Rivalry Weekend

Week 3 in the AFC East could be dubbed “Rivalry Weekend” as all 4 teams are locked in divisional matchups. The New York Jets host the Miami Dolphins down in the Meadowlands, while the Buffalo Bills make the trip down Route 90 to take on the New England Patriots.

In New York, both the Jets and Dolphins will be looking for their first win of the season. While starting the season 0-2 is bad enough for a team’s playoff hopes, starting 0-3 is a virtual knockout blow so both teams will be eager to get the win. For the Jets, they will need the big play WRs to come up big against a Dolphins defense that has been shaky at best this year. If Jericho Cotchery and Laveraneus Coles can find a seam and turn a short pass into much more it will greatly help the Jets get into the win column. Miami will need its offense to wake up as well, especially running back Ronnie Brown. Brown has been quiet so far this year, although the offensive system brought in by new coach Cam Cameron could be to blame as Brown has seen his carries drop significantly this year. A big day by Ronnie could mean a big road win for the Phins.

The matchup in Foxboro seems much more one-sided. The 0-2 Bills take on the 2-0 Patriots, and statistically these teams are polar opposites. The Patriots rank in the top 10 in most categories while the Bills are in the bottom 10 in most of the same. But while it looks like a blowout on paper, there is a reason they play the games. The Bills defense needs to force some early turnovers to get momentum on their side, and big play WR Lee Evans could help the offense put the Pats in an early hole. For the Pats, they just need to do what they’ve been doing. WR Randy Moss will look for his 3rd 100-yard receiving day on the season, while second year running back Laurence Maroney will look to have a breakout day on the ground for the Pats. While they won’t look great in their silver jerseys, there is an excellent chance their performance will look spectacular.