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NFL Divisional Preview: AFC East

VAVEL.com · Ron Alderman; VAVEL com · 2026-08-25T19:23:52+00:00 · nguồn gốc

As a long suffering Miami Dolphins supporter (and this season could be the worst), it's only right I start with the AFC East. This division has been dominated by two teams, the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. The last time someone else won the division was back in 2008 when the Dolphins won it with a 11-5 record. The other team in the division, the New York Jets last won the division in 2002 with a 9-7 record. Since 2008, the Patriots won 10 divisions in a row, with the Bills winning five since 2020. Last season, it was back to the Patriots winning with a 14-3 record, coming off of the back of a 4-13 record the season before. New England Patriots The Patriots will be looking to go one better than last season, where they were beaten by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers. Head Coach Mike Vrabel took over at the end of the 2024 season after a disastrous 4-13 season with Jerod Mayo as head coach. They have an early chance to avenge that Super Bowl defeat, as they travel to Seattle in week one. Their first divisional game is at Buffalo in Highmark Stadium, on week four. With a late bye week (week 11), that will give them a good chance to heal up ready for the final seven games. Star Player - Drake Maye (QB) - Maye was drafted with the third pick overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. In his 30 games so far, he has thrown for 6,670 yards with 46 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Coach Vrabel will be looking to his leader on the pitch for more of the same. Last season, he threw for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Buffalo Bills Despite a winning 12-5 record, and a playoff spot for the seventh consecutive season, the Bills were beat by the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional round 33-30. Head Coach Sean McDermott was fired at the end of the season after nine season in charge, replaced by Joe Brady in his first head coaching role. Their first game is at the Houston Texans. They have an early bye week (week 7), which is not ideal as they have a long second half to the season, with 11 games to go. However, four of those games are against the Jets and the Dolphins, so that should four extra wins. Star Player - Josh Allen (QB) - Selected seventh overall by Buffalo in the 2018 NFL Draft, Allen has been star man for the Bills. In his eight season in the NFL, he has thrown for 30,102 yards with 220 touchdowns and only 94 interceptions. Last season, he threw for 3,338 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. New York Jets The Jets finished bottom last season with a 3-14 record, and the only reason they finish above the Dolphins this year, is that the Dolphins are really bad this year. Head Coach Aaron Glenn is starting his second season and will need an improvement if he is to keep his job. Their first game sees them travel south to take on the Tennessee Titans. Week six sees their first encounter with a divisional rival, the Patriots, and a late bye week (week 13) will be a blessing for their players. Star Player - Breece Hall (RB) - Hall was drafted 36th overall (2nd round) in the 2022 NFL Draft. Since then, he has been a vital component of the offense. Over the 56 games he has played, he has rushed for 3,398 yards with 18 touchdowns and has 188 receptions for 1,642 yards and nine touchdowns. Last season, he ran for 1,065 yards with four touchdowns, and had 36 receptions for 350 yards and only one touchdown. Miami Dolphins Where do I start? The Dolphins are in complete rebuild mode. Over the off season, they have lost Tua Tagovailoa to the Atlanta Falcons, Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos, and they had to cut Tyreek Hill due to injury. They also have a new head coach in Jeff Hafley, after Mike McDaniel was fired at the end of last season. The dolphins also have the second hardest set of fixtures, only behind the Chicago Bears. Their first game sees the Dolphins heading to Las Vegas to take on the Las Vegas Raiders and rookie QB, and first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza. They also have a early bye week (week 6) so it will be a long season for Dolphins fans. Star Player - De'Von Achane (RB) - Drafted in the 3rd round (84th pick overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft, Achane has proved to be a very good pick. He is a true dual threat for the Miami offense, having rushed for 3,057 yards with 22 touchdowns in his NFL career. He also has 172 receptions for 1,277 yards and another 13 touchdowns. Last season, he ran for 1,350 yards with eight touchdowns, and had 67 receptions for 488 yards and four touchdowns. He will have to have another good season for the Dolphins to be close to competing in any game. Expected records - There is how I think the AFC East will pan out. - New England Patriots - 13-4 - Buffalo Bills - 12-5 - New York Jets - 4-13 - Miami Dolphins - 2-15 Click here for more NFL news