It seems almost premature to consider either Buffalo or Carolina as an NFL contender, yet this Sunday’s matchup has the feel of a season changing game. Both Buffalo and Carolina are fighting to get on the plus side of .500. Buffalo began the season 1-4 before finally winning a big game against the New York Jets last week. Carolina started the season 0-3 but has now won two straight games while suddenly finding their running game. This match up will go a long ways towards determining which direction these teams will go in 2009.
The Buffalo Bills certainly have their work cut out for them as they will be playing without their starting quarterback, Trent Edwards. Edwards was knocked out of the New York Jets game early and suffered a severe concussion. Replacing him will be Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is known for being a ball control quarterback without much ball control.
While the Buffalo Bills certainly have a decent running attack with Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch, they really need to find a way to get the ball to their superstar receivers. Both Terrell Owens and Lee Evans have been thrust into the decoy role and have become virtual non-factors in most of Buffalo’s games. The Panthers secondary can certainly be exploited if Fitzpatrick can get the ball out quickly. That may be easier said than done with the Panthers defense suddenly waking up the last few weeks. Julius Peppers has been an absolute terror the last two weeks with four sacks, and the entire defense has been producing turnovers.
Likewise, the Buffalo Bills defense has shown a nose for the ball as well. The Bills secondary picked off six passes against the New York Jets. Given that the Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme tends to throw the ball to the other team, this could be an area where the Bills can have an impact.
While Jake may have a problem passing the football, the Panthers are not likely to throw it very often. With DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart running the football, head coach John Fox would be a moron to throw the ball except when absolutely necessary. If the Panthers stick to the game plan for controlling the clock with a powerful running game, the Bills likely will have no chance. Look for Williams and Stewart to completely dominate the football game from start to finish. The Panthers will control the clock and win going away.
The AFC East in recent years has been pretty much all about the Patriots for the last several seasons with the lone exception of last year. In a very odd 2008 NFL football season, the mighty Patriots lost superstar quarterback Tom Brady and dropped to second place behind Miami via a tie breaker. This season, Brady is back but does that mean that the AFC East is a gimme once again? Let’s look into the crystal ball for 2009, and see what stares back at us.
New England Patriots
While the Patriots are not the powerhouse they have been in previous seasons, they are still awfully good. This version of the Patriots has just as strong of a chance in winning the division as any, and I expect that Brady will return to form quickly and decidedly. Randy Moss, Brady, newcomer Fred Taylor, and many others will keep the Patriots near the top of the standings all season long. I expect them to reclaim the AFC East crown.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins sprung from nowhere to take the playoff spot in the AFC East last season and they will not sneak up on anyone this year. The Dolphins are a solid football team but they do have some question marks. Will Ronnie Brown be able to hold up this season? Will the wildcat be effective again? Can the Tuna work some more magic? I see second place in this talented division.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are one of those teams that is really hard to figure out. They have some serious talent and that new guy…. Terrell Owens. They have a quarterback that might just explode now that the Bills have more than just Lee Evans to throw to. It should be fun to watch. The Bills will come in a strong third, and would not surprise me at all to go higher.
The Jets will struggle this season because they seem committed to rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. He is a fantastic talent and I do see him succeeding in his rookie year, but there will be growing pains for sure. Expect that Sanchez will play alot, and the Jets will win a little. This will be a good thing in the long run for the Jets.
Make sure to check out my other predictions for the league found below:
