- In order to fully appreciate how far the Giants came in order to be crowned Super Bowl champions, you really have to go back to the preseason when the franchise was a mess. The fans were upset because the front office didn’t have the cap space to make a splash signing during the offseason, all while the Eagles built what appeared to be a division-winning roster. Players were also dropping like flies because of a rash of injuries and then the team goes out and loses to the Redskins in Week 1. The defense stunk, the running game was non-existent, and it appeared as though Tom Coughlin was back on the hot streak. But Eli Manning put this team on his shoulders, the defense finally got healthy and then the Giants just caught fire down the stretch. I thought it was rather arrogant that the New York media talked about how this Giants team compared to the 2008 squad that upset the Patriots but lo and behold, they were absolutely right. Team of destiny? Maybe. But then again I just think that this was a very good team that knew what it was capable of if it could reach the postseason. And now once again, the Giants are Super Bowl champions after one of the better in-season turnarounds in NFL history.

- There’s really no debate any more: Eli Manning deserves to be called elite. What more do you want him to accomplish? He may not break NFL passing records like Tom Brady, Drew Brees or his brother, but this dude is just clutch. He was excellent tonight and once again proved that you can’t faze him, I don’t care what the situation is. He deserved another moment like this, especially given how good he was during the regular season. As I’ve written several times over the last month, without him the Giants wouldn’t have won nine games this year. Without his pinpoint throw to Mario Manningham in the fourth quarter the Giants probably don’t win tonight. And without him outplaying the likes of Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, the Giants don’t hoist their second Lombardi Trophy in less than five years. Is he kind of aloof? Yeah, but aloof now has two Super Bowl rings and two Super Bowl MVP trophies. New York fans will take aloof all day long and twice on Sunday.

- There’s not much more I can say about Mario Manningham’s catch that Cris Collinsworth didn’t already cover during the broadcast. Given the situation and the stakes, you won’t see a greater catch than that. While David Tyree’s helmet grab in Super Bowl XLII was more unbelievable, Manningham’s catch was still spectacular in its own right. The coverage was tight and yet Manning was able to put the ball in a spot that only Manningham could catch it, which he did – all while getting two feet in bounds and holding onto the pass as he crashed to the ground. What an incredible, incredible pass and catch.

- This win once again reaffirms how good of a coach Tom Coughlin is. He coaches in the toughest media market in the league, where he’s constantly criticized for every mistake he makes and has been on the hot seat too many times to count. But the Giants do things right and that’s in large part because of the work that Coughlin does. This team plays hard, is usually prepared and it never cowers to its competition. After two Super Bowl victories, Coughlin now writes his own ticket in my opinion. He’s bought himself another three or four years where people should just shut up and trust in his coaching ability. After all, the man has gotten the best of Bill Belichick not once, but twice in the Super Bowl.

- As a football fan I couldn’t help but feel a little underwhelmed following the game. It’s hard to complain when a Super Bowl isn’t decided until the final play but it was a lackluster first half and both of these teams essentially dinked and dunked their way up and down the field. (Outside of Manningham’s big catch, that is.) But the more I thought about it, the more impressed I was with the play of both defenses. Brady and Manning had to dink and dunk because the defenses took away the big play. It looked like the Giants were going to run away with the game early on but the Patriots deserve credit for taking away New York’s excellent passing game until late in the fourth quarter. The Giants pass rush was also as good as advertised, especially on the Pats’ first offensive play from scrimmage (when Brady was called for intentional grounding in the end zone) and on New England’s final drive of the game. While the Patriots’ tackling was piss poor throughout, there were plenty of big hits throughout the game as well. Have I seen better games? I think we all have, especially from an excitement standpoint. But you have to tip your hat to both defenses, especially when you consider how explosive both of these offenses were throughout the year.

- Although he got outplayed by Manning, it’s hard to criticize Tom Brady for his performance. He made a bone-headed decision the Pats’ first offensive play from scrimmage and it cost his team two points, but he caught fire in the middle of the game and played well enough for New England to win. Due to Rob Gronkowski being a non-factor, keep in mind that Brady didn’t have a dynamic threat in the passing game. I thought that in order for the Pats to win this game Brady would have to put together one of those Tom Brady-type performances. While he was certainly good, he wasn’t good enough as he once again played second-fiddle to Eli.

- That was definitely a drop by Wes Welker midway through the fourth quarter, but Brady deserves at least partial blame for the pass. Should Welker have caught the ball? No question. But if Brady hits Welker in stride that play may have gone for six and the Patriots probably win. It’s not like Welker was blanketed in coverage: he was wide open. No one play determines the outcome of a game but that was a costly misfire by Brady and a bad drop by Welker, who usually makes that catch nine out of 10 times.

- Some will call the Patriots gutless for allowing Ahmad Bradshaw to waltz into the end zone on what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. They’ll say that Bill Belichick gave up and will probably spew hypotheticals about how the Giants may have turned the ball over had the Pats played things straight up instead of clearing a path for Bradshaw to score. But I thought it was a smart move on Belichick’s part to preserve as much time as possible for Brady and his offense. Could the Giants have turned the ball over or missed the field goal? Yes, but it was doubtful that the Patriots got lucky like that for the second game in a row. How many times does a team drain the clock down to nothing and kick a game-winning field goal anyway? Granted, the move didn’t work out for the Patriots in the end but at least Belichick gave Brady a shot to put together one more magical fourth-quarter comeback. I liked the move, regardless of the outcome.

- Boy was I wrong about Rob Gronkowski or what? I thought he was healthier than the media led you to believe and that his ankle wasn’t going to be a factor. I even thought he would have a pretty big game. But it was clear that he couldn’t cut and move like he normally does and that made a big difference in New England’s passing game. Brady essentially didn’t have his best playmaker, even though Aaron Hernandez stepped up in Gronk’s “absence.” I’m not suggesting that the Patriots would have won had Gronk been 100-percent but when you think about how big of a weapon he was during the season, there’s no question that his injury factored into the outcome of the game. He basically limped around the field for three and a half hours.

- No matter what team you root for, it’s hard not to feel for Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft. That was a sad scene of him standing by himself watching the final play unfold knowing that his team just lost the Super Bowl. He just stood there in complete shock as the Giants began to celebrate. After losing his wife last year, my heart went out to him in that moment.

- I think Madonna could have used a couple of more minutes of stretching before she went on stage. She looked stiff in her first song and nearly fell off the back of those freaking bleachers in her second set. You’re not 25 anymore Madonna – make sure those hamstrings aren’t tight before you go hopping up and down on metal seats, woman!

- My vote for the best commercial was the NFL safety piece that went through the different years of equipment. That was very well done and the graphics were awesome. Outside of that, the pixy-dust ad was pretty good and Doritos made me laugh a couple of times. Overall the commercials weren’t that funny though and I think I’ve had my fill of babies and dogs being in every other Super Bowl spot…

- Vince Young threw some ugly passes in the Eagles’ 38-20 loss to the Patriots, none bigger than his “touch” pass to Brent Celek in the back of the end zone on fourth down midway through the third quarter when the score was still relatively close. But he also deserved a better fate in the end. He threw for 400 yards and one touchdown, and should have had two more scores had DeSean Jackson not dropped two passes in the end zone. For a guy who is so concerned about his contract, Jackson isn’t playing with much concentration, focus, or drive right now. He was also benched by Andy Reid late in the fourth quarter, which signals that he’s just as likely to get the boot in Philly than a new deal.

- Matt Leinart admitted following the Texans’ 20-13 win over the Jaguars that his season is likely over. Dude waits two years to get another shot to start in the NFL and when he does, he breaks his collarbone in his second quarter back. That’s a tough break, both literally and figuratively. Now Houston’s playoff hopes ride on fifth-round rookie T.J. Yates, although it’s not like the Texans were pinning their hopes on great quarterback play from here on out anyway. If they win, it’ll be because of their running game and defense – not Leinart, Yates, or whomever they find while dumpster diving next week.

- I loved how CBS kept showing Tim Tebow sitting on the bench as the Chargers marched down the field in overtime trying to get into field goal range for a game-winning score. As if Tebow was going to summon some magical higher power to help Denver’s defense stuff Mike Tolbert on a 4-yard loss on 3rd-and-6 and force the Chargers to attempt a 53-yard-field goal instead of a 49-yarder. And then magically lead the Broncos down the field, get into field goal range and then win in come-from-behind fashion once again. I mean, let’s get real…….say again? That’s exactly what happened? For Tebow’s sake, are you serious? That CBS is genius…

- …in all seriousness, Denver’s defense deserves most, if not all of the credit for the team’s sudden turnaround. Tebow is 5-1 and has been incredibly clutch in the fourth quarter and in overtime, but without the Broncos’ defense holding opponents to 13 points or less he may not win a game. Von Miller is something special and John Fox has done wonders for Denver’s entire defense.

- Their mismanagement of Blaine Gabbert has made the front office and coaching staff in Jacksonville look like a bunch of clowns. Gabbert clearly wasn’t ready for NFL action when the Jaguars drafted him with the 10th overall pick last April, which was fine because David Garrard was still the starter. Gabbert could have held a clipboard in his first year before taking over next season or in 2013 when he was ready. But instead, the front office released Garrard and the Jaguars shoehorned Gabbert into the starting role right away. Then, because he’s been so ineffective over the past two months, the team had to bench him today against Houston in favor of Luke McCown. Had the Jags remained patient from the start this situation could have been avoided. But now Gabbert’s confidence has likely taken a huge hit and GM Gene Smith may lose his job for his poor decision-making this offseason.

- The Chargers are done and you wonder whether or not Norv Turner’s time in San Diego is up. If it is, maybe he should give serious consideration to staying an offensive coordinator. Stripped from all of his head-coaching responsibilities, I think the guy could win multiple Super Bowls again just calling plays. Granted, the Chargers only scored 13 points today but Turner’s version of the Air Coryell offense can often be very explosive. He just lacks whatever guys like Mike Tomlin have in order to inspire a football team. I don’t want to say what’s best for Turner because only he knows that. But as an outsider, I don’t think it would be such a bad thing if he finishes his coaching career up in the booth calling plays. (If the Chargers end his tenure in San Diego, that is.)

- Only Mark Sanchez could throw for four touchdowns and still leave people doubting his abilities. I watched a good portion of the Jets’ 28-24 win over the Bills on Sunday and while Sanchez certainly executed in the red zone, he was shaky against a miserable Buffalo defense (which should have finished with more than just one interception). But at least New York picked up the win, which was big given New England’s victory against Philadelphia late on Sunday.

- I know it was only Minnesota but the Falcons’ offense is finally starting to resemble the unit that everyone thought it would at the beginning of the year. Matt Ryan went his second-straight game without turning the ball over and threw three touchdown passes, while Roddy White had his second straight 100-yard performance and made a sweet catch in the back of the end zone for his lone score during Atlanta’s 24-14 win. After two months of wasting his talent, OC Mike Mularkey has also finally figured out what a weapon Harry Douglas is in the slot. The next thing Mularkey has to do is stop using Julio Jones as just a complementary piece in the offense. Once that happens, the Falcons will really be firing on all cylinders.

- Speaking of firing on all cylinders, I give you the New England Patriots. Wes Welker: Eight catches, 115 yards, two touchdowns. Deion Branch (from my fantasy bench): Six catches and 125 yards. Aaron Hernandez: Six catches and 62 yards. Rob Gronkowski: A very quiet four catches for 59 yards and one 24-yard touchdown catch. Tom Brady topped everything off with 361 yards threw the air and three touchdowns. The Patriots are at their best when they get everybody involved a la the Saints and Packers. That was a very sound performance out of New England, which never panicked even though it was down 10-0 early to the Eagles.

