AFC East: Tamba Hali
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Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 1:
Handling Hali: Something to watch carefully when Buffalo visits Kansas City is how the Bills handle linebacker Tamba Hali. If left alone, he will torment Bills left tackle Demetrius Bell. If Buffalo designates a tight end next to Bell to assist with Hali or assigns a running back to chip him, that leaves the rest of Buffalo’s protection scheme vulnerable against pass-rushers Justin Houston, Glenn Dorsey and Wallace Gilberry. Kansas City also has a strong secondary. I have a hard time believing that Buffalo will have much success through the air this week. One guy who could really help their cause if used properly is running back C.J. Spiller.
Inexperienced Cowboys: Dallas visits the Jets on Sunday night. This is a terrible matchup for the Cowboys’ offense. Instead of older, heavy-footed road graders up front, the Cowboys' offensive line has an influx of athletic, but very young, starters. This could pay off in time, because they should be much better equipped to pass-block and get out on the screens and draw plays that favor Felix Jones. But for now, I expect huge growing pains. Ultra-talented Cowboys first-round pick Tyron Smith will not play because of a knee injury. I expect Dallas’ protection schemes to have plenty of breakdowns. That is an awful situation against a defense coached by Rex Ryan. Compounding matters for the Cowboys are the matchups on the perimeter. Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are as good a pair of starting wideouts as you will find. But Austin isn’t 100 percent healthy, and Darrelle Revis will shut down whichever wide receiver he covers. Antonio Cromartie is a very good man-to-man cover man who thrives against bigger wide receivers like Austin and Bryant. However, it should be noted that New York’s third-down defense last season gave up too many big plays.
Test for New England: New England travels to Miami for the early "Monday Night Football" game. Although it struggled this preseason, particularly against the Lions, I still consider New England’s offensive line one of the very best. But they will be tested in a huge way on the road. In the Miami heat, the fatigue factor will favor the home team. Miami has an extremely physical and deep 3-man defensive line. Led by Cameron Wake, the Dolphins’ edge pass-rushers are a real handful for any protection scheme. New England might be without starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer, so we might see first-round pick Nate Solder in his first action.
Pressure from Patriots: When Miami has the ball, I expect Bill Belichick to dial up a lot of front-side pressure. Chad Henne is not very mobile, and he can struggle with pressure right in his face. Jake Long returns, after missing the preseason, to man his left tackle spot. I worry about the right side of the Dolphins’ offensive line, particularly starting right tackle Marc Colombo. He should be out-manned by players such as Shaun Ellis and Jermaine Cunningham, let alone the added front-side pressure. Compounding the problem, right guard Vernon Carey has little experience at guard. Anthony Fasano is an excellent blocking tight end and will have to spend much of his time on the right side, but the Miami running backs are either small and lacking physicality (Reggie Bush) or lacking experience (Daniel Thomas) in protection.
Stopping the run: The Bills' defense was awful against the run last season, but I am betting that it improved with the drafting of Marcell Dareus and some other additions. I expect the run defense to be particularly stout up the middle, where Dareus, Kyle Williams and Nick Barnett play. However, the changes might not pay off big against the Chiefs because Jamaal Charles is such a great runner outside the tackles. I also expect Dexter McCluster’s role as a ball carrier to increase.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 1:
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Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesRunning back C.J. Spiller could help Buffalo slow down Kansas City's pass rush.
Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesRunning back C.J. Spiller could help Buffalo slow down Kansas City's pass rush.Inexperienced Cowboys: Dallas visits the Jets on Sunday night. This is a terrible matchup for the Cowboys’ offense. Instead of older, heavy-footed road graders up front, the Cowboys' offensive line has an influx of athletic, but very young, starters. This could pay off in time, because they should be much better equipped to pass-block and get out on the screens and draw plays that favor Felix Jones. But for now, I expect huge growing pains. Ultra-talented Cowboys first-round pick Tyron Smith will not play because of a knee injury. I expect Dallas’ protection schemes to have plenty of breakdowns. That is an awful situation against a defense coached by Rex Ryan. Compounding matters for the Cowboys are the matchups on the perimeter. Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are as good a pair of starting wideouts as you will find. But Austin isn’t 100 percent healthy, and Darrelle Revis will shut down whichever wide receiver he covers. Antonio Cromartie is a very good man-to-man cover man who thrives against bigger wide receivers like Austin and Bryant. However, it should be noted that New York’s third-down defense last season gave up too many big plays.
