AFC East Comes Down to the Final Week

It's maybe not what the Patriots wanted to have, but they still have a chance to win their sixth consecutive AFC East championship at the expense of the New York Jets, as well as the Miami Dolphins. Chad Pennington also has a chance to get his revenge on the team that dumped him back in August and win the Dolphins' first division championship since 2000. The New York Jets, meanwhile, are trying to avoid a colossal collapse after starting 8-3. After Tom Brady went down in the opening seven minutes of the season, many wrote the Patriots off and declared the Jets as the favorite to take not only the divisional throne but maybe the conference title itself.  In Brady's absence, Matt Cassel has stepped up, surpassed all expectations, and filled in more than admirably, throwing for almost 3,700 yards and 21 touchdowns, likely earning himself a very nice free-agent contract in the offseason, as well as some MVP votes. Now he must defeat Buffalo and become an impromptu Jets fan in order to reach ... (link)