cardinals over Titans

Bengals over Steelers

Ravens over Lions

Top 10 Uniforms of All-Time: Miami Dolphins

8. Miami Dolphins: Many critics of the Dolphins' uniform accuse Miami of having a soft logo. Personally, I like the Dolphins' white helmet with a traditional dolphin logo on the side. My favorite part of this uniform is the orange logo. Blue and orange screams Miami, so the Dolphins beat out Philly for number 8 on our list.

2012 NFL Predictions (AFC East)

1. New England Patriots (14-2): The New England Patriots have not disappointed since their loss to New York in the Super Bowl, catching lots of headlines with their big signings. Wide receivers Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney are two excellent additions to an already lethal wide receiver corp. The Patriots also drafted two weapons in defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Finally, they added track star Jeff Demps as a running back, concluding their already busy off season. Bottom line: the Patriots have a great chance at that perfect season.

Wes Welker (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Week 1: Patriots @ Titans W
Week 2: Cardinals @ Patriots W
Week 3: Patriots @ Ravens W
Week 4: Patriots @ Bills W
Week 5: Broncos @ Patriots W
Week 6: Patriots @ Seahawks W
Week 7: Jets @ Patriots W
Week 8: Patriots @ Rams W
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Bills @ Patriots W
Week 11: Colts @ Patriots W
Week 12: Patriots @ Jets W
Week 13: Patriots @ Dolphins W
Week 14: Texans @ Patriots L
Week 15: 49ers @ Patriots L
Week 16: Patriots @ Jaguars W
Week 17: Dolphins @ Patriots W



2. Buffalo Bills (9-7): Right off the bat, the Buffalo Bills signed star linebacker Mario Williams to a mega contract in order to enhance their defense. Rookie corner back Stephon Gilmore is also meant to improve their pass defense, a rookie selected 10th overall. Offensively, Buffalo will get back rusher Fred Jackson from a season ending injury in 2011. Now, the Bills will have both CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson making up one of the best rushing duos in the NFL.

Mario Williams (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Week 1: Bills @ Jets W
Week 2: Chiefs @ Bills W
Week 3: Bills @ Browns W
Week 4: Patriots @ Bills L
Week 5: Bills @ 49ers L
Week 6: Bills @ Cardinals L
Week 7: Titans @ Bills W
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Bills @ Texans L
Week 10: Bills @ Patriots L
Week 11: Dolphins @ Bills W
Week 12: Bills @ Colts L
Week 13: Jaguars @ Bills W
Week 14: Rams @ Bills W
Week 15: Seahawks @ Bills L
Week 16: Bills @ Dolphins W
Week 17: Jets @ Bills W



3. New York Jets (8-8): Most likely the biggest storyline to come out of New York was the signing of Tim Tebow. Tebow was able to lead Denver into the playoffs, as well as defeat the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers. It will be interesting to see how the Jets incorporate Tebow into this offense when Sanchez will be the Week 1 starter. There will obviously be problems, like if Sanchez were to throw an interception or two, fans would start cheering to put Tebow in the game. There are too many issues for this team to succeed in 2012.

Antonio Cromartie (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Week 1: Bills @ Jets L
Week 2: Jets @ Steelers L
Week 3: Jets @ Dolphins W
Week 4: 49ers @ Jets L
Week 5: Texans @ Jets L
Week 6: Colts @ Jets W
Week 7: Jets @ Patriots L
Week 8: Dolphins @ Jets W
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Jet @ Seahawks L
Week 11: Jets @ Rams W
Week 12: Patriots @ Jets L
Week 13: Cardinals @ Jets W
Week 14: Jets @ Jaguars W
Week 15: Jets @ Titans W
Week 16: Chargers @ Jets L
Week 17: Jets @ Bills L



4. Miami Dolphins (4-12): Hard Knocks was not short of drama in Miami; in one of the first few episodes, the Dolphins decided to cut wide receiver Chad Johnson from the team after an arrest in August. Then, earlier this morning, head coach Joe Philbin told reporters that rookie Ryan Tannehill will be the starting quarterback during Week 1's season opener. Unfortunately, the Dolphins must overcome a difficult schedule, and frankly, this inexperienced quarterback is not capable of doing so.

Cameron Wake

Week 1: Dolphins @ Texans L
Week 2: Raiders @ Dolphins W
Week 3: Jets @ Dolphins L
Week 4: Dolphins @ Cardinals L
Week 5: Dolphins @ Bengals L
Week 6: Rams @ Dolphins W
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: Dolphins @ Jets L
Week 9: Dolphins @ Colts L
Week 10: Titans @ Dolphins W
Week 11: Dolphins @ Bills L
Week 12: Seahawks @ Dolphins L
Week 13: Patriots @ Dolphins L
Week 14: Dolphins @ 49ers L
Week 15: Jaguars @ Dolphins W
Week 16: Bills @ Dolphins L
Week 17: Dolphins @ Patriots L

NFL Report Update: Ryan Tannehill

Breaking News: Head coach Joe Philbin announced that quarterback Ryan Tannehill will start for the Miami Dolphins in the Week 1 season opener. Tannehill was the third quarterback to be selected in last April's draft, and was not the favorite to win Miami's starting job. However, fellow Dolphin David Garrard underwent an undisclosed knee injury, improving Tannehill's odds dramatically. He will be playing Houston on the road in his first regular season game.