Test for New England: New England travels to Miami for the early "Monday Night Football" game. Although it struggled this preseason, particularly against the Lions, I still consider New England’s offensive line one of the very best. But they will be tested in a huge way on the road. In the Miami heat, the fatigue factor will favor the home team. Miami has an extremely physical and deep 3-man defensive line. Led by Cameron Wake, the Dolphins’ edge pass-rushers are a real handful for any protection scheme. New England might be without starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer, so we might see first-round pick Nate Solder in his first action.
Pressure from Patriots: When Miami has the ball, I expect Bill Belichick to dial up a lot of front-side pressure. Chad Henne is not very mobile, and he can struggle with pressure right in his face. Jake Long returns, after missing the preseason, to man his left tackle spot. I worry about the right side of the Dolphins’ offensive line, particularly starting right tackle Marc Colombo. He should be out-manned by players such as Shaun Ellis and Jermaine Cunningham, let alone the added front-side pressure. Compounding the problem, right guard Vernon Carey has little experience at guard. Anthony Fasano is an excellent blocking tight end and will have to spend much of his time on the right side, but the Miami running backs are either small and lacking physicality (Reggie Bush) or lacking experience (Daniel Thomas) in protection.
Stopping the run: The Bills' defense was awful against the run last season, but I am betting that it improved with the drafting of Marcell Dareus and some other additions. I expect the run defense to be particularly stout up the middle, where Dareus, Kyle Williams and Nick Barnett play. However, the changes might not pay off big against the Chiefs because Jamaal Charles is such a great runner outside the tackles. I also expect Dexter McCluster’s role as a ball carrier to increase.
Cameron Wake apparently still a sleeper
March, 22, 2011
3/22/11
12:00
PM ET
By Tim Graham | ESPN.com
Seven weeks ago, I disagreed with the notion some readers supported, that Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake deserved to be considered a legitimate candidate for the Associated Press 2010 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
I don't believe he was a complete enough defender for that prestigious accolade. But the one thing Wake does supremely well is rush the passer.
Even so, Wake barely cracked this week's ESPN.com positional power rankings -- for pass-rushers. We didn't rank players based on run-stuffing or pass-coverage. Just pass-rushing.
Wake didn't get as much respect as I thought he should've.
Wake came in 10th in our power rankings because I rated him fourth. Three panelists didn't put him on their ballots at all. One ranked him ninth. Three ranked him 10th.
For the record, this was my ballot:
Wake finished third in the NFL with 14 sacks. He was the most dangerous edge rusher in the AFC East by a big margin. Opponents had to game plan to stop him.
While I don't lean too heavily on stats while putting together my weekly positional power rankings, there are a handful of numbers you want to look for when it comes to pass-rushers. Sacks are the NFL's only official stats that are applicable. Other figures such as quarterback hits and hurries must be tracked by analytical outfits such as Football Outsiders.
Football Outsiders charted Wake third in the NFL with 15 quarterback hits (not counting sacks) and fourth with 38 hurries.
What more can you say?
Other divergences on my ballot included rating Freeney lower than any other panelist, omitting both Steelers outside linebackers, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, and being the lone voter to include Long.
The reason Long made my list was because he was always around the quarterback last year. He had a respectable 10 sacks, but he led the NFL with 41.5 hurries and was tied for sixth with 14 QB hits in the Football Outsiders data.
I don't believe he was a complete enough defender for that prestigious accolade. But the one thing Wake does supremely well is rush the passer.
