Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Rich Arleo
- Edited by Marc Caviglia

While the New York Jets (11-5) may have made the most noise, AFC East fans watched the New England Patriots (14-2) once again clinch the AFC East  title in dominating fashion, while the Miami Dolphins (7-9) and Buffalo Bills (4-12) struggled to compete. After a huge playoff win over their division rivals, the Jets have their sights set on the conference title in 2011, but quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots should have something to say about that. The Dolphins will look to put a wrench in both their plans while the Bills will look to address some glaring needs.

NEW YORK JETS

The Jets may not have technically won the division title but they certainly “won the war” with the Patriots after a big statement win over their rivals in the divisional round of the playoffs. Talkative head coach Rex Ryan, loudmouth defensive back Antonio Cromartie and clinically insane linebacker Bart Scoot shot off their mouths and backed it up in a 28-21 win in Foxboro that told the Pats that the Jets are here to stay. They will have a lot of roster turnover in 2011 after a bunch of one-year deals expire, but their core is strong enough that with a few pieces here and there they can finally make that push to the Super Bowl that head coach Rex Ryan has been talking about since he joined Gang Green.

TEAM STRENGTHS

1. Darrelle Revis — The best player on the Jets happens to be the best cornerback in the NFL. You can’t judge him on stats like passes defended and interceptions because if you did you would think he’s a non-factor. The reason his stats are so minimal is simple: quarterbacks don’t throw in his direction. Revis is the best one-on-one corner in the NFL and his job is simply to line up against the opponent’s top wide receiver and shut them down. On one-on-one matchups last year, he held Andre Johnson to 32 yards on four catches, Calvin Johnson to 13 yards on one catch, and Reggie Wayne to just one yard on one catch in the wild card round. He’s the type of game changer that many teams don’t have and alone makes the Jets secondary legitimate.

2. Rex Ryan — Whether you love him or hate him, you have to respect what Ryan has done in his first two years with the Jets. He brought them from obscurity to the playoffs in his first year and had them inches away from the Super Bowl in his second year. He’s 20-12 in the regular season and 4-2 in the playoffs as a head coach. He talks trash and has backed it up for the most part, and he exudes a confidence that his players love. Ryan already said in March the Jets will win the Super Bowl this year, and if the right pieces are in place he could prove to be right.

3. Offensive Line — A weakness for many teams, the trio of Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Brandon Moore create crater-sized holes for their backs and provide very solid protection for quarterback Mark Sanchez. Wayne Hunter has become solid as a right tackle, and their one weakness on the line, left tackle Matt Slauson, started all 16 games and while he struggles in pass protection is also a great run blocker. The Jets are one of the few teams not in the market for an offensive lineman.

TEAM NEEDS

1. Improve Their Defensive Line — The Jets recently released linemen Kris Jenkins, Vernon Gholston and Jason Taylor, so they are clearly in the market for another defensive lineman/pass rusher.  Shaun Ellis is also a free agent, but the Jets are expected to re-sign the longest tenured Jet for at least one more year. At No.30 in the NFL draft, the Jets will likely have a shot at Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor or Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea. Given their recent tendencies for signing veterans, the Jets taking a shot on Pat Williams wouldn’t be a shock. They can also take a look at Mathias Kiwanuka, who the New York Giants are expected to let go following a serious neck injury that forced him to miss most of the 2010 season.

2. Add More Talent At Wide Receiver — The Jets were stacked with wide receivers last season, but they are expected to only re-sign one of the duo of Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards, and early reports indicate it’s likely to be Holmes. If that’s the case, Jerricho Cotchery is a nice slot receiver, but they’ll need a No.2 and Brad Smith isn’t the answer. If they don’t go with a lineman, the Jets could target Jonathan Baldwin out of Pittsburgh or, if he’s still available, Torrey Smith of Maryland. If not, the “Dynamic Duo” of Chad Ochocino and Terrell Owens has already made it clear they would love to play for coach Ryan. They’ll add at least one receiver this offseason.

3. Find Another Defensive Back — After Darrelle Revis, the Jets are somewhat thin in their secondary. The Jets are unsure if they will bring back Antonio Cromartie, and if they don’t, they will need another corner. They could add someone in the second round or, dare it be suggested, entice Nnamdi Asomugha to team up alongside Revis and create a brick wall in the secondary.

**Note: All Offseason Needs Articles Were Written Before the 2011 NFL Draft**

AFC EAST NEEDS BY TEAM:  BUF  |  MIA  |  NE  |  NYJ  (click to view)

AFC SOUTH NEEDS BY TEAM:  HOU  |  IND  |  JAC  |  TEN  (click to view)

AFC NORTH NEEDS BY TEAM:  BAL  |  CIN  |  CLE  |  PIT  (click to view)

AFC WEST NEEDS BY TEAM:  DEN  |  KC  |  OAK  |  SD  (click to view)

NFC EAST NEEDS BY TEAM:  DAL  |  NYG  |  PHI  |  WAS    (click to view)

NFC SOUTH NEEDS BY TEAM:  ATL  |  CAR  |  NO  |  TB    (click to view)

NFC NORTH NEEDS BY TEAM:  CHI  |  DET  |  GB  |  MIN    (click to view)

NFC WEST NEEDS BY TEAM:  ARI  |  STL  |  SF  |  SEA    (click to view)

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