Don Pierson

For a change, the New England Patriots didn't win the Super Bowl. But you wouldn't know it from the way the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills are scrambling to catch them in the AFC East.

Two new general managers, two new head coaches, two new quarterbacks, three new offensive coordinators, three new defensive coordinators and as many connections to Patriots coach Bill Belichick as teams can muster have joined the chase.

Because they can neither beat the Patriots nor join them, the Jets, Dolphins and Bills must be content to either raid them or hope they disintegrate before their very eager eyes. With the exit of Super Bowl kicking hero Adam Vinatieri to Indianapolis, defensive stalwart Willie McGinest to Cleveland and receiver David Givens to Tennessee, the Patriots indeed have been doing their part to fall back.

Before last season, the Dolphins hired one of Belichick's best friends in coaching, Nick Saban. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel also went to Cleveland and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis to Notre Dame. This year, the Jets stole Belichick's 35-year-old defensive coordinator, Eric Mangini, to become their head coach. Mangini then hired 32-year-old Brian Schottenheimer to be his offensive coordinator so Mangini wouldn't feel like the youngest guy in the room.

The Bills went the other direction, hiring 80-year-old Marv Levy to come back as general manager and lend wisdom to the process. No sooner had the Bills replaced coach Mike Mularkey with Dick Jauron than Saban hired Mularkey as the Dolphins' offensive coordinator.

The Dolphins traded for quarterback Daunte Culpepper and the Jets traded for quarterback Patrick Ramsey. The Bills will continue to wait on J.P Losman, who will enter his third season with the knowledge that the Patriots' Tom Brady already had won one Super Bowl at his age.

The question is whether all the maneuvering will enable anybody to gain on the leaders. Since Belichick arrived in 2000, the Patriots are 10-2 against the Bills, 8-4 against the Jets, and 6-6 against the Dolphins. Not counting Belichick's initial season, the record is 9-1 against the Bills, 8-2 against the Jets, 6-4 against the Dolphins.

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Will this year be any different? So far, it looks like there's a better chance of the Patriots imploding than the rest of the pack improving. The Dolphins have the best shot. The Jets and Bills look like also-rans from the start.

Dolphins
With Culpepper, Saban hopes to enjoy the prospect of a proven quarterback. Only two years ago, Culpepper threw 39 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions for the Vikings. But he is coming off a serious knee injury and may not be 100 percent by the start of the season.

Culpepper, who thrived with Randy Moss and the tutoring of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, will have neither in Miami. Linehan moved on from Saban's staff to become head coach of the Rams. Mularkey will have to mesh with Culpepper faster than he did with Losman in Buffalo for the Dolphins to be dangerous.

With Chris Chambers and Ronnie Brown, the Dolphins have weapons, but if Ricky Williams is suspended again, the offense won't be helped. Saban also hired Dom Capers to help out his defense.

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