Joey Porter: We're the Team to Beat

Well, whaddya know, Joey Porter is back at the complaint department. The easily irritated Dolphin linebacker doesn't like all this talk about the Patriots being the favorite to win the AFC East in 2009.

"I don't understand how you can put somebody in front of us. We won the championship. We were AFC East champions. I just don't think it's supposed to happen like that. You've got to beat somebody to be the champs. We had to beat somebody to be the champs."

The only problem with Porter's reasoning is that the Dolphins had to beat the Chargers to be the champs.

The Dolphins won the division in 2008 because they won the fourth tie-breaker from the Patriots, which was the best won-lost percentage of games played within the conference. The Dolphins went 8-4 and the Pats went 7-5, likely because they had to play the Colts and Steelers. That's not to say that the Dolphins didn't deserve it, but it isn't quite going out there and beating someone to become the champs.

The Patriots went 11-5 last season and get Tom Brady, among other injured players, back this year. That's part of the reason why they're the favorites entering this season. The other part is because the Dolphins are the ones who draw the tough schedule this time around. They've got a trip to San Diego and they host the Steelers, while the Patriots get an easier draw with the Ravens at home and a trip to the Broncos.

Neither of those games are easy, but they're easier than what the Dolphins have on the table. As 2008 showed us, these things can be decided by very slim margins so you look for every advantage you can find.

Given the way the Dolphins defied expectations last season, you'd say Porter should find other ways to occupy his time. We'll sooner see an aardvark playing quarterback for the Cowboys than Porter stops finding reasons for irrational anger, though. So rage on, J-Peezy, and we'll keep the light on for you.