- If Beanie Wells could only stay healthy he could be one of the league’s premier backs. The Rams don’t have the greatest of defenses but Wells looked explosive while rushing for a record 228 yards on 27 carries in the Cardinals’ 23-20 win. He and Patrick Peterson (who returned his fourth punt return for touchdown this season) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat (other wise known as John Skelton).

- Outside of Chris Johnson’s 190 rushing yards, it wasn’t a great effort by the Titans in their 23-17 win over the Bucs. But all wins are huge for Tennessee from here on out. The Titans only trail the Texans by two games in the AFC South and now that Houston is down to T.J. Yates at quarterback, Tennessee has a very realistic shot of catching Houston down the stretch. For Tennessee, it’s “Just win baby” from here on out.

- The Browns are something else. They find new ways to lose every week. They managed to catch the Bengals sleepwalking today in Cincinnati but they squandered a 17-7 halftime lead and a 20-10 third-quarter lead to lose 23-20 on a last-second field goal. Joe Haden (who is a star in the making) was stuck to A.J. Green like Velcro for 58 minutes and the one big play Green makes goes for 51 yards to set up the Bengals’ game-winning field goal. Unreal. And Colt McCoy does just enough not to win every week. The kid threw two touchdown passes but he his average pass went for 4.4 yards. Four-point-four yards! The Browns need a little more out of McCoy than that.

- Want to know how bad things are right now for the Vikings? Percy Harvin had a 107-yard kickoff return today and still didn’t score a touchdown. That’s tough to do.

- You have to love Mike Shanahan. Five days ago he basically said that Roy Helu wasn’t ready to be the Redskins’ full-time back and then handed the rookie 30 touches in the team’s 23-17 win over the Seahawks on Sunday. Helu finished with 108 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards, with one touchdown and seven receptions to boot. I’m sure Evan Royster will start and receive the same opportunities next week as Shanahan continues to ruin fantasy football owners’ lives.

- While the Seahawks remain a highly perplexing team, Marshawn Lynch continues to be one of the steadiest backs in the league. For the third time in his last four games, Lynch rushed for over 100 yards and for the seventh straight week, he found the end zone. It came in a losing effort but he’s a free agent at the end of the year and if he continues to run like he has, he’ll be earning a long-term contract next offseason.

Aaron Rodgers still has to contend with Tom Brady before we anoint him as the best quarterback on the NFL. Tonight Brady put on a show in Miami:

Brady shook off a rare turnover to throw for a team-record 517 yards and four touchdowns, including a 99-yarder to Wes Welker, and the New England Patriots started with a victory for the eighth consecutive season Monday night by beating the Miami Dolphins 38-24.

Chad Henne threw for 416 yards in the shootout, but he missed on a critical fourth down play on the 1-yard line.

I think I can count on zero fingers how many times athletes that are heading into the final year of their contract say that they’re not deserving of a new deal based on their performance from the previous season.

Wes Welker couldn’t have made his agent too happy with his latest comments regarding his contract situation (he becomes a free agent in 2012), but they’re refreshing to say the least.

From the Boston Herald:

“I think everybody wants a new deal, but I wouldn’t say anything I did this past year would warrant one or anything like that,” Welker told the Herald Monday.

If this is some reverse psychology ploy by Welker, then it’s genius. But something tells me he truly means what he says in that he didn’t do anything last year to warrant a new deal.

But this is a player who shredded his ACL and MCL last season, only to bounce back and catch 86 passes for 848 yards and seven touchdowns. His reception and yard totals are the lowest since he arrived in New England, but the touchdown number is the second highest since 2008 and he also made the Pro Bowl.

Keep in mind that some people believed he would never be the same player he was before he suffered the knee injury in ’09. So for him to produce the numbers he did was rather remarkable given the circumstances. Usually it takes players at least one season to fully recover from the type of knee injury that Welker suffered and yet he was productive right away.

The Patriots make a habit of allowing a player’s contract to run out before they decide whether or not to renegotiate with them. That’s why Randy Moss wound up in Minnesota. He wouldn’t stop complaining that the team hadn’t offered him a new deal when he was in a contract year. Thus, it stands to reason that Welker will have to play out the final year of his current deal before he has the opportunity to negotiate another one.

