They Aren't Who We Thought They Were

Your Weekly AFC East Roundup

By Kevin Reese

Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills-

The always seemingly bipolar Buffalo Bills are at it again. A week ago, the Bills took down the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens at home.

It was a dominating performance, as the Bills outrushed the Ravens by about 200 yards. On a short week, they took on the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football. The Bills seemed to be going punch for punch with the Browns, and seemed to have the edge when Brian Hoyer suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. But then the favor was returned, and EJ Manuel suffered a knee injury as well.

As EJ Manuel went, it seemed, so did the Bills. The game took a complete 180 at this point, and the Browns took control. Manuel engineered a successful drive, bringing the Bills down to the Browns 13-yard line on the play he was hurt. Backup QB Jeff Tuel was able to capitalize, finishing the drive with a touchdown and putting the Bills ahead, 24-17.

The Bills never scored another point. Brandon Weeden, on in relief for Hoyer, took control, appearing to be playing for his job. Weeden finished with 197 yards and a touchdown. The game was sealed when Tuel threw an interception, which was returned for a touchdown by T.J. Ward. The Browns went ahead 37-24 for good. The Bills might’ve lost more than the game. The Bills also lost not only a quarterback, but also their leader.

New York Jets-

So the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets played on Monday Night Football. The winning quarterback threw three touchdowns and put together a fourth quarter two-minute drive to put his team in position for the game-winning field goal. Yes, that’s right. I’m talking about Geno Smith, not Matt Ryan.

The Jets appeared to finally let Geno loose, giving him the reigns in this offense. Smith, coming in with a league leading 11 turnovers, knew he had to cut down on the interceptions.

Smith didn’t throw an interception, and the Jets as a team didn’t give the ball away. Coming off of an ugly 38-13 pounding at the hands of the Tennessee Titans, the Jets were able to bounce back in a big way.

With the Patriots losing this week, the Jets were able to pull within one game of the surprisingly competitive AFC East lead. If the Jets can continue to take care of the ball, they might be able to surprise some people this season.

Miami Dolphins-

We’ve been here before. Ryan Tannehill with the ball, given the opportunity to lead his team on a game-winning drive. We’ve seen it against the Colts and Falcons earlier this year.

The Baltimore Ravens might’ve caught on. The Ravens, led by Terrell Suggs, sacked Tannehill six times on Sunday, he last of which came on the potential game-tying drive that ultimately pushed the Dolphins out of field -goal range.

The Dolphins, after starting 3-0, might have found their Achilles heel. Tannehill had been sacked a league-leading 18 times before this game. Adding six to that total certainly keeps them in the lead. The ‘Phins also amassed only 22 rushing yards on 11 carries.

Rushing for 2 yards per carry definitely does not help a second-year quarterback. If the Dolphins want to return to their winning ways, they’ll need to become a more balanced offense, as well as keeping their quarterback upright.

New England Patriots-

Tom Brady, for once, appeared to be human. Brady, coming into the game with a 52-game streak of throwing a touchdown pass, wasn’t able to find the endzone on Sunday. Nobody on the Patriots was able to.

The Patriots were out-passed, out-rushed, and outplayed in a truly ugly game. The Bengals passed for 13 more yards than the high-flying Patriots passing attack, while they rushed for 80 more yards than the Pats.

Maybe it was just a bad game, or maybe the Patriots finally got a taste of what playing a good team feels like. The Patriots opened up the season 4-0. Their opponents through their first four games: a combined 5-11.

With their hardest match-ups remaining on their schedule, it’ll be interesting to see where the Patriots end up. Might this be the beginning of the end for Tom Brady? 

Are These 'Phins Phor Real?

What does the Season have in store for the Dolphins?

By Kevin Reese

US Presswire

The Miami Dolphins opened up their 2013 season with three wins, two of which came on the road.  They began the season by beating the Cleveland Browns in a game where Miami’s leading rusher had 14 yards.

