The New York Jets came through the back door in the division to win tiebreakers over the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins despite starting the season 1-4. I’m not sure the battle for the division crown could be any more exciting, but it certainly looks as if all combatants are primed for another go around.
New York Jets
The Jets’ turnaround in 2002 seemed to coincide with Chad Pennington’s ascent to starting quarterback after an injury shelved veteran QB Vinny Testeverde, but that turnaround could be short lived thanks to an injury to Pennington and an off-season talent raid by the Washington Redskins. Washington owner Daniel Snyder didn’t make many friends in New York with his assault on the Jets roster, which included emerging star receiver Laveranues Coles, starting offensive guard Randy Thomas, kicker John Hall, and kick returner Chad Morton.
Veteran wide receiver Curtis Conway was brought in to help solidify the receiving corps, but don’t expect him to be anywhere near the weapon Coles was in 2002. Conway will bring a veteran presence to the team, but they really need WR Santana Moss to come into his own here in his third season in the NFL.
New York was awarded the Redskins first-round draft pick with the loss of Coles, which they packaged with their own No.1 to move up to the fourth-overall pick and select coveted Kentucky defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson. Robertson has been compared to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Warren Sapp, and if he contributes like head coach Herman Edwards thinks he is capable of doing, the Jets will have one of the better defensive lines in the game.
The Jets brought in Rams starter Tom Nutten to fill the hole at guard, but he promptly decided to retire. Kicker Doug Brien, who was cut loose by the Minnesota Vikings after week six of the 2002 season, and may not be the consistent kicker they are going to need. There is also a bit of a concern as to who is going to fill Morton’s role on special teams.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots featured a high-powered passing game early in the 2002 season, but opponents soon realized they could pretty much run at will against the defensive squad. So, with that in mind, the Patriots put a heavy focus on reworking the defensive side of the ball.
They scored heavily in the free agent market by scooping up this year’s prize defender in linebacker Roosevelt Colvin and run-stuffing safety Rodney Harrison. The addition of defensive tackle Ted Washington and the selection of defensive tackle Ty Warren in the first round of the draft should allow the Pats to move Richard Seymour to defensive end as they switch to a 3-4 defense. Former Denver Broncos defensive back Tyrone Poole will bring some competition and depth to the cornerback position.
The Patriots didn’t make a lot of noise on the offensive side of the ball, and they failed to land the big receiver they covet, but they did bring in an experienced veteran in the Dolphins Dedric Ward, and then drafted speedy Bethel Johnson out of Texas A&M in the second round. They also failed to upgrade at running back, deciding to stick with Antoine Smith, who struggled with just 982 yards on 252 carries.
Miami Dolphins
In my opinion, the Miami Dolphins are the most talented team in the AFC East, but they have got to prove they can win in December. They’ve made a habit of getting off to fast starts only to see it slip away at the end of the season. They are hoping the addition of some key veterans will help reverse this troubling trend.
