NewsZombieBot
11-01-2009, 05:10 PM
With the Dolphins holding on to beat the Jets (what an entertaining second half), and the Bills losing to the Texans, here is the most important stat for Patriots followers:
Patriots 5-2
Jets 4-4
Dolphins 3-4
Bills 3-5
After their Week 2 loss to the Jets, the Patriots couldn't ask for much more at this point. They have some early separation in the division.
That figures to be a theme that Bill Belichick stresses to his team this week: With next Sunday's home game against the Dolphins (1 p.m.), the Patriots have a chance to create more distance between them and the rest of the field (the Jets and Bills have byes next weekend).
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are 3-0 in AFC East play this year, having swept the Jets and also posted a win over the Bills.
Although the early part of the season has been more of a struggle than the Dolphins hoped for -- a devastating Week 2 loss to Indianapolis highlighting the early bumps in the road -- they come to Foxborough with a chance to enter the halfway point square and undefeated in the division (a key consideration in any playoff tiebreakers).
That sets the stage for a big AFC East showdown.
More... (http://espn.go.com/boston/columns/patriots/blog/_/post/4614611/name/reiss)
Patriots 5-2
Jets 4-4
Dolphins 3-4
Bills 3-5
After their Week 2 loss to the Jets, the Patriots couldn't ask for much more at this point. They have some early separation in the division.
That figures to be a theme that Bill Belichick stresses to his team this week: With next Sunday's home game against the Dolphins (1 p.m.), the Patriots have a chance to create more distance between them and the rest of the field (the Jets and Bills have byes next weekend).
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are 3-0 in AFC East play this year, having swept the Jets and also posted a win over the Bills.
Although the early part of the season has been more of a struggle than the Dolphins hoped for -- a devastating Week 2 loss to Indianapolis highlighting the early bumps in the road -- they come to Foxborough with a chance to enter the halfway point square and undefeated in the division (a key consideration in any playoff tiebreakers).
That sets the stage for a big AFC East showdown.
More... (http://espn.go.com/boston/columns/patriots/blog/_/post/4614611/name/reiss)