Week 3 left the AFC East looking exactly like you’d expect if Buffalo keeps doing Buffalo things: the Bills are still on top, and everyone else is trying to keep pace.
Buffalo was the only team in the division to walk away with a win this week, and that alone stretched its cushion to two games heading into Week 4. The Bills now sit at 3-0, while the rest of the AFC East keeps chasing from behind.
The Bills’ 24-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers wasn’t pretty. Buffalo spent most of the afternoon playing sloppy football on offense, but the defense kept bailing it out again and again.
When the game tightened up, the offense finally made enough plays to finish the job. Now the Bills are the lone undefeated team in the division and turn their attention to a New England team that beat them in Orchard Park last season.
New York is hanging in there at 1-2 after a 31-24 loss to the Detroit Lions. The Jets have lost back-to-back games, but both came in tight contests, including one that went to overtime.
Even in defeat, they’ve shown enough to stay in the conversation through three weeks. Next up, they get a third straight NFC North opponent when they face the Chicago Bears.
New England’s week was rough in a different way. The Patriots were the division’s worst loser, getting routed 35-6 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Drake Maye finished with 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles, and his QB rating landed at 15.5. That kind of performance leaves the Patriots back in the loss column and heading straight into a road trip to Orchard Park to meet the 3-0 Bills in Week 4.
Miami’s situation keeps getting uglier. The Dolphins fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 24-10, and that was already their third straight loss.
The bigger concern may be De'Von Achane, who may have suffered a "major knee injury" per Ian Rapoport. The Dolphins are still searching for their first win, and their next shot comes in Week 4 on the road against the Vikings in Minnesota.
Updated AFC East standings after Week 3:
- Buffalo Bills (3-0)
- New York Jets (1-2)
- New England Patriots (1-2)
- Miami Dolphins (0-3)
In Other News...
Bills 3-0 Start Now Comes With A Josh Allen Concern
Buffalos perfect start has been built around Josh Allen doing what he always does, which is absorb hits, extend plays and keep the offense moving even when things get messy. So the sight of Allen taking a helmet to the knee in Week 3 was an immediate concern, even if he stayed in the game and the early read is that the issue is a contusion rather than something more severe.
The Bills are moving on to their next matchup with the New England Patriots, but Allens knee will be watched closely as the week unfolds. For a team sitting at 3-0, the larger picture is obvious: the record looks clean, but the health of the quarterback driving it is now part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Is One Score Away From A Bills Milestone
Buffalos fast start has been fueled by the same familiar engine, with the Bills opening the 2026 season 3-0 and piling up a league-leading 101 points through three weeks. Josh Allen has been right in the middle of it again, and his latest visit to the end zone against the Chargers carried more than just the usual weight of another productive afternoon.
Allens 1-yard rushing touchdown in Week 3 tied him with Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed for the most scrimmage touchdowns in franchise history at 87, a reminder of how much he has already added to the teams record book. He still finished the day with two interceptions, but the Bills keep moving forward with Allen now sitting one score away from standing alone atop one of the franchises most notable milestones. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Win Sparked Ugly Chargers Backlash Around Harbaughs Staff
The Chargers came out of their loss to the Bills carrying plenty of frustration, and not just because the defense forced five turnovers and still watched the offense manage only 10 points. Buffalo's latest win over Los Angeles only deepened the sense that this matchup has become a sore spot for a Chargers team that could not turn mistakes into enough production to stay in control.
Breiden Fehoko turned that frustration public, taking aim at the coaching staff's play-calling on social media, while Jim Harbaugh acknowledged the team's struggles and kept his focus on the collective nature of wins and losses. For Buffalo, the result was another convincing edge in a series that has gone the Bills' way three straight times, but for the Chargers the bigger issue is how quickly the criticism around Harbaugh's staff is starting to spill into the open. [Read more 🡒]