As painful as it is to admit for Miami Dolphins fans, the 2026 season has started just as poorly as many feared it would. An 0-2 start is bad enough, but seven other teams share that pain. Being outscored by 36 points through two weeks, however, is hard to stomach. Only the Atlanta Falcons have been outscored by a wider margin, and they can at least blame injuries at the quarterback spot for some of their issues.
That being said, Miami is the current doormat in the AFC East division, even below the usually hapless New York Jets. Even if none of this is really a surprise (or, at least, it shouldn't be), it doesn't ease the sting of knowing that even this stripped-down version of the Dolphins could be far and away the worst team in the division.
Let's dive into how the AFC East stacks up through two games.
AFC East power rankings show just how far away the Miami Dolphins are from competency
4. Miami Dolphins (0-2)
The truth hurts, as the saying goes. Miami has had its fair share of fun moments to start the season, but it has largely been a struggle to do much right on either side of the ball. The only thing they can really hang their hat on is their run defense, which is a slightly above-average unit in terms of EPA (expected points added) allowed, according to Sumer Sports.
You can thank the linebacker unit for much of that success, with All-Pro Jordyn Brooks and rookie sensation Jacob Rodriguez both playing very well through two games. QB Malik Willis and star running back De'Von Achane have failed to get the offense off the ground so far, but there is hope that could change as they return from their West Coast road trip next week.
3. New York Jets (1-1)
The Jets may be...competent? Dare I say good, even? It's just two games, and they did blow a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Packers in Week 2, but New York looks like a much better team than they did during head coach Aaron Glenn's first year in charge.
Geno Smith looks more like the QB who revived his career in Seattle than the one who flamed out with the Raiders. The defense looks much tougher after adding plenty of new faces this offseason, and they just seem better prepared to play in general than they did a year ago. We will see how long that lasts for, but they are much closer to the next team in the power rankings than they are to Miami right now.
2. New England Patriots (1-1)
A small part of me wanted to put the Jets ahead of New England just to prove a point, but losing by three points in Week 1 to the Seahawks is more forgivable than blowing a lead late to this year's version of Green Bay. Still, the Patriots have some soul-searching to do on offense, even after their 20-3 victory over the Steelers last week.
Drake Maye looks nothing like he did for most of his MVP runner-up campaign in 2025 so far, with just one passing touchdown and four interceptions through two games. His playoff struggles seem to be following him into the 2026 regular season, and it doesn't help that his new star playmaker, A.J. Brown, is on Injured Reserve.
Their defense seems plenty good, however, and it's unfortunately a matter of time before the offense catches up. Even when that happens, though, I doubt it will be enough to compete with the No. 1 team in the division.
1. Buffalo Bills (2-0)
Was there any doubt that the Bills would be sitting at No. 1 after the first two weeks they put together? It must be nice to have the physical embodiment of a supernova playing QB for you, a defense that looks far more dynamic, and a running game that is punishingly consistent.
Josh Allen is the heavy favorite for MVP so far, and for good reason. He has scored nine total touchdowns (five passing, four rushing) and racked up 674 total yards through two weeks. It sure seems like handing the HC title over to Joe Brady has paid dividends so far, and until somebody slows down this offense, Buffalo will likely remain at the top of these power rankings.
Add us as a preferred source on Google