After 12 weeks of the NFL season, the AFC East has shaken out into a clear pecking order. The New England Patriots (10-2) have taken control over the division as the Buffalo Bills (7-4) have been unable to keep pace. The Miami Dolphins (4-7) are still holding out hope they can run the table, while the New York Jets (2-9) have already started planning their offseason vacations. With Week 12 behind us, let’s dive into the AFC East Takeaways.
New England:
Drake Maye
Nov 13, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) on the field against the New York Jets in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Patriots hold on again in Cincinnati
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The Patriots moved to 10-2 and now solely own the best record in the NFL after beating the Cincinnati Bengals 26-20. The Patriots have had a few close wins lately, and Sunday was no different, as Drake Maye has come back down to Earth a bit lately. Nevertheless, a win is a win, and the Patriots have nine straight of them as they head into a Monday Night Football matchup with the New York Giants.
Injuries are starting to pile up in New England
The Patriots have had amazing injury luck all season, but Week 12 finally caught up to them as they lost the left side of their offensive line in the win against the Bengals. Rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson will both likely miss a few weeks (at minimum), so the Patriots will have their work cut out for them as they look to secure home-field advantage in the AFC.
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Buffalo:
Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws the ball in the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium. Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The Bills are in trouble
After five straight AFC East crowns, the Buffalo Bills are in trouble if they want to win a sixth straight. After losing to the Houston Texans 23-19 on Thursday Night Football, Buffalo is now two-and-a-half games behind the Patriots. With New England currently holding the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Bills will likely need to win out in order to win the division.
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Josh Allen looks mortal
Josh Allen is still one of the best quarterbacks on the planet, but he’s shown cracks in his armor this season. The Texans’ defense sacked Allen eight times on Thursday Night Football, and he had a subpar game, going 24-34 for 258 passing yards and two interceptions. While there’s still time left for Allen to turn things around, he’s likely played himself out of the 2025 MVP race.
New York Jets:
New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) runs with the ball during an NFL Week 10 game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025.
The Jets are on to 2026
While the New York Jets outplayed the Baltimore Ravens for the first half, they were unable to hang on as the Ravens scored 20 second-half points in their 23-10 win in Baltimore. The Jets have been in more games than one would expect by looking at their 2-9 record, but they’re firmly out of the 2025 playoff picture and will need to start shifting their focus to the 2026 NFL Draft soon.
Breece Hall is a one-man show for the Jets
The Jets had 282 total yards of offense in their 23-10 loss to the Ravens, and Breece Hall accounted for 119 of those. Hall led the Jets in both rushing and receiving on the day, as the rest of the offense struggled to get going. With Garrett Wilson still on Injured Reserve, the Jets offense will continue to run through Hall both in the air and on the ground.
Bye week takeaway: The Dolphins still have life
Nov 9, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
While the odds are still very low, the Miami Dolphins are still technically in the playoff hunt. At 4-7, the Dolphins would need to win out, but they could still squeak into the playoffs with a 10-7 record. They’ve now won two in a row for the first time all season and have a good chance to make that four straight with upcoming games against the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets.
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