 In Week 2, the Phins took down a considerably better opponent when they went to Indianapolis and defeated Andrew Luck and the Colts. Many started to deem the Dolphins a legitimate contender after they took down the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3.

The Dolphins entered the week undefeated facing the unbeaten New Orleans Saints in the vaunted Superdome. In just one game, our perception of this version of the Miami Dolphins might have been altered. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill didn’t look like the same player who led the Dolphins on a game-winning drive the previous week. 

Tannehill turned the ball over four times in this contest (one fumble and three interceptions). The defense got torched by Drew Brees to the tune of 413 yards and four touchdowns. The Dolphins ultimately fell to the Saints 38-17, putting them at 3-1 for the season.

So was this one bad game or was the first three weeks misleading as to who the real Dolphins are? Only time will tell. The Dolphins remaining schedule is quite favorable. The Dolphins only play one team who currently has a winning record the rest of the way. 

That team is their division rival New England Patriots, whom the Dolphins get to face twice. Also, it’s worth noting that half of the Dolphins remaining games are against division opponents.

In this very young NFL season, Miami is still very much in the race for the AFC East. It just depends on what Dolphins team we see. Do we get the team that won games against teams that were in last year’s playoffs, or the team who can’t seem to stop anything? The Dolphins are only one game back and have a multitude of winnable games left. 

So whatever team shows up, Miami will most likely exceed expectations this season, considering many picked them to not even smell a division title. This Dolphins team will most likely experience more ups-and-downs like this previous game, but one thing is for certain: they’re not going undefeated. 

NFC East Division Overview

Another NFL Season has Finally Arrived

By Max Berger

Charlie Riedel / AP

Through the first two weeks of the season, one thing is for sure – the NFC East is no longer the NFC beast. The 2012 division champs Washington Redskins and the never-say-die New York Giants are both 0-2, while the Dallas Cowboys and the new-look Philadelphia Eagles sit at 1-1 with some major issues to address. Although coming into the season most experts expected the ‘Skins, Cowboys and Giants to compete for the division title and playoff spots (this seems to be a developmental year for the Eagles), none of last year’s twelve playoff teams started the year 0-2. All four teams have an uphill battle to make the playoffs, but let’s take a closer look, starting with last year’s division champions:

           

This was supposed to be “the year” for the Redskins as people in sports call it—the year where key players are in their prime and everything should culminate into a Super Bowl victory at season’s end. Transcendent quarterback Robert Griffin III, last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, coming off of offseason knee surgery implored that he was healthy and ready to build off of last year. Also, a stout Washington defense a season ago welcomed back healthy linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, two former Pro-Bowlers, to the mix; however, this season has been far from “the year” so far. RGIII is current ranked 31st in QBR and has already thrown three interceptions after throwing just five in 2012. Defensively, the ‘Skins have been historically bad, ranking dead last in the NFL and giving up the most yards in league. How bad? Washington has given up 1,023 yards in the first two games, second most yards allowed in NFL history through two games. As if there wasn’t enough turmoil in the nation’s capital already, this team should hit the panic button soon.

           

Next, the enigma that is the New York Giants. Every year after slow starts, the fans call for Coughlin’s head despite him winning two Super Bowls with Big Blue. Eli Manning has been, well, Eli Manning so far this season, one yard away from leading the league in passing yards but throwing a league-high seven interceptions thus far (the next closest QB has thrown four). No one can doubt his talent and his late-game abilities, but he makes some absolutely head-scratching decisions with the football at times. Fantasy football experts drooled over running back David Wilson’s potential this season but thus far the Virginia Tech product has been plagued by fumbling issues. The defense gave up a late touchdown and 36 points to the Cowboys in week one and got torched by the better Manning and the Broncos in week two for 41 points. This week’s matchup against Carolina is a must win for the G-men if they want to get this season back on track.

