AFC.Byline: MATTHEW KREDELL STAFF WRITER EAST New England New England, name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. N.Y. Jets Miami Buffalo 2005 PROJECTIONS The two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled until (UTC) due to vandalism. had
enough offseason problems to be a cause for concern.
Both top coordinators left the team, with offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator typically refers to the coach on a football team in the National Football League or College football who is in charge of the offense. This position aids the head coach by designing and scripting plays, delegating work to offensive position coaches during Charlie Weiss bolting for Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame and defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a football team in the National Football League or college football who is in charge of the defense. This position aids the head coach a great deal in many ways by delegating play calling to other coaches and allowing the head Romeo Crennel Romeo Crennel (born June 18, 1947 in Lynchburg, Virginia) has been the head coach of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League since February 8, 2005. Before becoming the head coach of the Browns, Crennel won three Super Bowls in four seasons as the defensive coordinator leaving for the Browns. Pro Bowl LB Ted Bruschi had a stroke that will at least force him to miss this season. Then LB Ted Johnson
Despite the losses, no one is panicking in New England. Coach Bill Belichick Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. has shown a propensity for patching together certain parts of
the team before and making it work. The offense, led by QB Tom Brady Thomas Edward Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. and
RB Corey Dillon Corey Dillon (born October 24, 1974 in Seattle, Washington) is a former American football running back. He is retired from his football career, having played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots. Dillon attended the University of Washington and wore the number 28. , should only get better.
TOP 5 IMPORTS Chad Brown
With Bruschi's surgery and Johnson's retirement, the Patriots were left with a sudden and dire need at linebacker. Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler, could fill a big hole if he stays healthy, which he wasn't able to do his last three years in Seattle. Duane Starks Duane Starks (born May 23, 1974 in Miami, Florida) is a defensive back in the NFL who last played for the Oakland Raiders and is currently a free agent. He played collegiate football at the University of Miami. , CB, Patriots Injuries left New England starting the unknown Randall Gay Randall "Blue" Jerome Gay, Jr. (born May 5, 1982 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an American football cornerback who currently plays for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2004. and Asante Samuel Asante Samuel (born January 6, 1981 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is an American football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Samuel was drafted from the University of Central Florida by the Patriots in 2003. in the Super Bowl last year. Though the Patriots survived, the veteran Starks was added to make sure that doesn't happen again. Laveranues Coles Laveranues (lah-VERN-ee-us) Coles (born December 29, 1977 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American football wide receiver who was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Florida State University. , WR, Jets Two years after letting Coles get away to Washington, the Jets brought him back in exchange for underachieving WR Santana Moss Santana Terrell Moss (born June 1, 1979 in Miami, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the NFL. Early years . Coles had a good report going with QB Chad Pennington James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington [1](born June 26, 1976 in Knoxville, Tennessee) is an American football quarterback for the NFL's New York Jets. Pennington is a graduate of the Webb School of Knoxville. Later, he was a Rhodes Scholar finalist as he held a GPA of 2. before he left. Ty Law, CB, Jets That New England didn't need Law to make it to the Super Bowl last year doesn't diminish the impact the former Pro Bowl cornerback can make when healthy. He has 36 interceptions. Kevin Carter, DE, Dolphins Miami bulked up its pass rush by signing Carter away from Tennessee. A two-time Pro Bowler, the durable Carter has 86 sacks and has never missed a game over his 10 year career. TOP ROOKIE Ronnie Brown Ronnie G. Brown (born December 12, 1981 in Rome, Georgia) is an American football running back who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Dolphins in the first round (second overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. , RB, Miami The Dolphins used the second pick in the draft to nab the former Auburn standout. He should be the featured player in Miami's offense for years to come, assuming he can hold off a challenge from Ricky Williams Errick Lynne Williams, Jr. (born May 21, 1977 in San Diego, California) is an American and Canadian football running back whose NFL rights are held by the Miami Dolphins, but is currently suspended by the league for using marijuana. for the starting job. NUMBER 9-0 Brady's record in the playoffs. He is 57-14 overall as New England's starting quarterback. SAVE THE DATE Sept. 18: New England at Carolina Assuming no team in the AFC (1) (Application Foundation Classes) A class library from Microsoft that provides an application framework and graphics, graphical user interface (GUI) and multimedia routines for Java programmers. East can challenge the Patriots. Their most interesting game of the season could be a rematch of the 2003 Super Bowl against the Panthers, who should have a bounce-back year. SHOT TO REACH DETROIT Well, those Patriots seem to make a habit of going to the big game. New England has won three of the past four Super Bowls. Like the USC Trojans
BEST PLAYER Tom Brady, QB, Patriots Brady isn't going to get a fantasy football Fantasy football can refer to:
NEXT BIG SUPERSTAR Jonathan Vilma Jonathan Polynice Vilma (born April 16, 1982 in Coral Gables, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays middle linebacker for the New York Jets of the NFL. He is one of several NFL players of Haitian descent. , LB, Jets The best rookie of the 2004 draft class, ahead of Eli Manning Elisha Nelson "Eli" Manning (born January 3, 1981 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers with the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. , Larry Fitzgerald Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. (born August 31, 1983 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Arizona Cardinals. His younger brother, Marcus, currently plays wide receiver for Marshall University. , Roy Williams, Ben Roethlisberger and even Michael Clayton. Vilma had 107 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks in earning Defensive Rookie of the Year Rookie of the Year may refer to:
NORTH 2005 PROJECTIONS Pittsburgh Cicinnati Baltimore Cleveland A 15-1 regular-season record meant little when the Pittsburgh Steelers lost 41-27 to New England in the playoffs. With perhaps the best defensive front seven in the league, led by LB James Farrior and DL Casey Hampton, the Steelers have a Super Bowl-caliber defense. The offense, however, is not there and likely won't get there. The RB combo of Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis would have been great seven years ago. Second-year QB Ben Roethlisberger is promising but, with five interceptions in two playoff games, understandably showed that he is not ready to carry the offense in big games. A team with Cincinnati's offense and Baltimore's defense would be Super Bowl-bound. TOP 5 IMPORTS Derrick Mason, WR, Ravens With the addition of pass-catching playmakers Playmakers is a TV series on ESPN that depicted the lives of the players on a fictional professional football team. The show starred Omar Gooding, Marcello Thedford, Christopher Wiehl, Jason Matthew Smith, Russell Hornsby and Tony Denison. Mason and rookie Mark Clayton, there's no more excuses for Boller, the former Hart High of Newhall standout. Samari Rolle, CB, Ravens The former Pro Bowl corner, who had 23 interceptions in seven years with Tennessee, joins Ed Reed and Chris McAllister to form perhaps the league's best defensive backfield. Trent Dilfer, QB, Browns Sturdy and reliable, if never spectacular, Dilfer will at least add some stability to a position that went through three starters -- Jeff Garcia, Kelly Holcomb and Luke McCown -- last year. Reuben Droughns, RB, Browns Time to see if Droughns and his surprising 1,240 yards rushing with Denver last season were a product of the system. Droughns will add some strength to a running game that already includes the smaller Lee Suggs. Gary Baxter, CB, Browns An emerging talent that Cleveland got away from rival Baltimore, Baxter has 141 tackles and four interceptions over the past two seasons. TOP ROOKIE David Pollack, LB, Bengals Cincinnati was 26th in the NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga against the pass last year. That's where Pollack, the team's first round pick, comes in. Pollack, who had 36 sacks in four years as a defensive end at Georgia, is being converted to outside linebacker to improve the pass rush. NUMBER 13-0 Ben Roethlisberger's record starting regular season games. The mark was tainted a bit in the playoffs but still impressive, and he can erase that playoff memory by continuing the streak this season. SAVE THE DATE Dec. 4: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh This game will show if Cincinnati is ready to challenge for the division title and make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Pittsburgh's strong offense will be tested by the Bengals' improving offense. SHOT TO REACH DETROIT Pittsburgh went 15-1 in the regular season last year yet didn't reach the show. Though the Steelers defense remains strong, the running backs are old and second-year QB Roethlisberger probably isn't ready. Look for a Super Bowl contender elsewhere. BEST PLAYER Ed Reed, SS, Ravens In only his third year in the league, eclipsed Ray Lewis last year as Baltimore's scariest defender. A rare ball-hawking strong safety, Reed had a league-high nine interceptions to go along with 76 tackles and two sacks. His 358 interception return yards set an NFL record. NEXT BIG SUPERSTAR Terrell Suggs, LB, Ravens Suggs already has 22.5 sacks in two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens at defensive end. Now Suggs is moving back to linebacker, the position from which he set the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association career sack record at Arizona State. SOUTH 2005 PROJECTIONS Indianapolis Jacksonville Houston Tennessee The offensive powerhouse Indianapolis Colts entered the offseason a few defensive pieces away from winning the Super Bowl. So what big moves did the Colts make to get past the New England Patriots? None. Indianapolis didn't add one impact free agent, acquiring only a couple of defensive backs through the draft. For another season, the Colts should be the most exciting team to watch with the firepower spread around from QB Peyton Manning. But that won't mean anything come January. TOP 5 IMPORTS Reggie Hayward, DE, Jaguars Jacksonville had trouble generating much of a pass rush last year, finishing 17th out of 32 teams. Hayward, who had 10.5 sacks for the Broncos, should help. Marcellus Wiley, DE, Jaguars The brash and talkative Wiley used to be one of the league's best at his position but has just three sacks in each of the past two years. The former Pro Bowler will have to earn playing time in Jacksonville. Phillip Buchanon, CB, Texans The Raiders got frustrated with the inconsistent Buchanon, who makes a spectacular play one play and a bonehead play the next. The former first-round pick hasn't lived up to his billing as the next Deion Sanders. Morlon Greenwood, LB, Texans Entering his fifth year, Greenwood is coming off a career season with 108 tackles for the Dolphins. He's one of the better linebackers in the league at pass coverage. Travis Henry, RB, Titans With Chris Brown rarely