But if he can get back to another 100-catch, 1,000-yard season, then I don’t see why the Patriots wouldn’t offer him a new contract. He may have pissed off Bill Belichick with his foot comments about Rex Ryan before the Divisional Round game against the Jets, but there’s no denying that Welker fits the Patriot mold.

Welker was obviously poking fun at the Rex Ryan foot-fetish story with his barrage of foot references in the above press conference. I thought it was rather humorous, although you knew the Jets weren’t going to stand idle and not respond.

Ryan’s response (from the New York Daily News):

“With Wes Welker, well, I think this is a huge rivalry type game and anything goes. I can take it,” Ryan said Friday. “I’m not going to discuss it, but I can take it.”

Bart Scott’s response (from FOX Boston):

“Be very careful what you say about our coach. His days in a uniform will be numbered. Put it like that.” Scott’s ties to Rex Ryan go beyond New York. The two were part of the Baltimore Ravens organization previously.

Nick Mangold’s response (also from FOX Boston):

Offensive lineman Nick Mangold took a different approach to responding to Welker’s press conference, trying to fight humor with humor. Mangold Tweeted , “Wes Welker is a great player. He’s really taken advantage of watching film. If we don’t keep a Spy on him, he could really open the Gate.”

This is exactly why Belichick didn’t want any of his players to respond to the Jets’ antics.

2010 NFL Division Previews & Predictions: AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West | 2010 Question Marks Series

The AFC East is arguably the most difficult division to predict because the Patriots, Jets and Dolphins all have enough talent to claim the top spot but all three also have huge question marks that could hold them back.

The Bills, on the other hand…not so hard to predict. (Sorry Buffalo fans.)

Here’s how I see things shaking out in the AFC East this season. Be sure to check out the link entitled “2010 Question Mark” under each team’s preview, which is a breakdown of one or two potential weaknesses that could derail that squad’s hopes in 2010.

1. Patriots

What to Like: Wes Welker is apparently healthy, which is a great sign for Tom Brady and the rest of the Pats’ offense. Although they failed to recapture the magic they had in 2007, the offense ranked third in the NFL in yards per game, sixth in total points and eighth in third down percentage. Along with Welker and Randy Moss, Brady will also have talented rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez to throw to in the passing game and Julian Edelman proved when filling in for Welker last season that he can be productive as well.
What Not to Like: It appears that the pass rush, or lack thereof, will be a massive concern all season. It was a concern heading into the offseason, it’s been a concern thus far in preseason and it’s going to remain a concern unless guys step up. Granted, Tully Banta-Cain is coming off a career year and rookie Jermaine Cunningham has potential, but Derrick Burgess needs to stay motivated and be productive. If he doesn’t and Banta-Cain can’t put up the numbers he did last year then Bill Belichick’s defense could suffer at every level. There’s also the very real concern that starting left guard Logan Mankins will skip the entire season because of a contract despite, meaning promising but inexperienced tackle Sebastian Vollmer will be inserted into the starting lineup.
Keep an Eye On: Darius Butler
In five starts last season, Butler had three inceptions and although he was inconsistent in coverage and needs to cut down on penalties, he could blossom into a star this season. He has already become a leader in the locker room.
The Final Word: Even though the offense stalled in the second half of some games last season, it will still be tough to stop this team a weekly basis. Plus, after struggling to a 2-6 record on the road last season, the Pats will face only two 2009 playoff teams away from Foxboro this year. In fact, six of the 2009 playoff teams they face this year will have to come to New England, which is obviously a major advantage. I think given the problems that the rest of the teams have in the division, the Pats will once again come out on top, although this is far from a Super Bowl team in my eyes.

