Don't look now, but the Miami Dolphins are coming for the AFC East crown! Alright, maybe not. Still, they finally managed to earn their first victory in 2026 against the New York Jets in Week 7, and now sit at 1-0 against the division. With three of their next five games coming against AFC East opponents, we will get to see just how big the gap is between this rebuilding squad and the two playoff contenders in their division.
The Patriots had an opportunity to challenge the Bills as the top dog while Buffalo was on their bye week, but they failed to come away with a road win over the Bears this week. Still, it was an impressive effort. Despite another rough interception, Drake Maye has looked much more like the MVP runner-up he was a year ago after a terrible start.
With the season nearly at it's midway point, here is where each team deserves to land in the AFC East power rankings.
Miami Dolphins make their claim to be above the Jets in latest AFC East power rankings
4. New York Jets (2-5)
You could make a strong argument that, despite their home loss to the Dolphins, New York deserves to remain the No. 3 team in these power rankings. They still have a better record than Miami, are ranked higher on both offense and defense, and have generally looked like the more competitive team so far this season.
Still, losing to the Dolphins at home is hard to stomach. There is a reason why Jets fans are calling for Aaron Glenn's job following the defeat.
3. Miami Dolphins (1-5)
Miami earns the third spot in these rankings thanks to their upset win over the Jets, but it's not just that. The Dolphins have gradually improved over the course of the season, and it culminated in their first win of the season. It was mostly the offense that finally broke out, with Malik Willis playing by far the best game of his Dolphins career thus far.
The defense was...not as good. But they made key plays throughout the game to keep the Jets from pouring in points, and it was enough to hang on. We will see if they can keep this momentum going against the Patriots in Week 8.
2. New England Patriots (4-3)
The Patriots would have had a shot at unseating the Bills in these rankings had they beaten the Bears this week, but they couldn't quite get the job done. While they did defeat the Bills earlier this season (Buffalo's only loss), sitting at 4-3 isn't good enough to push their rivals out of the No. 1 spot.
Maye's resurgence and a much-improved pass rush have made New England a legitimate playoff contender yet again, and it will only take a few slip-ups by the Bills for them to get ahead of them. Speaking of...
1. Buffalo Bills (5-1)
The Bills got the week off in Week 7, and they got to sit back and watch as only the Dolphins gained ground in the division. Buffalo is a flawed team despite their 5-1 record, particularly on defense. According to Sumer Sports, they rank first in offensive Expected Points Added (EPA) and 31st in defensive EPA.
That lack of balance may prevent them from finally getting over the hump to claim the franchise's first Super Bowl, but it likely won't prevent them from winning the AFC East this year. As long as they can win their rematch against the Patriots in Week 13, it will be hard for New England to catch them in the standings (or these rankings).
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