NFL Report Update: Chad Johnson

Breaking News: It is reported that wide receiver Chad Johnson was arrested for a domestic violence charge earlier this evening. The police report states Johnson head-butted his newly-wed, reality star Evelyn Lozada. Obviously Miami will take actions of some sort in terms of disciplining Johnson, who they recently signed this past offseason.

Chad Johnson (Steve Mitchell/US Presswire)

Preseason: Players to Watch (AFC East)

New England Patriots: RB Stevan Ridley: Though it has been the Patriots passing game catching all of the headlines, the truth is, the most important question for New England is, "How will running back Steven Ridley perform in 2012?" Ridley is a second year rusher out of LSU, and shall be replacing Benjarvus Green-Ellis, who is now playing for Cincinnati. Especially among Pats fans, Ridley has high expectations going into 2012. He may be small, and not quite the fastest running back out there (40 yard dash time of 4.67), but Ridley managed a yards per carry of 5.1 last season, a positive sign for any rookie. If Ridley looks like he is in tip-top shape this preseason, watch out for the Patriots running game.

Stevan Ridley

Buffalo Bills: RB Fred Jackson: Fred Jackson was on the tear of his life in 2011, on track to get 1,590 rushing yards and close to 10 touchdowns. However, in Week 11, Jackson suffered a fractured fibula and missed the rest of the regular season. Now, we will see if Jackson has fully recovered, or if back-up rusher CJ Spiller deserves to split the carries. Personally, I believe Buffalo should trade away Jackson and start Spiller, but this organization may be pretty attached to their top-dog.

Miami Dolphins: QB Matt Moore: Sadly, quarterback David Garrard will have to under go surgery in order to repair an undisclosed knee injury. This means Matt Moore will most likely start in the Week 1 game against Houston. Until then, Moore will have to "officially" earn the spot over rookie Ryan Tannehill. Moore's performance in 2011 started off slowly, but really got going towards the end of the regular season. Unless there is some sort of meltdown from Moore and extraordinary heroics from Tannehill, last year's starter will once again be named top quarterback.

New York Jets: QB Tim Tebow: TEBOW TEBOW TEBOW. That is all we have heard about this off-season, especially for those who watch ESPN. Now, it is time for this quarterback to live up to the hype. If I could put the entire New York team as a player to watch, I would (especially Rex Ryan), but "The Bachelor" is truly the player everyone will be eyeing. It will be interesting to see just how the Jets will use Tim Tebow in their game plan, and we might be able to get a sneak peak in several preseason games.

Training Camp Battles: Tannehill vs Garrard vs Moore

     Our final installment for training camp battles is rewarded to the Miami Dolphins, and quite possibly the most competitive battle in training camps as of right now. NFL newcomer Ryan Tannehill appears to be in third place for this competition, but remains a viable candidate. As a senior at Texas A&M, Tannehill  put up decent numbers; 3,744 passing yards, 33 total TDs, and 15 INTs. His leadership came in to question though when guiding his team to a 7-6 record in 2011. Luckily, the rookie showed his skills during a training camp scrimmage, keeping him in the race. The second quarterback on this Miami roster is Matt Moore. Moore was the Dolphins starter for 12 games last season, and was just 3 yards away from 2,500 passing yards. After a slow start (0-4 in his first four games), Moore and the Miami Dolphins went on a hot streak, going 6-3 after his first few games. Obviosuly his role as starter was doubted by Miami personal, for they went out and signed two quarterbacks in the offseason. One of those quarterbacks was David Garrard, Jacksonville's starter in 2010. Garrard suffered a herniated disk, and decided to skip the 2011 season to prepare for 2012. Throughout Jacksonville's struggles, Garrard managed great staistics, where he even surpassed the 100 passer rating mark (102.2). In 2010, he posted a career best in passing touchdowns (23), rushing touchdowns (5), and total touchdowns (28). The fact that he missed last year hurts his stock, but his statistics might just put him in the lead.

Bottom Line: Mobility, accuracy, and leadership are all apparent attributes when Garrard is at his best, which is why he deserves top-dog over last year's starter, Matt Moore.

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Credit: Mike Stocker, Sun Sentinel

Top 10 Helmet Designs: Miami Dolphins

5. Miami Dolphins: Few would call the Miami Dolphin logo "intimidating", but I also have never met anyone who is not a fan of this helmet. The orange and aqua blue goes along perfectly with the Miami theme. A light blue face mask and white background also adds to the specialty of a historic helmet.

NFL Report Update: Ryan Tannehill

Breaking News: Quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins have come to terms on a four year, $12.7 million contract. Tannehill was selected eighth overall, and will be competing with David Garrard and Matt Moore for the starting job. At the moment, it appears he is not in the lead for this spot.