Improved AFC East Will Pose Threat to Buffalo Weak Central Division to Aid
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^^^^••••••••••••••••••1 Tuesday, September 1,1992 The Champion, Page 13 Improved AFC East will pose threat to Buffalo By BRIAN SPERLING once again to run their powerful of the New York Jets for second place 3) NEW YORK the Giants if Nagle competes to his 5) INDIANAPOLIS Champion Reporter fense. Kelly will have the ageless will be the consistent play of Dan potential. The AFC East provides its fans James Lofton and Andre Reed going Marino and his offense. Marino has JETS 4) NEW ENGLAND COLTS with five teams out to prove compe deep as his targets. Thurman Thomas a strong duo of receivers in Mark Second year head coach Bruce Coach Ted Marchibroda returns to tence in a closely matched division. remains in the backf ield as one of the Duper and Mark Clayton to provide Coslett has New York headed in the PATRIOTS the Colts to rebuild the club off a The Buffalo Bills will attempt to win most dangerous two-way threats in the big catch. right direction as he guided the Jets to Coach Dick MacPhcrson helped to nightmarish 1-15 finish last season. the Super Bowl after losing the big the National Football League. The Dolphins have had a suspect a wildcard playoff position in 1991. improve the New England Patriots Marchibroda had quarterback Jeff game the past two seasons. The defense will be solid once again running game in recent years, so they However, Coslett will need new last season after a 1 -15 campaign just George possibly go down for the However, the Miami Dolphins and behind the linebacking corps of Shane went out and swapped the disgruntled blood at quarterback for the contin two years ago. season with torn ligaments in the New York Jets are primed to take Conlin and Cornelius Bennett. Bruce Sammie Smith for Bobby Humphery ued building of this young club. As The offensive attack will be headed thumb of his throwing hand during an shots at the Bills for supremacy in the Smith will return al, an injury- of the Denver Broncos. the Ken O'Brien era comes to an end, by Hugh Millen, who showed the exhibition game. If George returns, division. The New England Patriots plagued 1991 season to terrorize op The Dolphins drafted cornerback Coslett will look to Browning Nagle signs of a winner in several games he will once again be running for his will attempt to improve behind the posing quarterbacks. Troy Vincent from Wisconsin in the to lead the offense. last season when he upset the Bills at life behind a poor offensive line and arm of a veteran quarterback while The highlight of the offseason for first round in hopes of bolstering their The second year Louisville prod Foxboro. Millen's main targets will trying to find receiver Bill Brooks. the Colts go to the youth movement. special teams was the Plan B signing defense which was inconsistent at uct will take aim for explosive wide be fleet-footed Hart Lee Dykes and The Colts suffered a big blow at the 1) BUFFALO of kicker Steve Christie from Tampa times last season. receiver Rob Moore. The bulk of the Irving Fryar. running back position with the depar With a more consistent effort on Jets' running game will be placed on A good portion of the running load ture of Eric Dickerson to the Los BILLS Bay to replace Scott Norwood. 2) MIAMI both sides of the ball, the Dolphins the shoulders of Blair Thomas. will be placed on the shoulders of Angeles Raiders in the offseason. Buffalo will aim to reach the Super will be right in the thick of things in The New York Jets defense will John Stephens who will be vital if Former Giants Maurice Carthon was Bowl for the third consecutive sea DOLPHINS the Eastat playoff time. A team effort need a lot of maturing in order to Millen's arm goes cold. signed to strengthen the position. son. However, the rest of the division The Dolphins will mount a run at on offense will provide the difference overtake Miami for second place. It With a defense full of question Defensively, top draft pick Steve should make things more interesting the division title after narrowly miss between overtaking the Jets for a may be too much to ask in 1992. marks and the quick improvement of Emtman was taken from the Univer for Marv Levy's club in 1992. ing the playoffs last season. wildcard spot or another third place Nevertheless, Coslett will have fans the Jets, third place is still far off for sity of Washington to help improve a The Bills will look to Jim Kelly The key to the Dolphins edging finish. in the Meadowlands forgetting about this developing