Patriots re-establish themselves as the top dog in AFC East

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A few weeks ago the AFC East seemed wide open. At the time every team seemed mediocre at best and the normally dominant Patriots were blown out on Monday Night Football leaving the team at 2-2. After winning the division eleven times since the beginning of the century the Patriots looked fractured and the entire division seemed to be in disarray. My how two short weeks can change everything.

First, you have the Bills who looked like a competitive team after defeating the Lions in Detroit and coming into last Sunday as one of the best run defenses in the league. The Patriots were not able to rush against them but Brady had a field day throwing over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns in Ralph Wilson stadium. The Bills didn’t look so big as Brady continuously looked down field and hit his receivers for large gains including a 43 yard bomb to Tyms. Benching their first round draft choice for a journeyman quarterback may help them win in the short term but they have essentially admitted that going

Then you have the Dolphins who surprised the Patriots opening weekend and put on a show against the Raiders across the pond. However they find themselves at 2-3 after being unable to put away the Packers and giving up a last minute touchdown. Losing Moreno for the season will hurt their ground game and it I'm sure Tannehill would appreciate another weapon to throw to. They are more talented than their record shows but such a close loss may cost them in December when they are looking for a way into the playoffs.

Last, and certainly least, are the dreadful Jets. Besides their defensive line is there anything positive to say about the Jets? Yes, they played tough against the Broncos losing by only one score. Also, had their offensive coordinator not confused the officials by calling a phantom timeout Geno and the gang could have left Lambeau with a victory. But the fact remains they are a team that is pulling guys off the street to play in their secondary and Geno Smith has been having a pretty rough sophomore campaign with almost no time to throw and limited talent to get the ball to. If this were any other team I would pity them, but when gang green struggles it only brings a smile to my face.

A good reason to be optimistic for the future of the Patriots season is their schedule. The Patriots are one of the best teams in December, losing only three games in that month since 2009. Who do we play in December this year? Everyone in the division. Talk about a nice Christmas present for Pats fans.

The Patriots are not a lock to win the division, it is only October and there is a lot of football yet to be played. The Mayo and Ridley injuries hurt the team moving forward and who knows what other injuries, bad calls, or other instances of bad luck await the boys of Foxborough. What I do know is that no matter who is playing they will be well coached and focused on their next opponent. That’s just the Patriot way.

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