After 12 weeks of the season, the AFC East has a bit of separation. The New England Patriots (10-2) have taken control of the division and currently sport the best record in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills (7-4) have now lost two straight and are almost as close to the Miami Dolphins (4-7) as they are to the Patriots. The New York Jets (2-9), however, have continued to spiral out of contention. With just three of the four teams in the division playing this week, let’s see how the AFC East fared in our Week 12 Report Cards.
New England Patriots
Nov 9, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws downfield during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Week 12 Overall Grade: C
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It’s tough to grade a win below a B, but the New England Patriots deserve something in the C range this week. They outplayed an inferior Bengals team that was missing its two best players, yet still barely survived in Cincinnati. The Patriots should have won this game by at least 10 points, but had to rely on their defense to stop Joe Flacco’s potential game-winning drive at the buzzer.
Week 12 Offensive Grade: C-
The Patriots offense had 392 total yards on the day, and Drake Maye came six yards shy of his first 300-yard passing game, but they also only put up 19 points on offense on Sunday. Maye threw an awful pick-six early, and the Patriots failed to convert on 12 plays from within the Bengals five-yard line. Winning aside, this was not a great day for New England’s offense.
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Week 12 Defensive Grade: C+
The Patriots defense allowed 307 total yards to the Bengals, but they also held them to just 13 points, as seven of the Bengals’ points came on a pick-six. New England held Joe Flacco to just 183 passing yards as he had to deal with Ja’Marr Chase being suspended, though Chase Brown became the first rusher to go over 100 yards against the Patriots this season.
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Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks around the stadium after the game and their win against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks around the stadium after the game and their win against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park – Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Week 12 Overall Grade: D+
While a four-point road loss on Thursday Night Football doesn’t sound bad, it’s also hard to give the Buffalo Bills much love for losing to a 5-5 team that was starting their backup quarterback. Now sitting at 7-4, the Bills have put themselves in a bit of a hole as they’re 2.5 games back of the Patriots in the AFC East.
Week 12 Offensive Grade: D
The Bills had 326 yards of offense on the day, but the 19 total points were all that mattered on Thursday. Josh Allen had one of his worst games of the season with 253 yards and two interceptions as he was sacked eight times. The Bills offense has been missing an explosive playmaker all season, and Thursday’s loss was a great illustration of that void.
Week 12 Defensive Grade: C+
The Bills defense actually played relatively well in holding the Texans to 261 total yards and 23 points, but they weren’t able to do enough when they needed to. A 17-point second quarter from the Texans ended up being too much for the Bills to overcome, as the Texans defense picked up the slack and held the Bills to just 19 points.
New York Jets
Oct 19, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) throws the ball in the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Week 12 Overall Grade: D
Another week, another low grade for the New York Jets. They took a lead into halftime against the Baltimore Ravens, but Baltimore turned the tables at halftime and escaped with a 23-10 win. The Jets are now 2-9 on the season with only a handful of winnable games left. With a top-5 pick on the horizon, the 2025 season is more or less done for the Jets.
Week 12 Offensive Grade: D
While the Jets outgained the Ravens on offense, they still only put up 282 total yards and 10 points on the day. Tyrod Taylor was a big improvement over Justin Fields, but it didn’t make too much of a difference as Breece Hall was again the team’s leading rusher and leading receiver.
Week 12 Defensive Grade: D+
The Jets held the Ravens to just three first-half points, but the wheels fell off a bit in the second half as Baltimore scored 20 points after halftime. While the Jets defense should be proud of holding the Ravens to just 241 total yards on the day, that’s cold comfort when looking at the scoreboard in this one.
Miami Dolphins Bye Week Grade: C
Oct 30, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws downfield during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Miami Dolphins are still at the very fringe of the AFC playoff hunt, but they’re still mathematically in it at 4-7. With upcoming games against the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets, there’s a good chance that the Dolphins will enter their Week 15 matchup with the Steelers at 6-7. It’s probably a case of too little, too late, but Miami still has a chance.
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