           

All was quiet in Dallas this offseason…except not at all. The Cowboys and their charismatic owner Jerry Jones had very high expectations heading into the season, like always, but some think this is the year the team breaks through and makes a postseason run. So far, again like always, there has been good and bad with “America’s team.” They impressed in week one, winning a 36-31 shootout shootout over the aforementioned Giants, but in week two they fell in a close 17-16 loss to the upstart Kansas City Chiefs. After a quiet week one, big-play wide receiver Dez Bryant exploded against the Chiefs for nine catches, 141 yards and a touchdown, and the Cowboys will need this kind of production and consistency from him each week if they want to reach their full potential. With all of the young-star quarterbacks in the league right now, Tony Romo is flying under the radar and playing some good football, ranking 12th in the league in QB rating. If they can limit mistakes on offense and the big plays on defense, this is a talented, hungry team that’s ready to pounce in a weak NFC East.

           

Catch your breath, it’s time to talk about the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles. Good news:  Head coach Chip Kelly’s offense is ranked second in the league. The Birds are second in total yards, rush yards and third in scoring. Most importantly, Kelly has once again made Michael Vick a relevant NFL and fantasy quarterback again, as he boasts the third highest QB rating and, most importantly, has no turnovers yet this season. Additionally, running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver DeSean Jackson lead the league in rushing and receiving, respectively. This trio in Kelly’s fast-paced offense should continue to produce throughout the season. Bad news: the Eagles have to play defense too. The D has given up the third-most yards and fifth-most points allowed this season. These Birds are fun to watch and will be involved in some exciting shootouts this season, but the team cannot expect to contend until the defense can stifle its opponents.

           

Overall trend in the NFC East, and throughout the entire NFL: defenses are nowhere to be found, besides in Seattle, as offenses are destroying the record books. The division is not at its best this year, but it should be entertaining on and off the field as always. Someone has to win and someone has to lose, so here’s the prediction on how everything plays out:

1.     Dallas Cowboys (10-6)

2.     New York Giants (8-8)

3.     Philadelphia Eagles (7-9)

4.     Washington Redskins (6-10)

Happy Birthday Pops

EJ Manuel's game-winning fourth quarter touchdown drive marks special day for the Bills quarterback

By Kevin Reese

Erik Sr. celebrated his birthday this Sunday by doing the only thing feasible for any American to do on a Sunday: watch football. Except Erik Sr. was watching his son play on this Sunday. Erik Jr., better known as EJ, was able to give his father one hell of a birthday present.

 

Bill Wippert/Times Union

I also happened to be in attendance this Sunday in overcast Orchard Park, where the Buffalo Bills took on the Carolina Panthers. I watched on as EJ Manuel, playing in his second career game, led his team to a victory, Manuel’s first in his career.

I also happened to attend three Buffalo Bills games last season, and this game for 58 minutes felt like another one of those games. Missed open receivers, bonehead penalties, and of course, disgruntled Bills fans. It had all the typical ingredients of a letdown at Ralph Wilson Stadium. But we still haven’t accounted for those other two minutes of the 60-minute contest. The last two minutes in this game saw history being made, and one 80-yard touchdown drive.

EJ Manuel looked like a rookie for most of this game, often times looking timid, checking down to receivers while receivers ran open downfield. At one point, wide receiver Stevie Johnson, following a failed third down conversion in which he ran uncovered, returned to the sideline slamming his helmet to the turf in frustration. But by the end of the game the outspoken receiver was praising his young quarterback. “He earned a lot of our respect”, said Johnson following the win.

The Bills received the ball with 1:38 left in the game, down by six. Manuel took the field, and all I could think of was those 3 Bills games last season. A loss to the Rams where Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked to end all hopes, an incompletion by Fitzpatrick on a fourth down to end the game against the Titans, and a game which saw Fitzpatrick intercepted four times against the Patriots. However, today was different. The Bills had a new leader under center, and the end result showed. The Bills started the drive at their own 20, with no timeouts. Manuel marched his team down the field, in an all no-huddle drive. He finished 6-8 for 51 yards, with a crucial nine-yard scramble to set up the game-winning score. Manuel was able to find Johnson all alone in the back of the end zone with a blitzing Luke Kuechly in his face, putting the Bills ahead for good.

