The Tough Get Tougher...

Hang on. A second.This is getting silly.

The AFC East - consisting of the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets - is getting better - much better. And that's saying something for the division that has provided three Superbowl champions, one Superbowl loss and a handful of AFC championship game appearances in the last decade. This may very well be the best division in football. Perhaps the AFC South - Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars - can lay to the title after last season, but don't be surprised in all four teams in the AFC East cause a stir this year.

The worst in the division is still Buffalo - last year they were woefully disappointing: even with Terrell Owens in the fold they couldn't blow the game wide open. They struggled to some turgid wins and head-scratching losses and now enter this season needing upgrades at most key positions.

But not all.

Amazingly, Buffalo ranked second against the pass last year and, in a pass-happy league - even more so, division - that means something. They've a pair of tight corners and a safety (Jaryius Byrd) who nabbed himself nine interceptions last year. That's pretty amazing.

And that's not all. Sure, Buffalo have no QB - literally - a head coach whose feet are embarrassingly dry and no one who can catch. No one. But what they do have is a running back tandem that has proved itself praiseworthy. Led by Lynch, the Bills have the potential to do some damage between the tackles. They need a QB and a genuine receiving threat now that Owens is out of a job, but with those pieces in place - both probably serviceable from the draft - they could contend.

Now to the big boys. The Patriots are the Patriots. Not the '07 Patriots anymore, but a Bill Belichek team is always going to figure in the mix. With Welker back in the mix after his injury, and Brady with a year of fine-tuning under his belt, look to them to regain they're swagger. They need to upgrade their corners, though, if they are to survive in a league that now boasts possibly the game's most talented receiver, Brandon Marshall.

At 6' 4" and 230 lbs, Marshall with his speed and sticky palms, creates match-up nightmares for defences around the league. He landed in Miami after they sent two second round picks Denver's way for the talented but troubled Pro Bowler. With young QB Chad Henne pulling the trigger in Miami, Marshall should see a lot of touches and his presence downfield will help the development of strong-armed, but previously target-less Henne.

That makes the Dolphins contenders: they are a well coached unit regardless of previous personnel deficiencies, and with Bill Parcells overseeing the influx of new players and managing the draft, they can expect to get a lot better before the season opens in September. Who knows - they, like division rivals, the New York Jets, might fight their way to the AFC championship game on the back of some big performances from a young team who might just gel this year.

And that leads us to the Jets. Despite not winning the East last year, their impressive run - literally and metaphorically - to the AFC championship game was inspiring. They felled the Chargers - the league's hottest and arguably most overdue team. They went down to the Colts (who they had beaten to make it to the post-season) but they have some seriously tasty players and even more for the upcoming season. The addition of Antonio Cromartie (pilfered from San Diego) gives them the best corner tandem in the NFL - no doubt. In a pass-happy league and the most pass-happy division, this pair of shut-down corners could very well be the difference maker. Sure, Sanchez needs a target on his side of the ball or they will have to rely solely on Shonn Green to rack up the points on the ground, but the draft and free agency can service that - the addition of Superbowl winning receiver (and MVP) Santonio Holmes has already made them better. They got Holmes cheap too so they've got loads of wiggle room in the draft and Rex Ryan seems savvy enough to make it count.

Can I wait to see how this division pans out? No. No I can not. Until the season kicks-off, though, the first battle will be fought in a week's time as the talented organisational brains behind these four franchises pick from the college droves.

Will we see another Tom Brady in this year's draft? Who knows, but if any one of these teams can succeed in picking-up a Pro Bowl player from the lower rounds, look to them to start the season favourites. Right now, though, my pick for the East is the Jets and a relatively split record for the other teams - the depth of talent might see only one team make it out of this division as the others shoot each other in the feet.

Let the games begin...


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