It’s officially one week until the NFL season kicks off, and throughout the next week I’ll be sharing my division record predictions for each division in the NFL. First one up is the AFC East.

The AFC East is a top-heavy division, with the top two teams considered juggernauts in the AFC and the other two at the bottom of the totem pole. New England used to run this division, but recently Buffalo has started to make its presence felt. Just when Buffalo fans thought it was their time to dominate the division, New England drafted quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye led New England to a Super Bowl appearance last offseason, but does that mean it will repeat? It’s a question everyone has been asking throughout the offseason, and below you’ll see what I think. I went through the entire schedule to predict how the AFC East will shape up in 2026.

New England Patriots

2026 Record: 11-6

The big discussion around the New England Patriots has been the strength of the schedule. This was a team that had one of the easiest schedules a season ago, which helped them to a 14-3 record and an AFC East title. It helped them reach the Super Bowl, where they fell short against Seattle.

Turning the page to 2026, the team has one of the tougher schedules and will no doubt be tested more often in the regular season.  Looking at the schedule, there are certainly tough matchups on the road in Chicago, Denver, and Jacksonville. Regardless, this is a Patriots team that looks better than it did a season ago.

The acquisition of AJ Brown is one of the biggest moves of the offseason, despite the entire league already knowing about it. Not only that, the pickups of Alijah Vera-Tucker and Kevin Byard III are two underrated signings who can make a great impact this season in areas the Patriots lacked.

Oh, and they have Maye, which is something people tend to forget. He finished second in MVP voting last season, and no doubt will get better going into his third year.

Buffalo Bills

2026 Record: 11-6

In this prediction, the Buffalo Bills finish with the same record as New England, but due to tiebreakers, don’t win the division. As long as this team has Josh Allen at the helm, they’ll be in Super Bowl contention.

Two of the biggest weaknesses this team had were their rushing defense and wide receiver depth. The team answered the receiver depth issue this offseason by acquiring DJ Moore from Chicago and drafting Skyler Bell.

The firing of longtime head coach Sean McDermott and the hiring of Joe Brady are also major talking points. This offense will look and operate the same as it did with Brady, so that’s the upside on this team. But looking at the additions general manager Brandon Beane made in the offseason, it doesn’t look much improved. It’s basically the same unit as last season, which was one of the worst in the NFL, with a few rookie additions to give some depth.

The savior Buffalo is looking towards is new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who was with Denver last season. Leonhard will switch to a 3-4 scheme to hopefully give Buffalo the boost they need to defend the run. Just looking at the roster, I’m not sure this unit has the talent to improve, but I believe in Leonhard to raise that floor. Still, Buffalo has some tough games on the schedule; I can see them losing, which would make them 11-6 in 2026.

New York Jets

2026 Record: 4-13

Even with the exciting draft the New York Jets have this offseason, it’s not enough to get them to the competitive level head coach Aaron Glenn is hoping for. As much as I’m excited to see parts of this roster work, reality is I just don’t know how the offense will operate with Geno Smith at the helm. The weapons, offensive line, and playcalling are all improvements from last season, which is a plus – but it’s still the Jets.

Having to play the NFC North and AFC West doesn’t help, given how competitive those divisions are. Even with the poor record, this team will still be competitive, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they win around six to seven games this season. I’m just a little lower, but I can see a path to where they’re competitive. The reality is, though, I feel Glenn is out after this season, and the organization hires a young-minded offensive coordinator to pair them with the franchise quarterback of the future.

New York is moving in the right direction, even though it won’t show up in the win column.

Miami Dolphins

2026 Record: 3-14

The beauty for the Miami Dolphins this season is that no one expects anything out of them. For head coach Jeff Hafley, as long as the young players look good and quarterback Malik Willis shows signs of life, it’s a successful season.

Miami is taking on over $ 150 million in dead cap space this season, trying to get rid of the decision the previous regime made. The fans and ownership group basically know the team is tanking this season and looking to 2027. Thankfully, that’s the case, because the 2026 schedule is not kind to the Dolphins at all.

Games against San Francisco, Kansas City, Denver, and Cincinnati, just to name a few. Oh, and this team has to play New England and Buffalo twice this season. It’s rough, but it’s a good challenge to see which rookies can step up in the 2026 draft class for Miami.

The Dolphins have a ton of exciting young players like Kadyn Proctor, Chris Bell, Chris Johnson, and Jacob Rodriguez who can use 2026 as a stepping stone in their careers.