Following a wild day of games in the AFC East, the entire division is tied up with 3-3 records. Even so, I can't shake the feeling that the New England Patriots are still in control, despite a slow start to their season.
The New England Patriots have dropped three games this season by a total of four points. Those losses have come at the hands of the Cardinals, Ravens and now the Seahawks, all teams with winning records.
Yes, the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets are currently tied with the Patriots, but the determining factor will be the Patriots' divisional record, currently 1-0.
The problem that the other three teams in the AFC East will run into is that they simply can't keep up with the Patriots on the scoreboard. The Bills have a streaky offense, the Jets are competent some weeks while completely lost during other games, and the Dolphins are operating their offense with a young quarterback prone to mistakes.
The NFL is all about parity, and I'm not saying the rest of the division has no chance of ultimately winning the divisional race, but the Patriots have great receivers, one of the best quarterbacks in the league and possibly the best head coach in the league. In other words, they have a great strategic advantage over the Bills, Dolphins and Jets.
If you're not a fan of the Patriots, you have hope. At 3-3, a playoff spot is by no means a lock, but if you're a Patriots fan, keep your head up. At 3-3, the Patriots are tied for the division lead, and they only play two more games against teams with a winning record. They'll be just fine.