Even so, Wake barely cracked this week's ESPN.com positional power rankings -- for pass-rushers. We didn't rank players based on run-stuffing or pass-coverage. Just pass-rushing.
Wake didn't get as much respect as I thought he should've.
Wake came in 10th in our power rankings because I rated him fourth. Three panelists didn't put him on their ballots at all. One ranked him ninth. Three ranked him 10th.
For the record, this was my ballot:
- DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker
- Tamba Hali, Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker
- Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers outside linebacker
- Cameron Wake, Miami Dolphins outside linebacker
- Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings defensive end
- John Abraham, Atlanta Falcons defensive end
- Julius Peppers, Chicago Bears defensive end
- Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts defensive end
- Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker
- Chris Long, St. Louis Rams defensive end
Wake finished third in the NFL with 14 sacks. He was the most dangerous edge rusher in the AFC East by a big margin. Opponents had to game plan to stop him.
While I don't lean too heavily on stats while putting together my weekly positional power rankings, there are a handful of numbers you want to look for when it comes to pass-rushers. Sacks are the NFL's only official stats that are applicable. Other figures such as quarterback hits and hurries must be tracked by analytical outfits such as Football Outsiders.
Football Outsiders charted Wake third in the NFL with 15 quarterback hits (not counting sacks) and fourth with 38 hurries.
What more can you say?
Other divergences on my ballot included rating Freeney lower than any other panelist, omitting both Steelers outside linebackers, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, and being the lone voter to include Long.
The reason Long made my list was because he was always around the quarterback last year. He had a respectable 10 sacks, but he led the NFL with 41.5 hurries and was tied for sixth with 14 QB hits in the Football Outsiders data.
Revisiting Cam Wake and the DPOY debate
February, 3, 2011
2/03/11
10:47
AM ET
By Tim Graham | ESPN.com
A couple days ago, I asked whether or not Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake was slighted because he didn't receive any votes for the Associated Press 2010 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
In the comments section underneath, the discussion was entertaining and the opinions passionate on both sides. I thought it would be worthwhile to revisit the issue and share some of the thoughts that were hashed out.
As I posted there, one of my chief concerns about debating Wake's season was that readers were quoting all sorts of inaccurately inflated stats. Some claimed Wake led the league in combined sacks and tackles for losses and insisted he notched double digits in both categories.
That's difficult to declare. While sacks are an official NFL stat, tackles are not. They are open to interpretation and charted by each coaching staff while reviewing game film. Teams apply different criteria to TFLs. Must they be solo tackles only? Are assists counted? Is a half-sack worth a full TFL?
For the record, the Dolphins credited Wake with 21 tackles for losses. That includes his 14 sacks. But the Dolphins also count a half-sack as one TFL, and Wake had two half-sacks in his total.
That means Wake had six TFLs not related to sacks. The math: 13 full sacks plus two half-sacks equal 15 TFLs directly from sacks. Subtract that from his 21 TFLs.
Now for the assertion Wake led the league in combined sacks and TFLs ... Wake finished third in sacks behind Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali.
The Cowboys credited Ware with nine TFLs. The Chiefs pegged Hali with 6.5 TFLs, showing they don't subscribe to the Dolphins' policy of counting a half-sack as a full TFL. Either way, both finished with a higher combo of tackles behind the line of scrimmage than Wake.
And neither Ware nor Hali received any defensive player of the year votes either.
Now that we've cleared that up, what about the general idea that Ware deserved to finish among the seven who received a vote? A reminder:
Most criticism from Wake supporters focused not on Polamalu, but on Matthews. Some readers contended Wake was more dominant than Matthews.
Wake did have a half-sack more than Matthews, who played one fewer game and battled hamstring and shin injuries for a portion of the season. We can't say for sure how many TFLs Matthews recorded because the Packers don't believe in them. But he did have an interception return for a touchdown and two forced fumbles. Wake had no interceptions and three forced fumbles.