New England Patriots 2010 Question Mark: Pass Rush

2. Dolphins

What to Like: After finishing 22nd in the league in total defense last season, the Fish completely revamped that side of the ball this offseason. I love the hire of new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who transformed the Broncos into a top 10 defense last year, as well as the signing of free agent Karlos Dansby, who is the most well rounded linebacker in the league. Assuming Vontae Davis can keep his head on straight, I also love the cornerback tandem of him and Sean Smith – Miami’s top two draft picks from a year ago. Of course, we can’t talk about Miami’s offseason without mentioning Brandon Marshall, who finally gives this team the offensive playmaker that they have coveted for years. As long as he stays out of trouble, he will make Chad Henne better and the running game (which will be the focal point of the offense once again) will benefit from his presence as well.
What Not to Like: The offensive line has looked rough this preseason and while it’s only preseason, their play is still a concern. This offense can’t survive without its running game and the interior of Miami’s O-line looks weak. Rookie John Jerry has a future in this league, but he better make strides if he wants to hold down the starting right guard spot. Richie Incognito and Joe Berger won’t be long for starting spots either if they can’t pick up their play. Outside of that, Marshall has been plagued by drops and I wonder if he’s starting to feel the pressure of living up to his new contract and the expectations that have been thrust upon him in Miami. Defensively, Chris Clemons has looked great this offseason but he’s inexperienced at the free safety position and there’s growing concern that the undisclosed injury that has kept linebacker Channing Crowder out could be more serious than originally believed.
Keep an Eye On: Karlos Dansby
Keep an eye on the Dolphins’ best defender? Wow, thanks. No, I mean really watch him. Dansby is one of the most underrated linebackers in the game; he can cover, he can be a force against the run and he can be an effective pass-rusher. You just don’t find all three of those traits in linebackers.
The Final Word: I think Miami’s problems will get ironed out early during the season, which is why I have them finishing second in the division. The offensive line should be fine once it gels and Marshall will shine once the season starts. The bigger concern is that the Dolphins will play eight straight games against teams that were .500 or better in 2009 after they travel to Buffalo in the opener. So while I like this team, I think they’ll miss the postseason by a game or two.

Miami Dolphins 2010 Question Mark: Offensive Line

3. Jets

What to Like: Even without Darrelle Revis (contract holdout), the Jets’ defense could resemble an impenetrable force again this season. They led the NFL in total defense last year, gave up the fewest amount of points and for as good as the Cowboys were, no team came close to matching the Jets’ defensive effort in 2009. Rex Ryan puts together some of the best defensive game plans in the league and nobody outside of Bill Belichick makes adjustments on the fly better than he can. Players also love playing for him, which means more than you think. The Jets aren’t going to lay down in any game and that’s a testament to Ryan and his coaching staff’s ability to lead. The offseason acquisitions of Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes also shore up potential weaknesses and now quarterback Mark Sanchez has plenty of weapons to throw to in the passing game. Running back Shonn Greene is also a budding star.
What Not to Like: To say that Revis played at an elite level last year wouldn’t be enough. He was so good that had he won the MVP award, it would have been hard to argue that he didn’t deserve it. With that in mind, what if he doesn’t play this season? What kind of an effect would his absence have on Ryan’s defense? We’re talking about stripping the most vital piece off the best defense in the league last year. Cromartie and first round pick Kyle Wilson have enough talent to hold down the starting cornerback positions, but quarterbacks aren’t going to be afraid to attack a rookie early and often. Offensively, I still have a ton of questions about Sanchez and his ability to win a game on his own. I know he has more weapons this year and Greene should be very good, but the Jets didn’t open things up at all last year with Sanchez under center. They basically asked him not to lose games and when he did have to step up and make a play or two (outside of the AFC title game), he was largely a disaster. He’s also going into his second year when a lot of quarterbacks tend to struggle because defensive coordinators have an entire library of film to pick apart their weaknesses. If he can’t adjust and make strides in his development, this team’s in trouble.
Keep an Eye On: Shonn Greene
As previously mentioned, Greene is a budding star and should become the focal point of the Jets’ offense in due time. LaDainian Tomlinson will eat into his carries a little, but Greene will still have plenty of opportunities to display his talents.
The Final Word: I think it’s poor practice to back a team that emerges as a chic pick in the offseason. That’s not a very analytical way of trying to predict a team’s success, I know, but chic picks rarely pan out (see the Chargers last season and even Ole’ Miss at the college level). And when you factor in the Revis holdout and the questions surrounding Sanchez, I see plenty of reason to think that the Jets will take a major step back in 2010. Let’s not forget that this team needed major luck (the Colts deciding to rest their starters; the Bengals laying down in the finale) down the stretch just to make the playoffs last year. Ryan even thought they were done after an ugly home loss to Atlanta late in the season. Granted, the Jets took those opportunities and ran with them all the way into the AFC title game, but I doubt they’ll catch those breaks two years in a row. This team obviously has more than enough talent to prove me wrong and hey, if Revis winds up playing then all the better. But something tells me the J.E.T.S. are in store for a major letdown.

