AFC East: All Four Teams at 3-3
The AFC East is amidst a logjam. After six full weeks of the season, all four teams in the division are in first place with identical 3-3 records. Both players and coaches are not sure if they should be pleased to be in first place or worried that one loss will put them in last place.
Since 1970 when the AFL and NFL merged, this is just the fourth time each team in the same division has identical records after the sixth week of the season or later. It is the first time since 1987 that the AFC East has all four teams with identical records. That year every team had identical 5-5 records after the 10th week of the season.
That same year, the division was tied during week 8 with all four teams having a 4-4 record. The other time it has happened was in 1985 in week 9 when all the teams in the AFC Central had the same records.
This weekend things will change as the New England Patriots host division rival the New York Jets. The Buffalo Bills will play at home to Tennessee and the Dolphins will enough a bye week.
The following week will see Buffalo on a bye, the Patriots playing in London against the St. Louis Rams and Miami hosting the Jets. Things should be stirred even more following that week of games as well.
Many are calling it just a case of mediocrity and not just in the AFC East, but also in all of the AFC, as no team has clearly stepped forward to claim dominance. If your look closer at the numbers it might even be the entire league.
Of the 32 teams in the NFL, 11 have 3-3 records and that includes the likes of Green Bay, which in the power rankings is all the way at no. 7. While another 3-3 team, the Bills are listed at no. 24 in the power rankings. Only 20 teams have a .500 record or better and not included in that bunch are Dallas, Pittsburgh and Detroit all who are just 2-3.
The Patriots, the top dog in the AFC East for a number of years might have a record of just 3-3, but they are in the top 5 in the league in both passing and rushing yards. They have lost their three games but just FOUR points. They lost by 2 to Arizona on a missed field goal, 1 point to Baltimore the next week and last Sunday by 1 point to Seattle. In all four games, they had a legitimate chance to win and probably should have won.
The Jets have a 2-0 record in division play and that is after losing Santonio Holmes their best offensive player and Darrelle Revis their best defensive player injuries.
Miami is the only team in the division besides the Patriots to win the division title in the past nine seasons. They too could have won in two of their three losses if they would have had breaks go their way.
Well the slate is clean in the AFC East, and it is a best of 10 game season going forward. Sit back, enjoy and watch mediocrity and the New England Patriots rule the East.