So it's an interesting discussion, I suppose. Wake is an elite pass-rusher. He dominated backfields at times. But I think the Associated Press panel simply valued defenders who were more forceful all over the field.
Plus, Wake steadily compiled sacks throughout the season and didn't hold his brief NFL lead until the Dolphins were out of the playoff hunt. By then, nobody was paying attention to the Dolphins anymore, including their fans based on all those empty Sun Life Stadium seats in November and December.
Matthews, meanwhile, generated a lot of buzz with his torrid start.
Longtime AFC East blog follower Lori Chase (aka LCHASE2249), maybe the most astute reader-analyst out there, also pointed out the following about sacks leaders:
The five were Lawrence Taylor with 20.5 sacks in 1986, Reggie White with 21 in 1987, Pat Swilling with 17 in 1991, Bryce Paup with 17.5 in 1995 and Michael Strahan with 22.5 in 2001.
Chase pointed out all were first-team All-Pros (Wake wasn't). Three played on division champions, with the two exceptions White and Strahan. White registered his 21 sacks in 12 games. Strahan broke the single-season sacks record.
In summary, Wake had a brilliant season. He established himself as a pass-rushing fiend, one of the NFL's best and certainly worthy of his Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selections.
All in all, I found the discussion in the comments section to be insightful and a great example of why I like to exchange ideas with readers there as much as possible.
Be sure to check the comments sections under my blogs and feel free to get involved. I try to visit as often as I can, and now that all four AFC East teams are done playing, you can expect to see me there quite a bit.
In the comments section underneath, the discussion was entertaining and the opinions passionate on both sides. I thought it would be worthwhile to revisit the issue and share some of the thoughts that were hashed out.
As I posted there, one of my chief concerns about debating Wake's season was that readers were quoting all sorts of inaccurately inflated stats. Some claimed Wake led the league in combined sacks and tackles for losses and insisted he notched double digits in both categories.
That's difficult to declare. While sacks are an official NFL stat, tackles are not. They are open to interpretation and charted by each coaching staff while reviewing game film. Teams apply different criteria to TFLs. Must they be solo tackles only? Are assists counted? Is a half-sack worth a full TFL?
For the record, the Dolphins credited Wake with 21 tackles for losses. That includes his 14 sacks. But the Dolphins also count a half-sack as one TFL, and Wake had two half-sacks in his total.
That means Wake had six TFLs not related to sacks. The math: 13 full sacks plus two half-sacks equal 15 TFLs directly from sacks. Subtract that from his 21 TFLs.
Now for the assertion Wake led the league in combined sacks and TFLs ... Wake finished third in sacks behind Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali.
The Cowboys credited Ware with nine TFLs. The Chiefs pegged Hali with 6.5 TFLs, showing they don't subscribe to the Dolphins' policy of counting a half-sack as a full TFL. Either way, both finished with a higher combo of tackles behind the line of scrimmage than Wake.
And neither Ware nor Hali received any defensive player of the year votes either.
Now that we've cleared that up, what about the general idea that Ware deserved to finish among the seven who received a vote? A reminder:
- Troy Polamalu, Steelers safety, 17
- Clay Matthews, Packers linebacker, 15
- James Harrison, Steelers linebacker, 8
- Julius Peppers, Bears defensive end, 6
- Brian Urlacher, Bears linebacker, 2
- Ed Reed, Ravens safety, 1
- Haloti Ngata, Ravens defensive tackle, 1
Most criticism from Wake supporters focused not on Polamalu, but on Matthews. Some readers contended Wake was more dominant than Matthews.
Wake did have a half-sack more than Matthews, who played one fewer game and battled hamstring and shin injuries for a portion of the season. We can't say for sure how many TFLs Matthews recorded because the Packers don't believe in them. But he did have an interception return for a touchdown and two forced fumbles. Wake had no interceptions and three forced fumbles.
So it's an interesting discussion, I suppose. Wake is an elite pass-rusher. He dominated backfields at times. But I think the Associated Press panel simply valued defenders who were more forceful all over the field.
