'07 Patriots were first of worst - AFC East.

• Position: SPORTS

Byline: Rich Garven

COLUMN: NFL NOTES

Not even the Patriots could save the AFC East from being fingered as the worst division in football last year.

While the Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season, the Bills (7), Jets (4) and Dolphins (1) combined to win 12 of a possible 48 games. That was, by far, the worst combined victory total for the second- through fourth-place finishers in the NFL's eight divisions.

Next closest was the AFC West, where Denver, Kansas City and Oakland - Oakland! - chalked up 15 wins among them.

At the top of the pyramid, Jacksonville, Tennessee and Houston piled up 29 wins in the AFC South, which was won by the Colts for the fifth straight season. The Cowboys won the NFC East, but the Giants, Washington and Philadelphia were worthy challengers while combining for 27 wins.

This helps explain how the Patriots made it through December unscathed. They went undefeated in division play for the first time in franchise history, posting an average margin of victory of 25.5 points against their tepid rivals.

Very few people expect the Patriots to go undefeated again. Everyone does expect them to claim their sixth consecutive division crown.

It's hard to see that not occurring, although the Patriots may have to work a little harder as their AFC East brethren appear to have successfully completed offseason upgrades.

Here's a look at where those contenders/pretenders stand and what's in store for them.

Buffalo Bills

The Overview: The Bills sought to improve a defense that ranked 31st overall by signing linebacker Kawika Mitchell from the Giants and trading for nose tackle Marcus Stroud from the Jaguars. The biggest move, though, is the return to health of middle linebacker Paul Posluszny, who was tearing it up (third in league in tackles) before tearing up his knee against the Patriots in Week 3. Offensively, a lot of folks feel receiver Lee Evans will thrive under new coordinator Turk Schonert. On the problem side, left tackle Jason Peters, generally considered a top-five player at his position, is still staging a nasty contract holdout.

The Quarterback: Trent Edwards gets the nod, but missed part of the preseason with a bruised quadriceps. Former starter J.P. Losman has looked good in relief, which means there's a QB controversy brewing. Let's not forget: Edwards is entering his second season and has career numbers of 10 games, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Schedule: Ranked 27th in strength of schedule. Seattle, San Diego and Cleveland are the toughest non-division opponents. Bills get them all at home. Do have roadies at always-tough-to-win Kansas City and Denver along with Jacksonville and Arizona while playing a "home" game against Miami in Toronto.

Fast Fact: Edwards ranked dead last among in the NFL among fourth-quarter passing leaders with a rating of 34.2 as a result of a 41.1 completion percentage and six interceptions. (Tom Brady was second at 114.4).

The Prediction: There's a lot to like about the young Bills, but the playoff drought that began in 2000 continues. Unless Buffalo can improve on the road, where it has gone 7-17 the last three seasons, look for a one-game improvement.

Miami Dolphins

The Overview: The Dolphins waved goodbye to Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor, which is not addition by subtraction. On the plus side, they brought in Bill Parcells to run the operation. That means the Dolphins will once again be relevant, just not right away. If rookie left tackle Jack Long can shore up the line, the Dolphins have the potential to field a nice ball-control offense with backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams at the forefront. Keep an eye on Ted Ginn Jr. The No. 9 overall pick a year ago has had a productive preseason after a lukewarm rookie campaign.

The Quarterback: The Dolphins had three QBs throw at least 100 passes last season, which partially explains that 1-15 record. Chad Pennington will stabilize the situation, but he's not the long-term solution. The key for now is if Pennington can...