| Randolph Charlotin. 23rd December, 2008 - 10:48 am
 You know the greedy relatives' story? They want their inheritance from their sick uncle that's on life support. But instead of pulling the plug, they fight among themselves and fail to off the old man. Even worse, in the time they wasted, the pulse got stronger, with full recovery a real possibility.
That family is the AFC East. The Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bill, and New York Jets want what the New England Patriots own: the AFC East Division title. They've grown impatient from waiting their turn to wear the AFC East crown.
"New England had it for the last five years!" they whined. "When will one of us get it?"
New York thought, "Hey, maybe we can buy the division?" So they signed stars like linebacker Calvin Pace and guards Alan Faneca and Damien Woody. They also traded for nose tackle Kris Jenkins and quarterback Brett Favre.
Buffalo and Miami chose a different route. Buffalo continued to build from within, a process they've worked on for years. Miami needed a fresh start after an embarrassing 1-15 season. They overturned their roster with solid, economical role players and draft picks.
But even with the changes, they understood that the Pats wouldn't just hand the division over. New England just came off a 16-0 regular season and beat all comers handily by an average score of 38-13. Uncle Pats was still head and shoulders above them.
Then tragedy struck. In the first game of the regular season, New England lost quarterback Tom Brady for the year. Crippled, the Patriots had to continue the season without their most important and best player.
The nephews could hardly contain their giddiness. This was the opportunity they needed to run away with the crown. Buffalo and New York won their season openers. Even better, the Jets had the chance to make a statement in Week Two by kicking the Patriots while they were down in person when New York welcomed New England to Giants Stadium (the Jets live in their cousin's house).
But New York couldn't get the job done. As the Pats limped around for 60 minutes, the Jets tripped over their own feet. They were kicking themselves for missing the golden opportunity to knock the Patriots unconscious.
That's why Miami showed up at New England's door with a purpose in Week Three. Already in a 0-2 hole, including a season-opening loss to the Jets, Miami went to Gillette Stadium and put a whupping on the Pats, 38-13. If you want a job done, you must do it yourself, reasoned the Dolphins.
It's a long season, and the nephews had time to bury the Pats. The Bills jumped out in front with a 4-0 start. Miami evened their record to 2-2. The Jets, though, stumbled to .500 as New England recovered at home from the 'Fins' beating, sitting with a 2-1 record after the bye week.
But like all families that want the same thing, in-fighting makes enemies of the closest allies. Just as the Bills climbed to 5-1, consecutive losses to Miami and New York redirected the Bills down the wrong path for the rest of the season.
The wins for the 'Fins and Jets had the opposite effect. Knocking off Buffalo started a four-game winning streak that left Miami at 6-4. The Jets got their game together and strung together five wins, including an overtime win against the Patriots and an upset of then undefeated Tennessee.
As the season progressed, New England developed more injuries. Running back Laurence Maroney, safety Rodney Harrison, cornerback Terrence Wheatley, linebacker Adalius Thomas, linebacker Shawn Crable, linebacker Tedy Bruschi ... they seemingly were getting weaker, but no one could put them away.
Miami figured they could finish the job in the Week 12 rematch. Instead, the Pats found the strength to turn the tables on the Dolphins and let Miami know the wily uncle still had it.
Down the stretch, Miami and New England are giving a final push. The Pats won their last three while the 'Fins survived two nail-biters to build a four-game streak. But New York, just as they claimed a lead, quickly fumbled it away by losing three of their last four games to inferior teams.
Which leads us to the last week of the season. Buffalo has been out of it for weeks. The Jets were the division leader with the tiebreaker advantage, but now are a game behind. Miami and New England are tied at 10-5, with the tiebreak in the Dolphins' favor.
If they worked together, Miami could win the division with help. The Jets could let the Dolphins win so Miami would wear the crown. Buffalo, though out of it, could do his brothers a favor by pulling the plug on New England's playoffs hopes by winning at home over the Pats.
But if they couldn't be on the same page for 16 weeks, why would things change now? The Bills lost interest in the division since they have no chance at it. Are they interested in screwing over Uncle Pats for his brothers' gain? Would the Jets double-cross the Dolphins in an attempt to steal the crown for themselves?
Tragedy should have brought the brothers together. But greed has them at each other's throats. Meanwhile, the Patriots are grinning, knowing the bickering could leave the division crown still on their head.
To read more by Randolph Charlotin, visit his blog at http://www.newenglandpatriotsnews.com/randolphc/weblog/. He can be reached at lordrc@verizon.net. |