Plus, Wake steadily compiled sacks throughout the season and didn't hold his brief NFL lead until the Dolphins were out of the playoff hunt. By then, nobody was paying attention to the Dolphins anymore, including their fans based on all those empty Sun Life Stadium seats in November and December.
Matthews, meanwhile, generated a lot of buzz with his torrid start.
Longtime AFC East blog follower Lori Chase (aka LCHASE2249), maybe the most astute reader-analyst out there, also pointed out the following about sacks leaders:
Fourteen sacks -- which ties [Wake] for 96th on the all-time single-season list -- and Finfans are miffed that none of the AP voters thought their guy was the greatest defensive player in the league in 2010? Take off those aqua-and-orange-colored glasses, folks. Even if he had led the league (which he didn't), do you know how many times the NFL sacks leader has won that season's DPOY award? Five. Five times in the 29 years since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.
The five were Lawrence Taylor with 20.5 sacks in 1986, Reggie White with 21 in 1987, Pat Swilling with 17 in 1991, Bryce Paup with 17.5 in 1995 and Michael Strahan with 22.5 in 2001.
Chase pointed out all were first-team All-Pros (Wake wasn't). Three played on division champions, with the two exceptions White and Strahan. White registered his 21 sacks in 12 games. Strahan broke the single-season sacks record.
In summary, Wake had a brilliant season. He established himself as a pass-rushing fiend, one of the NFL's best and certainly worthy of his Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selections.
All in all, I found the discussion in the comments section to be insightful and a great example of why I like to exchange ideas with readers there as much as possible.
Be sure to check the comments sections under my blogs and feel free to get involved. I try to visit as often as I can, and now that all four AFC East teams are done playing, you can expect to see me there quite a bit.
Before the season, if I'd have given you eight guesses to predict the AFC East's only 1,000-yard rusher, chances are you wouldn't have gotten the right answer.
Of all the players to choose from -- Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shonn Greene, Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, C.J. Spiller, Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney -- somebody buried on his team's depth chart topped them all.
Elsa/Getty ImagesBenJarvus Green-Ellis finished the season with 1,008 rushing yards and 13 TDs.Ladies and gentlemen, BenJarvus Green-Ellis was the AFC East's only 1,000-yard rusher.
Seventeen players rushed for at least 1,000 yards, but Green-Ellis was alone in the division. He finished with 1,008 yards. His 13 touchdowns ranked second in the league.
It was one of a few surprising stats for AFC East breakout performers this year.
But a few notables fell short of milestones.
Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake went into the final weekend with the NFL sacks lead, but he was surpassed by Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali. Wake finished third with 14 sacks.
Patriots running back Danny Woodhead needed 93 yards to reach 1,000 from scrimmage, but he left Sunday's game against the Dolphins with a head injury after gaining just 19 yards. Woodhead did break the club record for rushing average at 5.68 yards, edging Don Calhoun.
Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson, a 2008 seventh-round draft choice, needed another touchdown catch to tie the franchise record of 11 held by Billy Brooks, but the Bills' offense was blanked. Johnson eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards earlier.
Established stars attained some milestones.
As expected, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won the passing crown with a 111.0 rating. He threw an NFL-high 36 touchdowns and an NFL-low (among qualifying passers) four interceptions.
Brady also extended his streak of attempts without an interception to 335. He'll pick that back up in September.
Because of Brady's efficiency, the Patriots broke the record for fewest turnovers. The finished with 10, three fewer than the Dolphins and New York Giants from 2008 and two fewer than the Chiefs in the strike-shortened 1982 season.
Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall had his streak of 100 reception seasons snapped at three (as did the deactivated Wes Welker), but Marshall did gain over 1,000 yards a fourth straight time.
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo finished as the unofficial tackles leader with 175.
And for the rookies:
New England's Rob Gronkowski had 10 touchdown catches to tie Antonio Gates and Marcedes Lewis for the most among all tight ends.
Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty had seven interceptions, one behind Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed for the league lead.
