JLB
April 25th, 2008, 8:37:26 AM
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/SPORTS0101/804250364/tbd/
The New England Patriots figure to rule the AFC East until a division rival puts together a halfway decent offense.
This weekend's draft might help.
Last season, the Patriots led the NFL in total yards (411.3), passing yards (295.7) and points (36.8) per game. They were 13th in rushing (115.6) just to mix things up.
Here's how the other three AFC East teams fared on offense per game (NFL ranking in parentheses):
Total yards — New York Jets 294.7 (26th), Miami Dolphins 287.5 (28th), Buffalo Bills 277.1 (30th).
Passing yards — Dolphins 189.4 (24th), Jets 188.4 (25th), Bills 164.6 (30th).
Rushing yards — Bills 112.5 (15th), Jets 106.3 (19th), Dolphins 98.1 (23rd).
Scoring — Jets 16.8 (25th), Dolphins 16.7 (26th), Bills 15.8 (30th).
Miami already made a huge commitment to upgrade its offense by making Michigan tackle Jake Long the No. 1 overall pick in Saturday's NFL college draft. He figures to anchor the offensive line for a decade and become a Pro Bowl fixture.
The Jets have the No. 6 overall pick and appear to have a good chance to break Dallas owner Jerry Jones' heart by selecting Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. The Cowboys have the No. 7 pick.
The New England Patriots figure to rule the AFC East until a division rival puts together a halfway decent offense.
This weekend's draft might help.
Last season, the Patriots led the NFL in total yards (411.3), passing yards (295.7) and points (36.8) per game. They were 13th in rushing (115.6) just to mix things up.
Here's how the other three AFC East teams fared on offense per game (NFL ranking in parentheses):
Total yards — New York Jets 294.7 (26th), Miami Dolphins 287.5 (28th), Buffalo Bills 277.1 (30th).
Passing yards — Dolphins 189.4 (24th), Jets 188.4 (25th), Bills 164.6 (30th).
Rushing yards — Bills 112.5 (15th), Jets 106.3 (19th), Dolphins 98.1 (23rd).
Scoring — Jets 16.8 (25th), Dolphins 16.7 (26th), Bills 15.8 (30th).
Miami already made a huge commitment to upgrade its offense by making Michigan tackle Jake Long the No. 1 overall pick in Saturday's NFL college draft. He figures to anchor the offensive line for a decade and become a Pro Bowl fixture.
The Jets have the No. 6 overall pick and appear to have a good chance to break Dallas owner Jerry Jones' heart by selecting Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. The Cowboys have the No. 7 pick.