With nearly an entire half of an NFL season to go, a lot will change between now and Week 17.
But as the AFC East is in the midst of a plethora of high-value divisional games, the playoff picture is already starting to shape up.
New England Patriots (6-3, 3-1 div., 5-2 conf.)
The road to the AFC East title will again go through New England, as the Patriots grabbed the lone lead atop the division with a big victory over the Jets Sunday. The Patriots could easily run the table, as they play six straight games against teams with losing records before finishing up against the Bills.
New York Jets (5-4, 2-2 div., 4-4 conf.)
The Jets blew a huge opportunity to grab a hold of the division lead Sunday and will most likely be battling for a Wildcard berth the rest of the season. Even if they win every remaining game, the Patriots still have the tiebreaker of two head-to-head games, not to mention New England is already a game up overall. New York has a relatively easy remaining schedule.
Buffalo Bills (5-4, 1-1 div., 3-2 conf.)
The Bills held the lead in the division a few weeks ago but have gone 1-3 the last four games, falling behind the Patriots and Jets, who they lost to two weeks ago. Buffalo will also be chasing a Wildcard spot, though they still have to play the Jets and Patriots again. They are in a must-win situation this coming Sunday headed to Miami. They close the season against the Patriots, who they beat in Week 2.
Miami Dolphins (2-7, 0-2 div., 1-6 conf.)
The Dolphins’ playoff goal is to keep the Jets and Bills out. They’ve won their last two games and will face Buffalo this weekend and New York and Buffalo again later on.
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