able to finish a game last season, Tennessee acquired the former Bills standout for a third-round pick. Henry twice rushed for more than 1,000 yards before losing his job to Willis McGahee. TOP ROOKIE Adam Jones, CB, Tennessee The Titans need Jones to help make up for all the defensive players let go because of the team's salary cap problems. The former West Virginia standout, the seventh pick in the first round, didn't get off to a good start by being arrested on suspicion of assault in July. NUMBER 50 Consecutive games in a row in which the Jaguars have not scored as many as 30 points. Jacksonville finished 29th in the NFL in scoring last year. SAVE THE DATE Nov. 7: Indianapolis at New England With all the passing stats Manning puts up for the Colts, he would be considered the top quarterback in the NFL if he could win the big game against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Here's the Colts' chance to indicate that this year will be different before the teams inevitably meet in the playoffs. SHOT TO REACH DETROIT The Colts have been on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of making the Super Bowl for years, only to be thwarted by New England. The Patriots remain in Indianapolis' way, and there's no good reason to think this is the year the Colts come out on top. BEST PLAYER Peyton Manning, QB, Colts Manning had one of the greatest statistical seasons of any quarterback in NFL history last year, breaking Dan Marino's record for touchdown passes in a season with 49. He also passed for 4,557 yards. With the offensive core of Manning, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley returning, he should be able to approach those numbers again. NEXT BIG SUPERSTAR Andre Johnson, WR, Texans The big, physical receiver has all the tools to be a Terrell Owens-type playmaker play·mak·er n. A player in a sport with goals, such as a guard in basketball, who initiates offensive plays. play . Being in Dom Capers' run-oriented offense and having David Carr as his quarterback has limited his upside thus far, but Johnson is entering his third season with 2,118 yards receiving. WEST 2005 PROJECTIONS Kansas City Denver Oakland San Diego This is the closest division, top to bottom, in the NFL. It's so close that San Diego could go from first to last in one season because all the other teams improved in the offseason while the Chargers did not. For years, Kansas City's defense has been so bad that its potent offense couldn't make the team a contender. The Chiefs finally made moves to change that this year, bringing in SS Sammy Knight and CB Patrick Surtain to improve a pass defense that was last in the NFL, as well as first-round pick Derrick Johnson and Kendrell Bell to improve the linebackers. If the new defensive players learn to play well together, the Chiefs should be better than the Broncos and defense-lacking Raiders. TOP 5 IMPORTS Courtney Brown, DE, Broncos Denver hired former Cleveland Browns defensive line coach Andre Patterson, then proceeded to bring in all his former Browns disciples. Gerrard Warren, DT, Broncos Another former Brown, and that's not necessarily a good thing. Warren and Brown Warren and Brown History The company of Warren and Brown was founded as a partnership in 1921 by Mr Andrew C. Brown and Mr William H. Warren, commencing at this time as “jobbing” engineers, specializing in tool making and gear cutting. , former first-round picks, were major disappointments in Cleveland. Ebenezer Ekuban, DE, Broncos The one solid contributor to the Browns acquired by the Broncos, Ekuban had eight sacks last season. And it's always fun to have a player named Ebenezer on the roster. Patrick Surtain, CB, Chiefs Kansas City finally found a top corner in Surtain, a two-time Pro Bowler with the Dolphins. However, he will miss the first four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Sammy Knight, SS, Chiefs The former USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. standout will bring some legitimacy to the Chiefs' backfield. The 2001 Pro Bowler for the Saints had 98 tackles and four interceptions last year with Miami TOP ROOKIE Derrick Johnson, LB, Chiefs Last year's Butkus Award winner at Texas as the top collegiate linebacker, Johnson will start immediately for Kansas City. The Chiefs loved seeing Johnson available with the 15th pick in the draft after many had him going in the top 10. NUMBER 80.9 Average rushing yards per game by the Raiders last season, worst in the league. The team brought in former New York Jets SAVE THE DATE Dec. 4: Oakland at San Diego There's nothing like seeing Qualcomm Stadium taken over by the Raiders nation. This game is always a battle, on the field and in the stands. SHOT TO REACH DETROIT Kansas City has long been that fun team to watch, the one with the explosive offense and pitiful defense that would be in a shootout Shootout Venture capital jargon. Refers to two or more venture capital firms fighting for the startup. each week. Not anymore. With their moves to improve the defense, the Chiefs have become a legitimate Super Bowl contender. One concern is that, while the defense finally is improved, the aging offense won't be able to put up the same numbers. BEST PLAYER LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers Priest Holmes' name used to be stamped here but with Holmes aging and coming off an injury-filled year, the dependable Tomlinson has taken over as the division's best. Tomlinson has scored 50 touchdowns over the past three seasons and proved last year that he can battle through nagging injuries. NEXT BIG SUPERSTAR Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs Whenever Priest Holmes hangs up his cleats, and that could be as soon as this year, Johnson will step into a great situation with a team that knows how to run the ball. He has shown his potential in spot duty, rushing for 151 yards and two TDs last year in a start against Denver. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, 3 boxes Photo: (1) Tom Brady (2) Peyton Manning (3) Ed Reed (4) LaDainian Tomlinson Box: (1) IRON MEN (2) STREAKING STEELERS (3) SCHEDULE |
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