club. mediocre defensive line. Weak Central Division to aid Houston's 1992 title game hopes By MIKE GATHMAN critics have staked these claims for The secondary will be helped with originally expected. Sports Editor the last three years about Moon. the addition of Darryl Williams from 4) CLEVELAND The AFC Central includes only one The Oilers lost wide receiver Drew the University of Miami. He will join team that can actually compete with Hill to free agency, but the team is David Fulcher in a secondary that BROWNS the NFC elite. The other three teams still capable with its explosive of will hold if the line places any pres The Browns are still a team that has are only competitive when playing fense. Receiver Haywood Jeffries sure on the quarterback. not yet hit rock bottom. The 1992 each other. will still be around this season as 3) PITTSBURGH season could be the year Cleveland The Houston Oilers proved last Moon's favorite target downfield. bottoms out and faces the fact that it season they can play well with any Houston's pass rush will help main STEELERS needs a complete rebuilding in order team in football, including the Re tain the Astrodome's House of Pain With the exception of tight end Eric to compete in its own weak division. dskins and Eagles. However, they nickname for opposing teams. Lee Green the, the Steelers are a team Bernie Kosar is the highlight of an still lost to both teams in close games. Williams will be back to join Sean lacking impact players. New head otherwise anemic offense. Although As for the rest of the division, Pitts Jones, Ray Childress and William coach Bill Cowher takes over after the team lost 10 times last year, Kosar burgh and Cincinnati will rely on new Fuller in knocking down opposing 23 years of Chuck Noll's reign in did not throw an interception in nine coaches to lead them from last sea quarterbacks. Pittsburgh. consecutive games. But Kosar can sons troubles. The Browns will still 2) CINCINNATI Without impact players, especially only do so much to help the team with flounder this season, but with four at the quarterback position, Cowher so little help around him. games combined against the Steelers BENGALS will have to ride out a few seasons and If the offensive line does not pro and Bengals, who knows. Although the Bengals will not re draft well in order to return the team tect Kosar better than last year's 41 With two new coaches in the turn to the status gained during their to respectability. sacks, then the team's leader won'tbe division, it should provide for Super Bowl days, sometimes the dif Either Neil O'Donnell or Bubby around much longer in the NFL. interesting matchups as the teams ference between a 3-13 season and a Brister will lead the Steelers behind Cleveland's defense should be go through changes that occur with 9-7 season could be a simple coach center, and unless either improves improved from a draft that included new coaches. ing change. significantly early in the season, Bill Johnson from Michigan State. If new head coach David Shula Pittsburgh's offense will suffer. Baylor's Marcus Lowe should also 1) HOUSTON can return pride and self confidence The big job for the Steelers' coach improve the line of a year ago. OILERS to Cincinnati, the team will win ing staff will be to return the defense If new talent and returning leaders Houston is still the team to beat in again, and quarterback Boomer to its number one form of two years Michael Dean Perry and James Jones this relatively weak link division of Esiason will score again. Returning ago. Last season the defense fell to come through for the Browns, football. Without John Elway's drive Esiason to top form should be 22nd and allowed 21 passing touch Cleveland's defense could help lead last year, the Oilers may well have Shula's top goal. downs after allowing only nine dur the team back to respectability. been in the AFC championship game However, the biggest problem for ing the entire 1990 season. However, most teams don't im against Denver. the Bengals is defense. New defen Greg Lloyd, Jcrrold Williams and prove until working together for at Critics claim Warren Moon and the sive coordinator Rod Lynn will have Rod Woodson return as Pittsburgh's least two years and, of course, hitting Preview Oilers have only one final shot at the to turn last year's group of defensive stellar defensive players and will lead rock bottom which is where the Super Bowl this year because of players into a quality team defense the resurgence back toward the once Browns are headed this year. Only a The NFC Preview will appear Moon's age.