AFC east

BUFFALO BILLS

Troy Vincent has made a smooth transition from cornerback to free safety, and he gives the defense the center fielder it hasn't had in years. Vincent has marvelous instincts and good range. He has retained the ball skills that made him a top-notch corner and still has good speed, though he has lost a step.... TE Mark Campbell's role should increase this season. He has terrific hands and runs solid routes. He uses his 6-6, 255-pound frame to get between the ball and defenders and is good on seam routes.... Look for OT Jason Peters to remain in the goal-line offense as an extra tight end. He played the position in college and part of last season as a rookie. Peters is an impressive athlete who runs well. He also has excellent hands. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The offensive line has improved steadily since the 2004 arrival of line coach Jim McNally, an outstanding teacher who emphasizes discipline and technique. He stresses the importance of getting out of one's stance quickly while maintaining good balance and leverage. He also has linemen work on hand placement and delivering an initial blow to defenders.--Allen Wilson

MIAMI DOLPHINS

QB Gus Frerotte must continue to spread the ball around. In the opener, Frerotte completed throws to eight receivers and completed at least four passes to four players. Against the Jets on Sunday, Frerotte completed passes to seven receivers. Though WR Chris Chambers remains the main weapon, Frerotte won't exclude other receivers in his progressions. One issue: The team needs to figure out how to attack two-deep coverage, which the Jets used most of the time.... WR Wes Welker has emerged as a poor man's version of Patriots WR Troy Brown. Welker is very good at finding open areas to exploit in third-down situations. He is an aggressive return man. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: One key for ILB Zach Thomas has been the play of DT Keith Traylor. There had been a lot of concern about how Thomas would fit in a 3-4 scheme; he will fit just fine as long as he has Traylor to occupy blockers. Traylor is listed at 337 pounds, but he's much bigger than that. At 6-2, he plays with a tow center of gravity. He does a good job of taking out the center by getting under his pads and then remaining in contact with him until the play is finished.--Jason Cole

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

The running game is struggling. RB Corey Dillon is averaging only 2.7 yards per carry and isn't getting much help up front. Dillon entered 2005 in much better condition than last year--when he ran for 1,635 yards--so his poor numbers are distressing. The Patriots have been juggling their linemen, plugging in rookie Nick Kaczur at both tackle spots to spell starters Matt Light and Tom Ashworth, and that might be affecting the running game.... After a 2004 season in which he had injury problems and was needed in the secondary, Troy Brown is re-establishing himself as a prominent slot receiver. Brown still has a knack for finding the soft spots in zones, and Brady has great confidence in him. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The defense is being picked apart in the red zone. Opposing offenses are 5-for-5 scoring touchdowns after advancing inside the 20, and they're doing it both running (3) and passing (2). The losses of ILBs Tedy Bruschi (stroke) and Ted Johnson (retirement) could be a factor. Both were excellent in the red zone because of their ability to read plays. New lib Monty Beisol isn't as instinctive against the run.--Tom Curran

NEW YORK JETS

QB Chad Pennington is experiencing growing pains in coordinator Mike Heimerdinger's offense, which is predicated on longer passes and requires Pennington to read the entire field, not just half of it. Pennington missed the offseason workouts because of shoulder surgery, so he's playing catch-up. He can survive the transition if he gets help from the running game. The Jets won't stay afloat unless RB Curtis Martin gets untracked.... James Reed, generously listed at 6-0,286, is an undersized nose tackle who struggles at the point of attack. Reed can be effective in a one-gap scheme because of his quickness off the ball, but when he's required to play a two-gap, he doesn't have the size to tie up two blockers. That affects MLB Jonathan Vilma, another undersized player who can't play his game if he's being blocked by interior linemen. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Ben Graham, a left-footed punter and former Australian rules football standout, has baffled punt returners with unusual spins on his kicks. Graham uses three different spins: the drop punt, an end-over-end kick he uses to pin opponents deep in their territory; the torpedo, which is basically a regular punt; and the mongrel, a spiral with a funky spin.--Rich Cimini

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