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Before we dig into this week's AFC East mailbag, I have a little unfinished business to tend to from Friday afternoon's chat.

I was unable to look up the information while simultaneously fighting off Peyton Manning fans with a chair and bullwhip, but I promised some data on the Miami Dolphins' usage of the Wildcat last year.

So many readers who don't follow the game closely enough are convinced the Dolphins won the AFC East with a gimmick offense. I can't count the number of times I've tried to explain the Dolphins used the Wildcat sparingly, that there's a misconception they used the direct snap to Ronnie Brown as their base offense because it dominated highlights.

Jason in Los Angeles took umbrage with the way I downplay the Wildcat and wrote: "I know you said the Dolphins don't use the Wildcat as much as people say, but I believe they did score most of their points that way. Any comments?"

The Dolphins scored eight touchdowns out of the Wildcat formation. They scored 40 touchdowns total.

They ran the Wildcat 90 times, an average of 6.4 a game once they introduced it in Week 3.

I feel like I've written this sentence a bazillion times, but I'll try it again: Chad Pennington had a career year and was involved in one Wildcat play.

He threw for 3,653 yards (most in his career) and 19 touchdowns (second-most of his career) and had a 97.4 passer rating (second-highest of his career). He completed one pass for 53 yards out of the Wildcat.

The Dolphins' offense deserves more respect than to be labeled a gimmick.

Michael Ballard in Madrid, Spain, also checked out Friday's chat and had a follow-up question. I had mentioned that Laurence Maroney will be the running back to watch for the New England Patriots, not Fred Taylor. Michael wanted to know what I meant by that.

I believe this will be a crossroads season for Maroney. The 21st pick of the 2006 draft has started only nine games. It's time for him to step up and show what he can do.

The Patriots' backfield can shake out any number of ways among Maroney, Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. But the best-case scenario for the Patriots would be if Maroney stepped forward. He played only three games last year because of a broken shoulder, but when healthy he SHOULD be the best back on the roster.

Danny in North Lauderdale, Fla., asks who will be starting quarterback for the New York Jets and is it necessarily the same person that gives them the best chance of winning on a weekly basis?

That's an intriguing question, Danny. Would the Jets declare rookie hotshot Mark Sanchez the starter if he isn't quite as good as the more experienced (but still unproven) Kellen Clemens?

I think it's Sanchez's job to lose. If he doesn't bomb out in training camp, he will be Rex Ryan's starter on opening day. But Clemens might give the Jets the best chance to win early in the season. Clemens didn't take advantage of the opportunity given to him in 2007, but he has faced live NFL defenses.

The Jets open the season at Houston, then host the Patriots and Titans. Not an easy start for a rookie quarterback.

Spencer in Ellicottville, N.Y., can't "understand why every sports writer in the nation is on the Bills' case for shipping off Jason Peters." Spencer reasons that the Bills will be better off without Peters because they went 2-0 without him last year and 5-9 with him and he was "getting burned by rookie defensive ends almost every week."

You can be upset with Peters' contract demands and the way he forced his way off the team, but I will never understand why fans channel their anger into rationalizing that he's no good. That's the definition of sour grapes (one of the most misused phrases, by the way).

Normally, I don't respond to e-mails written on a false premise, but based on similar comments I keep receiving from Bills fans, I felt compelled to respond.

Peters was Buffalo's best offensive lineman last year. He led the Bills in point-of-attack run blocking, according to analyst KC Joyner. Peters went to his second straight Pro Bowl because opposing coaches and players consider him one of the league's best.

Yes, Peters gave up too many sacks last year and took a big step back from his sublime season in 2007. But he was better than most. You're flat-out lying when you state he was abused by rookie defensive ends. Peters lines up against elite pass-rushers every game. That's what left tackles do.

As for your suggestion the Bills were better without Peters on the field, the records you gave are not only misleading, but also wrong.

The Bills went 2-1 in games Peters didn't play. Their victories came over the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, teams that went a combined 12-20. They also lost to the Patriots in the season finale minus Peters.

Then I guess we would have to go with a tiebreaker, Mark. The Patriots enter 2009 with a 55-point lead in win percentage. For the Steelers to catch them there, they would have to go 16-0 and have the Patriots finish no better than 8-8.

In the playoffs this decade, the Patriots have 14 victories and an .824 winning percentage. The Steelers have 10 victories and a .714 winning percentage.

The Patriots have four AFC championships. The most the Steelers can finish with is three.

So, no, Mark. We won't write a retraction.

J.R. in Tampa, Fla., wants to know if the Dolphins would cut Ted Ginn if he has a poor preseason.

There's not a chance. Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland did call out Ginn before the draft.

"Teddy is going into his third year, and I think it's time for him to really show what he was drafted here to do," Ireland said.

Even so, if Ginn doesn't dev
elop into a prototypical No. 1 receiver, he's too dangerous to cut loose. He has game-changing speed and forces opposing defenses to monitor his whereabouts every play. Remove him from Miami's offense and there's nothing to fear in the passing game.