​NFL training camp is almost here, and that signals a prime opportunity to talk about which teams might reach the playoffs this season. The Buffalo Bills should be near the top of that conversation, but the real question remains: will they reclaim the AFC East crown this year? The Bills dominated the division from 2020 through 2024, but last season they faltered, losing the title to the New England Patriots and earning a wild-card playoff berth instead. The Patriots seized the division, while Buffalo settled for a playoff bid as a wild card, heightening expectations for a potential return to form in 2026.
Many analysts believe the Bills are favored to reclaim the AFC East, including three ESPN reporters who cover the division. An ESPN AFC East roundtable published on Friday featured predictions on who would win the division, with Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg, Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, and Jets reporter Rich Cimini all projecting Buffalo to claim the top spot. Getzenberg wrote that the Bills should win the division, framing it as a tight race with New England. He noted that while the Patriots will be a challenge again in 2026 despite a tougher schedule, Buffalo’s ceiling remains high thanks to quarterback Josh Allen. “The Bills. The winner projects to be a close fight between Buffalo and New England, just a year after the Patriots ended the Bills’ streak of five straight AFC East titles,” he said. “The Patriots will be an issue for Buffalo again in 2026 even though New England has a harder schedule than last season. However, despite the uncertainties that exist for the Bills, Allen gives the team a chance every time he steps on the field. There is enormous pressure on the quarterback with a schedule that has many challenges, but the edge here goes to the team led by Allen.”
If there’s a surprising element to this discussion, it’s that the Jets and Dolphins are widely regarded as potential underperformers this season, making a genuine Bills-Patriots duel all the more critical. In such a scenario, if either Miami or New York managed to seize the division, it would likely indicate a seismic shift: Buffalo and New England would need to stumble, or the Jets or Dolphins would need to surpass expectations in dramatic fashion. Still, the prevailing sentiment is that Buffalo remains the team to beat in the AFC East.
The Patriots did claim control of the division last season by benefiting from a last-place schedule after finishing last in 2024. That dynamic is shifting this year, as New England faces a first-place schedule. Even with the tougher slate, ESPN’s Patriots insider Mike Reiss is confident in a division title for the Pats. He cited factors like Maye’s ascent among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, a motivated Brown providing a true No. 1 target, and Brady’s potential impact with the Bills as a competitor. “Despite a tougher schedule and the likelihood they won’t be able to duplicate their 14-3 record, the Patriots will still have enough to win the division. Key factors in the projection are Maye rising even higher in the NFL’s elite QB ranks, a motivated Brown providing him a bona fide No. 1 receiver and the likely learning curve of Brady with the Bills, the only other team with a realistic chance of contending,” Reiss wrote.
The two Bills-Patriots head-to-head matchups this season carry extra weight. Buffalo dropped a home game to New England last season but rebounded with a win in New England. This season, the Bills will host the Patriots in Week 4 and then travel to New England in Week 13. If Buffalo can sweep both meetings, it would put them firmly in the driver’s seat to win the division.
The Bills’ outlook hinges on several pivotal factors: keeping Josh Allen fully healthy and productive, ensuring strong protection and a high-powered offense, and maintaining discipline on defense against a tougher AFC East landscape. A return to the top of the division would require Buffalo to navigate a schedule that includes formidable rivals and a few potential upsets, but with Allen at the helm, many see Buffalo as the favorite to reclaim the AFC East.
As training camps open and teams finalize rosters, all eyes will be on Buffalo’s ability to translate preseason optimism into consistent, week-to-week success. The AFC East promises to be a competitive battleground once again, with Buffalo positioned to reclaim its status atop the division if it can execute down the stretch and defend its home turf against the Patriots and other challengers.