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The AFC East Will Be Tough for Dolphins to Repeat as Champs
Published: May 29, 2009
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The Miami Dolphins won the AFC East in 2008 with an 11-5 record.
It won’t be quite as easy for the Dolphins.
The New England Patriots welcome back Tom Brady to the equation after missing the majority of the 2008 season with a torn ACL.
He’s back now and ready for redemption after guiding the Patriots to an undefeated regular season mark in 2007 before falling to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
New England, which won the AFC East the previous five seasons, still managed to put together an 11-5 season last year under quarterback Matt Cassel‘s leadership. Cassel threw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns, but was traded to Kansas City in the off-season.
New England still has star receiver Randy Moss and the dynamic Wes Welker at wideout, as well as adding Joey Galloway to the mix. Fred Taylor was signed in the off-season and is expected to be a key contributor at running back.
The Buffalo Bills also made a big splash in the off-season as they signed Terrell Owens, who is coming off his ninth 1,000-yard season in the past 10 years.
The 35-year old Owens could help the Bills in the passing game led by quarterback Trent Edwards. Buffalo finished 7-9 last season.
The New York Jets went 9-7 in 2008 under the guidance of quarterback Brett Favre, who retired in the off-season. Now the Jets will likely turn towards rookie Mark Sanchez.
The Jets should have a very solid defense with the additions of linebacker Bart Scott, cornerback Lito Sheppard, and safety Jim Leonhard.
It will be a tough division for the Dolphins to win again because New England should be New England with Brady returning. With the Bills and Jets being solid teams, there should not be any easy divisional wins to feast on.
Dolphins Looking to Make Playoffs Again in 2009
Published: May 29, 2009
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The Miami Dolphins made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2001, winning the AFC East Division with an 11-5 mark.
Baltimore ended Miami’s dream season in the first round of the playoffs, but without question, the 2008 season was a success after winning just one game the previous year.
Miami expects to return to the playoffs in 2009 despite having the league’s toughest schedule, which includes games against Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Indianapolis, and San Diego, all of whom made the AFC Playoffs.
Head coach Tony Sparano is back after becoming the first coach in NFL history to take a team to the playoffs after winning one game the year prior. Sparano did an excellent job of showing faith in his team throughout the season and worked well with the players.
Offensive coordinator Dan Henning proved to be a great hire as he used the “Wildcat” formation very effectively, which created some buzz around the league as other teams tried it as well.
Quarterback Chad Pennington returns after one of the best years of his career as he threw for 3,653 yards and 19 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
He makes the Miami offense go and his calm demeanor rubs off on an inexperienced receiving corps led by Ted Ginn, who posted career highs with 56 catches and 790 yards.
Ginn is still looking to break out as an elite receiver who can get into the end zone. He has just four receiving touchdowns in 32 career games.
Wide receivers Greg Camarillo and Devone Bess also showed signs of being productive players in 2008 and will be counted on in 2009.
It would benefit the offense to have a true No. 1 receiver, something they have not addressed in the off-season.
Former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, who has a house in Miami, has said he would like to join the Dolphins, although there are reports out there saying the organization is not interested in his services.
Running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams excelled in 2008, especially with the “Wildcat” as the duo combined to rush for over 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns. If Miami is going to succeed again this season, these two will need to have solid years.
Miami drafted quarterback Pat White in the second round and he would be a great fit in the creative offense, as he has plenty of running ability.
With White involved in the offense, even just for a few plays a game, it makes the offense more dynamic, even without a top-flight receiver.
The Dolphins first-round pick in the draft, Vontae Davis, a cornerback from Illinois, is expected to be a key contributor this season.
Miami needed better cornerback play and is hoping Davis, the younger brother of San Francisco’s Vernon Davis, can provide steady play.
Another key acquisition in the off-season was bringing back Jason Taylor, a six-time Pro Bowler in 11 seasons with the Dolphins.
Taylor was traded to the Washington Redskins last August, but after a lackluster season he was released. Miami signed Taylor to a one-year, $1.5 million deal, and he is expected to play outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme.
On the opposite side of Taylor is Joey Porter, who racked up a career-high 17.5 sacks as an outside linebacker in Paul Pasqualoni‘s 3-4 defense last season. Meanwhile, inside linebacker Channing Crowder posted a career-best 113 tackles.
Miami is hoping the secondary holds up this season, especially with safety Renaldo Hill (78 tackles, 3 interceptions) and cornerback Andre’ Goodman (team-high 5 interceptions) left for Denver in the off-season.
It is a lot easier to sneak up on people like the Dolphins did in 2008. Now they have a target on their back and with the league’s toughest schedule this season, it won’t be easy to repeat an 11-5 season.
However, their goals should be to make it back to the playoffs as they continue to build the foundation for a perennial winner.
