AFCE: None Better in Division Than Patriots

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AFCE: None Better in Division Than Patriots

Published: Thu, June 25, 2009 - 2:29pm ET
Randy Lange

By Randy Lange

Lange is editor-in-chief of newyorkjets.com. He covered the Jets for 13 years for The Record of Hackensack, N.J.


File Under: Rodney Harrison, Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

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06/25 — This is the latest in a series of nine Radar entries over the next five weeks detailing trends in the AFC East, downward tendencies each division team wants to correct for the coming season and upward strides that each team wants to continue into 2009:    

Rodney Harrison said it after the Patriots' 19-10 win over the Jets in the Green & White's Game 2 home opener last year:

"It's a nice win. A division win is a nice win."

NBC is sure to want something a little more substantial from Harrison when the hard-hitting safety joins the Peacock Network's "Football Night in America" broadcasts this season, but Rodney is right and the Patriots are the biggest division winners around.

The Patriots went 4-2 against their three AFC East brethren in 2008, and either a win over Miami in Week 3 or against the Jets in that Thursday night heart-thumper in Week 11 might have propelled the Pats to another division title.

But even a two-loss AFCE schedule did nothing to hurt the Patriots' position atop the NFL's division standings. The league realigned to eight four-team divisions in 2002, and in that span New England has the best record in all of football against its division. Better than the Steelers in the AFC North, better than the Colts in the AFC South.

Even Bill Belichick knows that while anything can happen on any given Sunday, "I think we all understand that the division games count a little more than the rest of the games."

Here are the NFL's top six teams in terms of records in their division games over the past seven seasons, plus how many times they reached the playoffs and how many division titles they won:

 Team Div Record PO Berths Div Titles
 New England 33-9 5 5
 Indianapolis 32-10 7 5
 Pittsburgh 32-10 5 4
 Green Bay 28-14 4 4
 Seattle 27-15 5 4
 San Diego 27-15 4 4

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Row Said:

Wed, July 1, 2009 - 10:00am ET

"I am pretty sure Favre was making an unprecedented 12 million a year, and refused any offseason workouts for us. Then he goes and gets offseason surgery to try to play for another team. TJ carried us, then his carries declined. If I threw 1 td and had 6 picks the las five games, I would hope someone criticized me at some point, and if it were going to be anyone, TJ deserved to! 15tds 1300yds"

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rudy iacono Said:

Wed, July 1, 2009 - 3:10pm ET

"I have been a Jet ticket holder 40 + years. I can't believe the NJ Jet fans that like the raw deal that Woody has given his loyal fans called PSL fees. What is truly comical is that the Jets have but 2 div titles since moving to Meadowlands in 1984."

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Tony B Said:

Wed, July 1, 2009 - 7:09pm ET

"One thing I will never understand about last year But knowing Brett was hurt and we had a rushing attack then why was he throwing the ball 25-30 times a game?Its the O C job to have the correct game plan. Any sucessful team in the Meadowlands has to be able to pound the ball on the ground and throw the ball just enough to keep the opposing teams D off balance.Not having an injuried QB throw 20-25"

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