Damione Lewis impressed with AFC East foes

FOXBORO -- Upon joining the Patriots, Damione Lewis finds himself in the middle of an ever-growing rivalry in the AFC East. And recently the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have made the type of offseason acquisitions that are sure to add even more fuel to the fire.

With wide receiver Brandon Marshall on his way to Miami, and the Jets acquiring running back LaDainian Tomlinson, cornerback Antonio Cromartie, and wide receiver Santonio Holmes, Lewis was left to answer questions about what his new rivals were doing to get an upper hand.

It just so happens that one of his former teammates in Carolina, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, is entering his third season with the Jets.

"Kris told me, 'Well you signed with a mortal enemy, so I'll talk to you in the offseason,'" said Lewis. "You know, they're trying to get ready. New England has set a standard in this league for a long time. With that, comes responsibility and holding it up. You have everybody kicking at your heels, trying to pull you down, and trying to get up to your level.

"The Jets are making moves to do that. Miami's making moves to do that. Buffalo's trying to make moves. Everybody in this division's making moves to become a better team.

"And then you kind of look at some other [teams] in other divisions in the league, like the NFC East," he added. "They're doing the same thing. These are teams that are normally somewhere around the playoff hunt, and somewhere around the Super Bowl hunt. So those guys, from those teams, and this team as well, are trying to position themselves to be playing in the last game of the season."

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(necn.com)