New York Jets 2010 Question Mark: Quarterback

4. Bills

What to Like: There’s no doubt that the Bills are moving in the right direction now that Buddy Nix is their new general manager. Whether or not Chan Gailey was the best choice as the team’s new head coach remains to be seen, but at least he has experience and has won on some level (he went 44-32 as head coach of Georgia Tech from 2002-2007). The team also found a potential star in running back C.J. Spiller in the first round of April’s draft. The former Clemson Tiger is an explosive weapon and if he stays healthy, he will contribute both as a runner and a pass-catcher. Defensively, the Bills have a great tandem at safety in Donte Whitner and Jairus Byrd, as well as a solid Terrence McGee at corner and Paul Posluszny (when healthy) at inside linebacker.
What Not to Like: This team has major weaknesses on both sides of the ball, starting with quarterback and offensive line. Trent Edwards has the physical tools to be a starter in this league, but he hasn’t played with any confidence in over a year and a half. He looks to check down way too often in his progressions and is gun shy behind an inexperienced offensive line. The Bills have a deep stable of running backs, but they’re thin at receiver and Spiller has a history of injuries. Defensively, the secondary is the strength of the unit but pass-rush could be a major concern and there’s going to be an adjustment period under new defensive coordinator George Edwards, who is installing the 3-4.
Keep an Eye On: C.J. Spiller
When healthy, Spiller is a dynamic playmaker. Buffalo fans are going to enjoy watching him in the offense and he’s a threat to take it to the end zone every time he gets his hands on the ball.
The Final Word: Oh, boy. Although this team is heading in the right direction, it’s going to be a couple of years before they start competing. They just don’t have the talent to match up with opponents on a weekly basis and I highly doubt even the Buffalo contingent believes that Edwards is the answer at quarterback. Spiller will be exciting to watch, but unless the offensive line matures in a hurry, the offense will have a tough time moving the chains. It’s good to see that the Bills are fixing things from the top down, but again, it’s going to take some time.

Buffalo Bills 2010 Question Marks: Quarterback, Offensive Line

When fantasy football owners woke up this morning and saw the news that the Patriots had placed receiver Wes Welker on the Physically Unable to Perform list, their first reaction was likely to adjust their draft boards. (Actually, their first reaction was probably to crap themselves and then adjust their draft boards, but that’s gross so just forget I wrote it. For realsies – just put it out of your mind.)

But the Welker decision was like most decisions Bill Belichick and the Patriots have made throughout the years: smart.

Welker knows how to catch a screen pass in Belichick’s offense. He’s been doing it since 2007 and he’s quite good at it, might I add. So there’s no reason to rush him back for the start of training camp, even if he’s medically cleared to start practicing.

Training camp is mostly beneficial for three kinds of players: Rookies, veterans who are unfamiliar with the offense or defense, and players who are out of shape. Welker isn’t a rookie, he knows Belichick’s offense like the back of his hand and even though he might not be in game shape, he’s been working out for months and probably isn’t the second coming of Terrence Cody.

Seven months ago he shredded his knee, which some in the medical field (dentist, I believe) claim takes time to heal. Welker can come off the PUP list at any point over the next couple of weeks, so if the Patriots deem him ready to go, then they can active him and get him ready for season.

Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks in his rehabilitation, then there should be no panic in Beantown.