Week 1 already left the AFC East looking a little different, and the first standings update brings a split right down the middle: two teams sitting at 1-0, two staring at 0-1. Buffalo and New York opened with wins, while Miami and New England spent the week trying to keep up after road losses.
The Bills got the division’s clearest statement win, leaving Houston with a 36-31 victory over the Texans. It was a high-scoring surprise in a matchup that usually leans the other way because of the defense on both sides.
Josh Allen drove the show with over 350 total yards and 4 total touchdowns, while DJ Moore and Dalton Kincaid both stood out in the passing game. Buffalo’s offense was rolling.
The defense, though, had a rougher afternoon even with strong work from Greg Rousseau and Deone Walker. Now the Bills have a short week before hosting the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football in their home opener at their new Highmark Stadium.
The Jets also got out of Week 1 with a win, and they did it in convincing fashion. Their 23-10 result over the Tennessee Titans was defined by the defense, which controlled the game and embarrassed an offense led by Cam Ward and former Bills OC Brian Daboll, now with the Titans.
New York also faced former head coach Robert Saleh, who had the chance to get revenge. Instead, the Jets went into Nashville and handled business from start to finish.
At the bottom of the early division standings, the Dolphins and Patriots both took losses on the road. Miami’s trip to Las Vegas ended in a 27-13 defeat to the Raiders, a rough start to a season in which the team was already not expected to do much.
The Raiders are in a rebuild too, at least on offense, but they still managed to score 27 against Miami’s defense. De’Von Achane was held to 36 rushing yards, and Malik Willis took 5 sacks from Las Vegas.
New England’s opener was even more frustrating. The Patriots went west to face the Seattle Seahawks, the team that embarrassed them in last year’s Super Bowl, and for a while it looked like they might leave with a win.
That changed when Sam Darnold went down early with an injury and did not return. Still, three fourth-quarter interceptions by Drake Maye, along with A.J.
Brown leaving with an ankle injury, swung the game the other way and sent the Patriots to the bottom of the AFC East after a 13-10 loss.
Week 1 isn’t even fully wrapped up yet, with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs still to play tonight, but the division picture is already taking shape. For now, Buffalo and New York are on top, and Miami and New England have work to do.
In Other News...
Texans Frustration With Josh Allen Could Get Even Worse
Josh Allen gave Houston plenty to handle in the Bills 2026 season opener, piling up three touchdowns in the first half and keeping Buffalo in control from the jump. The Texans also found themselves on the wrong end of one of the games most frustrating moments when defensive tackle Mario Edwards was flagged for roughing the passer after making illegal contact with Allen, a penalty that turned into a 15-yard walk-off and an automatic first down for Buffalo.
For a Houston defense already trying to find answers against one of the leagues toughest quarterbacks, the call only added to the sting. It also comes against the backdrop of the NFLs 2026 roughing-the-passer rules and the fines tied to those hits, which means the Texans may have to be even more careful going forward if they want to avoid giving Allen and the Bills any more easy yards. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Did His Part But Bills Have A Bigger Problem
Josh Allen gave Buffalo exactly the kind of start it needed against Houston, accounting for three first-half touchdowns and keeping the offense on schedule from the opening snaps. His pair of rushing scores also moved him into a tie with Frank Gore and Ottis Anderson for 20th all-time in NFL rushing touchdowns, a reminder of how much Allen continues to do as both a passer and a runner. He finished the half 8 of 11 for 163 yards, and the Bills went into the break with a 24-21 edge.
The problem for Buffalo was on the other side of the ball, where the defense let Houston stack up 21 first-half points and forced the Bills into a shootout they probably did not want. Jim Leonhard has work to do in the second half to settle things down, because Allen can keep bailing out this offense only for so long. [Read more 🡒]
Stefon Diggs Is Taking Heat For Another Costly Mistake
Stefon Diggs finally found the end zone for Washington on a 10-yard pass from Jayden Daniels against the Eagles, a moment that should have been a clean early highlight in his new setting. Instead, the celebration turned into a problem when Diggs drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for hugging the goalpost, a move the NFL has banned since 2014.
The flag changed the math for Washington immediately, pushing the Commanders into an extra-point try instead of a 2-point attempt in a tight game. Philadelphia went on to win 24-22, leaving Diggs with a first touchdown that came with an expensive reminder about how little room there is for error in a close finish. [Read more 🡒]