It's hard to believe, but there is already one month of the 2026 NFL season down.
To be fair, it was a shorter month than usual. The season got started later, so teams only played three games in the month of September. But there is also not a Week 4 game until October 1st, so we have a nice clean sample to evaluate what we're going to be talking about today:
The best divisions in the AFC.
There is nothing to be gained from having the best division in football, but as the season goes along, this might be useful to look back on as we assess each individual team and consider the context of the divisions they play in. After three games, let's rank all four divisions in the AFC and see how they stack up so far.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 4: Every division in the AFC ranked worst to best
4. AFC East
- Buffalo Bills (3-0)
- New York Jets (1-2)
- New England Patriots (1-2)
- Miami Dolphins (0-3)
The bottom slot on this list really came down to a toss-up, and based a little bit on a gut feeling of how the rest of this season might go.
The Buffalo Bills are carrying the majority of the water for this division right now, although the New York Jets have been intriguing as well.
The Patriots have been one of the NFL's biggest letdowns so far this season, especially quarterback Drake Maye and the offense. They don't look like contenders, and I'm not sure how soon -- if at all -- they're going to be able to turn it around.
3. AFC South
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
- Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
- Houston Texans (0-3)
- Tennessee Titans (0-3)
The AFC South is the only division in the entire AFC with two winless teams, but the Jacksonville Jaguars look elite, and the Colts have played pretty darn well over the last two weeks even though they're 1-2 this season.
The Texans find themselves in familiar territory at 0-3, a hole they had to dig themselves out of just last season. Can they do it again? That was only the 7th time in NFL history an 0-3 team made the playoffs, so Houston better hope they have a huge winning streak in them again.
The Titans are, at the very least, a slight disappointment so far. Cam Ward has not progressed as expected, and that team appears poised to pick high in next year's NFL Draft as of right now.
2. AFC North
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
- Cleveland Browns (2-1)
The AFC North is the only team in the NFL to have four teams with winning records through the first three games of the season.
How about that?
Even with that in mind, they're still tied for the most wins for a division in the AFC, with the only team above them on this list.
The Pittsburgh Steelers looked sluggish in the first two weeks of the season before having a nice (and necessary) explosion of offense in Week 3 against the Bengals, handing Cincinnati their first loss of the season.
We were singing the praises of the new-look Cincinnati defense for the first two weeks, and then they got thrown all over in a vintage performance by Aaron Rodgers.
The Baltimore Ravens look as explosive as ever, but somehow simultaneously as beatable as ever. They are a dangerous team, but are they a great team? I'm not so sure about that.
The Cleveland Browns have been one of the biggest surprises this season, especially over the last two weeks. Back-to-back wins against the Buccaneers and Panthers will have Cleveland fans absolutely rocking on Thursday night against the Steelers.
1. AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-0)
- Denver Broncos (2-1)
- Los Angeles Chargers
The AFC West has currently combined for 8 wins so far this season, tied for the most wins by a division in the AFC.
Obviously, many people in the NFL world expected the Kansas City Chiefs to get back to being the Kansas City Chiefs, which has absolutely been the case.
Few in the NFL world expected the Las Vegas Raiders to be one of the last undefeated teams standing, however...
The Chiefs' addition of Kenneth Walker has been sensational. It's impossible to say that just one player has been the sole factor in a team's resurgence, but it wouldn't be hyperbolic in Walker's case. He's averaging 5.5 yards per carry, 120 rushing yards per game, and already has 4 total touchdowns.
The Raiders have the early favorite for NFL Coach of the Year in Klint Kubiak. The job he's done so far with that roster is nothing short of miraculous. He's a stud.
The Broncos got absolutely smacked around in Week 1 by the Chiefs, but have bounced back with come-from-behind wins against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams. Those two teams are obviously not slouches, and the idea that the Broncos were going to go away for good after that season-opening blowout was premature.
The Chargers have been a shocking disappointment. Starting off the season with games against the Cardinals, Raiders, and Bills, a 2-1 start would have been considered their worst-case scenario going into the season. They're going to Seattle for a matchup in Week 4 that could ultimately put them in a hole they can't climb out of if they lose.
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