Sep 13th 2008 4:00PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, AFC East, NFL Fans
Fred Smerlas is a five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle who played 11 of his 14 NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He retired in 1992, and now spends his falls talking football on Boston sports radio.

So it should come as no surprise that the Massachusetts native likes the Bills and Patriots to compete for the AFC East title, even with Tom Brady now in a wheelchair. According to NFL Nation blogger Tim Graham, Smerlas has already grown weary of the media falling over itself to anoint the Jets “the new team to beat.” Evidently, he’s not as impressed about what Brett Favre means for New York as, say, Peter King. “The Jets are frauds,” Smerlas said from his office in Marlboro, Mass. “They barely beat Miami, a team that absolutely sucks. I’ve watched tape of [the Dolphins], and they’re in trouble. The Jets had a hard time with them.

“Brett Favre is going off the cuff in the huddle. Favre, that pass he threw [a 22-yard desperation lob to Chansi Stuckey] was a punt. It turned into a touchdown, and they win by six points.”Wait, the Dolphins are ? I mean, more trouble than going 1-15 a year ago? I don’t expect them to make the playoffs, but Chad Pennington, Jake Long, and a healthy Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown are certainly upgrades over the crew general manager Randy Mueller cobbled together last season.Continue Reading