AFC East
Buffalo Bills: 12-5
The Buffalo Bills will return to the top of the AFC East in the 2026 season. Buffalo wins the division nearly every year, and many could argue that the only reason why the team did not in 2025 was due to the New England Patriots having an insanely easy schedule.
That won't be the case in 2026. Buffalo and New England are largely evenly-matched, but Buffalo being a more known commodity, and New England's schedule getting tougher, are going to be the two main factors here.
New England Patriots: 9-8
A Super Bowl hangover could be on the docket for the Patriots in 2026. This team rode a very easy schedule to a 14-win season in 2025. It was quite the year, but the one thing that comes with winning that much is the increased probability that fewer games would be won the following season.
Winning 14 games means a team really had no margin for error and were about maxed-out in today's NFL. This is still a good team, but a less prolific season is on the horizon.
Miami Dolphins: 2-15
Maybe the worst team in the NFL right now, the Miami Dolphins have a new coaching staff, front office, and starting quarterback. This isn't a team trying to win games, either, so let's not lose sight of that. The Dolphins are absolutely building toward 2027 and beyond, so it's going to be quite the lean year for the Dolphins in 2026.
New York Jets: 2-15
Another team in a similar situation, the New York Jets are building this roster up for 2027 and beyond, and with three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, the organization probably just wants to fast-forward past this year.
The Jets did improve the roster this offseason, but a bad coaching staff and bottom-7 quarterback in Geno Smith is a recipe for disaster.
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