This is how 'The Sporting News' see the AFC East in 2005:
1) New England: 10-6
2) NJ Jest: 9-7
3) dulfelons 8-8
4) Buffalo 4-12
I don't put much stock in these publications whether they rate the Bills poorly or not. I like to check them out just to see how much football accumen they might have. Wins and losses are hard to predict but these predictions give an overall indication of how they are "gauging" teams. I wouldn't have even had an issue with their standings had they at least had the Bills in the 8-9 win range, but four???
Sure they lost a solid but injury prone LT in JJ and a great run stuffing tackle on the wrong side of 30 in PW and they have essentially a rookie QB who will make his share of mistakes but can't possibly do any worse than the ultimate law-of-diminishing-returns QB, Drew Bledsoe.
The Bills still have a top 5 defense and the returning #1 special teams unit in the NFL. The Jest have a dicey armed, injury plagued QB, a RB with another year of mileage on his extemely well worn tires (with no proven backup) and a shaky receiving corps...the dulfelons still have the same tandem of lame QBs, a possible returning disruption in Ricky Williams, a rookie RB, no offensive line, and a rookie head coach. Yet these two rate as 5 and 4 wins better than the Bills, respectively?
I don't know who's running the football show over at 'TSN' but I have lost what little respect I still had for them. Sad how a once decent mag has turned into a pathetic rag.