Madden 10 - AFC EAST PREVIEW

During the last 10 years, the New England Patriots have ruled the AFC East with an iron fist. But the other teams in the division -- the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills -- won't make it easy for them in 2009.

Each team has its own intriguing stories to follow this season. Can the Pats regain their dominance, two years removed from 18-1? Can the Dolphins (and their Wildcat offense) repeat their success from last season? Will the multitude of newcomers to the Jets, such as new head coach Rex Ryan and rookie QB Mark Sanchez, lead them to the promised land? And lastly, how will the Terrell Owens Show play out in Buffaronto?

1. New England Patriots

The Patriots, as perennial Super Bowl contenders, remain a strong and balanced team in Madden 10. On offense, they are led by quarterback Tom Brady (97 OVR). He will have the amazing, field-stretching duo of Randy Moss (96 OVR) and Wes Welker (91 OVR) at wide receiver, while the running back trio of Fred Taylor (82 OVR), Laurence Maroney (78 OVR) and Sammy Morris (75 OVR) can punish defenders who key too strongly on the pass. And don't sleep on their stellar offensive line, led by left guard Logan Mankins (94 OVR), left tackle Matt Light (92 OVR) and center Dan Koppen (91 OVR), who make it a lot easier for the offense to get where it needs to go.

Needless to say, their defense is also frightening, as linebackers Adalius Thomas (90 OVR), Jerod Mayo (88 OVR) and Ted Bruschi (81 OVR), along with defensive linemen Richard Seymour (95 OVR), Vince Wilfork (90 OVR) and Ty Warren (87 OVR), all make it tough for any offense to get going. Perhaps their only question mark (and it's arguable) is their secondary, but veteran cornerbacks Shawn Springs (81 OVR) and Leigh Bodden (76 OVR) have been brought in to improve that area.

2. New York Jets

As for the Jets, there's a new regime in town and a new, (much younger) QB at the helm. The new QB, former USC Trojan Mark Sanchez (78 OVR), will have some skilled offensive players to work with -- running backs Thomas Jones (90 OVR), Leon Washington (79) and fullback Tony Richardson (97 OVR) form a nice trio in the backfield. The combination of Jerricho Cotchery (81 OVR) and tight end Dustin Keller (77 OVR) are not shabby receiving options, although the team will miss the loss of wide receiver Laveranues Coles. At the very least the O-line should make things easier for Sanchez (I bet David Carr wishes he had this protection as a rook). Left guard Alan Faneca (97 OVR), center Nick Mangold (94 OVR) and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (80 OVR) present strong points for the team.

The defense is also a strength -- it might be a bit underrated by some. The Jets have weapons at every level as nose tackle Kris Jenkins (95 OVR) and defensive end Shaun Ellis (86 OVR) can attack from the D-line. Behind the defensive line, Bart Scott (90 OVR) strengthens the talent at the linebacker position, while the secondary should be scary because strong safety Kerry Rhodes (92 OVR) and cornerback Darrelle Revis (91 OVR) are two of the best in the biz at their respective positions.

3. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins, one of most surprising teams in the league last season, took the league by storm with their patented Wildcat offense. The team is led by dependable QB Chad Pennington (85 OVR), but backup QB Pat White (65 OVR) will surely be a favorite player for those who want to mix things up on offense. Pennington is protected by left tackle Jake Long (91 OVR) and right tackle Vernon Carey (86 OVR). These two linemen also help out the best weapons on the team, the strong running back duo of Ronnie Brown (89 OVR) and Ricky Williams (77 OVR). However, the team does have a sketchy passing game -- tight end Anthony Fasano (83 OVR) and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. (78 OVR) are Pennington's best options.

On defense, the Fins are led by a strong linebacking corps of Joey Porter (94 OVR), Channing Crowder (81 OVR) and Jason Taylor (79 OVR). They also have a decent secondary, which is helped by newcomers FS Gibril Wilson (84 OVR) and rookie CB Vontae Davis (77 OVR). The team's defensive deficiency comes in the form of the D-line -- the highest-rated defender is nose tackle Jason Ferguson (76).

4. Buffalo Bills

When discussing the Bills, one must start with their highly publicized signing of wide receiver Terrell Owens (91 OVR). The move potentially gives the Bills one of the deadliest passing attacks in the league, as Owens joins other dangerous receivers in Lee Evans (85 OVR) and speedy returner Roscoe Parrish (66 OVR). That trio of wideouts should mesh quite well with the strong running back tandem of Marshawn Lynch (87 OVR) and Fred Jackson (77 OVR), who are on par with any other RB duo around the league. But aside from the weak offensive line (suffering from the loss of Jason Peters), the biggest question mark for the Bills, this season, will be the play of QB Trent Edwards (76 OVR). Can he be a Kelly, or will he go the way of Johnson and Losman?

Additionally, the Bills have a decent, if not average defense. Defensive tackle Marcus Stroud (92 OVR) and defensive end Aaron Schobel (86 OVR) can pose a threat on the D-line, while Paul Posluszny (82) and Kawika Mitchell (81 OVR) are usable options at linebacker. Likewise, their secondary isn't spectacular, but strong safety Donte Whitner (85) and cornerbacks Terrence McGee (82) and Leodis McKelvin (78) can make exciting plays at times.

Lastly, I must mention the best punter in the league (not named Shane Lechler) in Brian Moorman (89 OVR). With his 90 speed rating, one should always be wary of fakes on 4th down.