This is a new Bills team, specifically because they might’ve found their new face of the franchise. EJ Manuel made some history with his late game heroics. He became the first NFL quarterback since 1960 to post a QB rating of 89+ in his first two games, as well as becoming the fifth NFL rookie since 1960 to engineer a fourth quarter comeback in his first or second game. So how’s that for a birthday present for Dad? 

QB Future Bright in AFC East

This past Sunday featured the debut of two rookie quarterbacks, both of whom play in the AFC East

By Kevin Reese

Geno Smith, product of West Virginia University, started his career in East Rutherford at MetLife Stadium. At the same time, about six hours away in Orchard Park, EJ Manuel, the only quarterback taken ahead of Smith, debuted against the division rival New England Patriots. The results of the two games might not have been the same, but both teams now have a lot to look forward to after watching their rookie signal callers take the field for the first time.

Bloomberg.com

Geno Smith was anointed the Jets starting quarterback this offseason, when former first round pick Mark Sanchez suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder. Of course when playing in New York, expectations are always high, especially for the starting quarterback. Geno did not disappoint. Now he didn’t go out there and sling the football around to the tune of 400 yards and five touchdowns, but what he did do was win. He showed that he has what it takes to get the job done when it needs to be. Trailing 17-15 with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Geno did what he had to do. Starting at his own 20, Geno completed a 25-yard pass down the middle to Kellen Winslow. After rushing to the line to spike the ball, Geno showed of his legs to gain ten more yards. Following the play, Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David was penalized for a late hit on Smith. This set up the Jets for a Nick Folk field goal to put the Jets up for good.

Now like I said, Geno Smith didn’t win this game on his own, however, he put his team in the best position to win. Smith finished with 256 yards passing and one touchdown, completing 24 out of 38 throws. Also, he was able to add 47 yards on the ground. During the game winning drive, it was all Geno. He appeared to have the confidence of a ten-year veteran, not a rookie quarterback starting his first game.

Boston Globe

Now lets travel to Ralph Wilson Stadium, where EJ Manuel, first round pick out of Florida State, took the field. This was Manuel’s first live action since Week 2 of the preseason, after which Manuel had a minor procedure on his left knee. EJ lived up to being the first quarterback taken in this year’s draft, a move questioned by many. Manuel played a very efficient game. He completed 18 of his 27 passes including 2 touchdowns, did not throw an interception, and was not sacked once. After halftime, with the Bills trailing 17-14, Manuel led the Bills on a systematic 80-yard touchdown drive, capped off by an 18-yard touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson. At this point, it seemed as though the Bills might be able to defeat the Patriots for the second time in twenty tries. But of course, things returned to normal in the AFC East, and the lone main stay in the division at quarterback showed the young gun how it’s done. Starting at his own 34-yard line, Tom Brady marched his team down the field, putting them right in place for Stephen Gostkowski to kick the game-winning field goal.

While the Bills didn’t ultimately pull off the upset, EJ Manuel gave Bills fans a lot of reasons to be optimistic. First off, EJ played turnover free football, something which has been a bit of an Achilles’ heel for Buffalo recently. Second, EJ posted a Total QBR rating of 70.8. QBR measures quarterbacks performances and what they do to help their team, incorporating the context of when certain plays happen, and how it impacts the outcome of the game. EJ’s QBR of 70.8 was good for 11^th in the league, better than Aaron Rodgers and his Sunday counterpart, Tom Brady.

While both didn’t come out victorious on Sunday, both Geno Smith and EJ Manuel gave fans something to look forward to. While this division is still Tom Brady’s for the next couple of years, the young quarterbacks in this division might be able to supplant Brady in time. The future is very bright for the American Football Conference’s East division.