Celebrities are not the only ones with doppelgangers … NFL franchises have them, too. Every NFL franchise has another team — either in the NBA or MLB — with which it shares a long list of similarities. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at every NFL franchise and it’s cross-sport doppelganger. In the first installment of this series, we take a look at the AFC East.

Buffalo Bills = Minnesota Timberwolves

Bills fans are sure to despise this comparison, but it is valid on a lot of levels.

Firstly, there are the long playoff droughts. The Bills have not been qualified for the playoffs since the 1999 season, while the Timberwolves have not been since the 2003-2004 season. Also, both franchises have enjoyed impressive stretches of solid play with nary a title to show for it. The Bills made the playoffs in 10 of 12 seasons between 1988 and 1999; the Wolves made it eight years in a row from the 1996-1997 season to the 2003-2004 campaign.

That’s the historical comparison. Looking at how both teams are currently constructed, they are an interesting blend of young prospects and veteran leadership. The Bills have some young blue-chippers like Sammy Watkins, C.J. Spiller and Marcell Dareus mixed in with veterans such as Mario Williams, Scott Chandler and Erik Pears. The Wolves have the same type of construction, rebuilding around youngsters Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Ricky Rubio while hanging onto veterans like Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer and Mo Williams.

Both teams are trying to rebuild around their rising stars while employing just enough veterans to prevent a complete bottom-out.

Miami Dolphins = Toronto Blue Jays

The Dolphins and Blue Jays have both been mired in mediocrity for the last decade. Over the last 10 years, the Jays have never had a winning percentage below 0.451 or above 0.537. Basically, they have been consistently good enough to stay in the hunt but never quite productive enough to make it into the postseason. In fact, Toronto has not been to the playoffs since it won back-to-back World Series titles between 1992-1993.

The Dolphins are in a similar stretch of average play. Over the last nine years (not including this season), Miami has one really bad season (1-15 in 2007) and one really good one (11-5 in 2008). In the other seven seasons, the Dolphins won between six and nine games. Another example of average play: since 1995, the Dolphins are 152-152 (again, not counting this season).

The Dolphins have won two Super Bowls, with those titles coming in consecutive years (1972,1973), just like their Canadian counterparts.

New England Patriots = Tampa Bay Rays

The Patriots are the most challenging AFC East team to peg. They could be compared to the New York Yankees because of their championship pedigrees and “evil empire” images. A comparison could also be made to the San Antonio Spurs, as both franchises have plenty of hardware and a future Hall of Famer playing on an insanely discounted contract (Tom Brady in New England, Tim Duncan in San Antonio).

Instead, we will go with the Rays, who have the most in common with the Patriots, even though Tampa Bay has never won a World Series., Both franchises are built on a system that develops versatile players and moves away from veterans before they become old and/or expensive (which can definitely not be said of the Yankees or Spurs).

Also, both teams have been seemingly annual contenders despite the high amount of turnover. New England has missed the playoffs just once since 2003. The Rays won 90 games or more in five of the last seven seasons. This season’s losing record (77-85) was the team’s first sub-0.500 finish since 2007, when the team still had “Devil” in its name.

Coach Bill Belichick is comparable to Joe Maddon, who coached Tampa Bay from 2006 until he opted out of his contract and signed with the Chicago Cubs shortly after the World Series. And while Maddon is gone, the system of success the Rays have established must be considered safe until proven otherwise.

One last comparison: As far as mega-stars who are synonymous with the franchises they represent, Brady’s sacred role with the Patriots is certainly rivaled by Evan Longoria in Tampa Bay.

New York Jets = Detroit Pistons

This one is simple: both teams are rebuilding on top of a previous rebuild.

New York will likely be starting from scratch again this offseason. Rex Ryan is on the hot seat and his contract is not guaranteed after 2015. GM John Idzik is feeling the heat, as well, and just this week a plane was flown over the Jets’ practice field calling for Idzik’s dismissal. The problems extend to the personnel, too, especially the quarterback position. Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith provided more comedy than competition, so New York will likely be forced to select another signal-caller in the upcoming draft.

The Pistons are on their sixth head coach since 2008. Detroit has missed the playoffs in each of the last six seasons and has failed to gain any traction since rebuilding a roster that aged out after eight straight trips to the playoffs between 2001-2009. The franchise’s downward trend has been accelerated by bad drafting (Darko Milicic, anybody?) and bad free-agent signings (Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Josh Smith, etc.).

The only difference here is that the Pistons’ latest rebuild is now underway, while New York’s is about to commence. Only time will tell which of these “Johnny Don’t” franchises will get it right first.