NESO'S TAKE ON SPORTS

The Jets have seemingly improved by leaps and bounds, right? The Dolphins shored up an inferior defensive line, making their defense solid, yes? The Bills.. Next year/not really?

I’m going to talk about the Dolphins here, the Jets in the next article, and thirdly, the Patriots. I’m going to jump over the Bills, as after an extremely quiet off season have done nothing to show me that they are ready to consistently win games. In part IV, the prediction for division winner will be revealed.

Clearly, after winning the division last year, the Patriots’ main competitors are the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

These are all done pre-draft, so outlooks may certainly change depending on draft manipulation/drafting by the aforementioned teams.

The ‘Phins were middle of the pack last year in terms of rushing defense, at number 18 in the NFL in total rush defense, allowing 1,835 yards.

For the Dolphins’ organization, fixing their sub par rush defense was of great importance. They went out and signed linebacker Karlos Dansby, who last year totaled 101 tackles and an interception, along with a sack. Dansby is a very threatening player, as he is a force against rushers with sure tackling abilities, and has had success in bringing down the quarterback prior to last season (’06, eight sacks and ’08 four sacks).

One of Miami’s biggest in-season issues has been addressed by the team, and as we move towards the NFL draft, the Dolphins can focus on improving pass defense or even bring in new offensive players to rally around young quarterback Chad Henne.

Overall:

I think the Dolphins have made an extremely positive step, as they have added veteran leadership defensively, can focus more on developing as a team offensively, which therefore makes a more dynamic and threatening team.

What have we? A team which has addressed their most pressing issue, turning it from a weakness to at least a neutral point on defense. Can the Patriots keep up with the Dolphins acquisitions? What about New York? Find out next, in Part II.

Image Credits:

NFL.com