Of all the players to choose from -- Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shonn Greene, Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, C.J. Spiller, Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney -- somebody buried on his team's depth chart topped them all.
Elsa/Getty ImagesBenJarvus Green-Ellis finished the season with 1,008 rushing yards and 13 TDs.Seventeen players rushed for at least 1,000 yards, but Green-Ellis was alone in the division. He finished with 1,008 yards. His 13 touchdowns ranked second in the league.
It was one of a few surprising stats for AFC East breakout performers this year.
But a few notables fell short of milestones.
Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake went into the final weekend with the NFL sacks lead, but he was surpassed by Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Tamba Hali. Wake finished third with 14 sacks.
Patriots running back Danny Woodhead needed 93 yards to reach 1,000 from scrimmage, but he left Sunday's game against the Dolphins with a head injury after gaining just 19 yards. Woodhead did break the club record for rushing average at 5.68 yards, edging Don Calhoun.
Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson, a 2008 seventh-round draft choice, needed another touchdown catch to tie the franchise record of 11 held by Billy Brooks, but the Bills' offense was blanked. Johnson eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards earlier.
Established stars attained some milestones.
As expected, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won the passing crown with a 111.0 rating. He threw an NFL-high 36 touchdowns and an NFL-low (among qualifying passers) four interceptions.
Brady also extended his streak of attempts without an interception to 335. He'll pick that back up in September.
Because of Brady's efficiency, the Patriots broke the record for fewest turnovers. The finished with 10, three fewer than the Dolphins and New York Giants from 2008 and two fewer than the Chiefs in the strike-shortened 1982 season.
Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall had his streak of 100 reception seasons snapped at three (as did the deactivated Wes Welker), but Marshall did gain over 1,000 yards a fourth straight time.
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo finished as the unofficial tackles leader with 175.
And for the rookies:
New England's Rob Gronkowski had 10 touchdown catches to tie Antonio Gates and Marcedes Lewis for the most among all tight ends.
Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty had seven interceptions, one behind Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed for the league lead.
With the NFL season getting past its halfway point this week, the analysts at CBS Sports shared their midterm award winners.
The AFC East is well represented, with three of their four experts backing up Sports Illustrated's declaration that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has had an MVP first half.
Phil Simms
MVP: Tom Brady
Offensive player: Tom Brady
Defensive player: Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson
Head coach: Steve Spagnuolo
Rookie: Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh
Team: Patriots and Giants
Dan Dierdorf
MVP: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady
Offensive player: Peyton Manning
Defensive player: James Harrison
Head coach: Bill Belichick
Rookie: Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh
Team: No choice, but says Patriots, Ravens, Steelers and Jets are best four teams in the NFL.
Solomon Wilcots
MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Offensive player: Philip Rivers
Defensive player: Clay Matthews
Head coach: Todd Haley
Rookie: Sam Bradford
Team: Patriots
Steve Tasker
MVP: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers
Head coach: Todd Haley
Rookie: Ndamukong Suh
Team: Steelers
The AFC East is well represented, with three of their four experts backing up Sports Illustrated's declaration that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has had an MVP first half.
Phil Simms
MVP: Tom Brady
Offensive player: Tom Brady
Defensive player: Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson
Head coach: Steve Spagnuolo
Rookie: Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh
Team: Patriots and Giants
Dan Dierdorf
MVP: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady
Offensive player: Peyton Manning
Defensive player: James Harrison
Head coach: Bill Belichick
Rookie: Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh
Team: No choice, but says Patriots, Ravens, Steelers and Jets are best four teams in the NFL.
Solomon Wilcots
MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Offensive player: Philip Rivers
Defensive player: Clay Matthews
Head coach: Todd Haley
Rookie: Sam Bradford
Team: Patriots
Steve Tasker
MVP: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers
Head coach: Todd Haley
Rookie: Ndamukong Suh
Team: Steelers
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AFC EAST SCOREBOARD
ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the NFL and NBA for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. He's a Temple graduate and Hyattsville, Md. native who lives in Miami.
