Having looked at the NFC East earlier in the week, it is now time to turn our attentions to the AFC and the division which is home to the mighty New England Patriots.

Let’s start by looking Belichick’s team, who famously won every game they played last year aside from the most important one of all. What a satisfying sentence to write.

New England Patriots:

Last year- So much has been written about the 2007 Patriots. Spy-gate, Tom Brady and Randy Moss’ on field relationship, the unbeaten season, bottling it in the Super Bowl... the list goes on. Despite losing to the Giants in Arizona, it was still a historic season for a team who looked unbeatable until February 3rd this year.

Prospects for 2008- One of the key questions is whether the Pats can avoid a post- Super Bowl hangover, and I think they will manage to do this with relative ease. The Patriots work with little room for sentiment and will undoubtedly win the AFC East, but that is not to say that the team does not have areas of concern as they target a return to the Super Bowl.

Their pass defence has taken a big hit in the off-season, with Asante Samuel departing as well as nicklelback Randall Gay to free agency. Fernando Bryant and two draft picks have been brought in to try and solve the issue, but there is no doubt that there are question marks over the Pats’ secondary.

Matt Cassel will have to step in if Tom Brady gets injured, and with the former being very inexperienced Pats’ fans will have to sincerely hope that the league’s best QB stays fit and healthy.

However, the Patriots are still an extremely strong unit, and it is difficult to see them losing many games this year although they are not my pick to win the Super Bowl.

Miami Dolphins:

Last year- One game away from being the as bad a year as a franchise can possibly have. A 1-15 season cannot be described in any more of a positive light than that.

Prospects for 2008- Well, it depends who you listen to. DE Vonnie Holliday, says that the team are not rebuilding, and that he is ‘competing like the Dolphins are going to the Super Bowl’.

There is more chance of me not being disappointed every single day at the BBC canteen than the Dolphins going to the Super Bowl. It is quite difficult to see Miami improving much this year.

They have lost Jason Taylor (OLB Joey Porter needs a big year) and most importantly, the Dolphins’ QB situation is not enviable. John Beck and Chad Henne might be good players in the future, but if the noises coming out of training camp are anything to go by, big plays are going to be hard to come by in Miami this year. With Chad Pennington having been released by the Jets, it would make perfect sense for the Dolphins to bring him in and steady the ship a little.

On the plus side, Bill Parcells is now with the organization which is an enormous bonus for Dolphins fans, but will he be able to make an impact without actually coaching the side?

Buffalo Bills:

Last year- A 7-9 record and another year without the playoffs coming to Buffalo. Incredibly, 7-9 was enough to finish second in the AFC East.

Prospects for 2008- There is a bit of a buzz about the Bills this year, and a playoff birth is a possibility. A revamped defence, an offense with a quality RB in Marshawn Lynch, a solid QB in Trent Edwards and WR Lee Evans.

A lot will rest upon whether LT Jason Peters can get his contract sorted out. With the franchise holding out to further one of the league’s best left tackles, the fans should be very nervous about the situation. Edwards is solid but not sensational, so desperately needs his defence to protect him. Sort it out Buffalo!!

After eight years of not reaching the playoffs, the Bills will feel they have a decent chance of at least having a winning season this year. However, with quite a few teams going for the wild card berths, it is tough to see Buffalo taking one of them.

New York Jets:

Last year- Despite high expectations following a 10-6 season in 2006, the Jets slumped to a horrible 4-12 a year later.

Prospects for 2008- Well, very different than 24 hours ago! If the Jets have acquired the same Brett Favre we saw last year then their fans can expect a significant improvement on the class of 2007.

With Pennington or Clemens operating as QB I would not have given the Jets a hope of reaching the playoffs. Both were poor last year, although at 25 Clemens does have time on his side. There are many questions surrounding Favre which cannot be answered until the start of the new season though. Will he be motivated enough to play his best football for the Jets? Will he be able to adapt to a new system in new surroundings? Are the Jets' receiving corp going to be good enough to handle Favre's gun slinging?!

Either way, he acquisition of Favre is complimented by a much improved offensive line.

They managed to sign guard Alan Faneca as a free agent and Damien Woody to play right tackle. Add them to Brandon Moore, Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson and the Jets have a great line to protect Favre.

With the sixth pick in the draft, the Jets solidified their defensive line with the selection of DE Vernon Gholston who might be the pass rusher they so desperately need. If he can make the transition from college star to NFL rookie successfully then the Jets’ fans will have another reason to be optimistic about the coming year.

It’s difficult not to get caught up in the Brett Favre hype. It remains to be seen whether Favre will adapt well to the NY lifestyle and the media spotlight which will be on him more than ever before. However, one thing is for sure: I sure am looking forward to Brett Favre Vs Tom Brady… twice.

Tim’s kiss of death

The AFC is looking like a much stronger division following Brett Favre's move to New York. The Patriots are the Patriots, the Bills are improving, the Jets now have one of the most famous quarterbacks in history of the sport and the Dolphins have Bill Parcells on their team, even if he isn’t coaching.

The Patriots win the division, followed by a Favre inspired Jets who have benefited from having a consistent QB and a strong OL, the Bills finish in third with a decent season and Miami finish last (but continue the rebuilding process). Either this, or the Jets flop, but I'm going with my gut instinct.

One thing is for sure: this division is going to be fascinating to watch.