Old versus new. Drama versus stability. We all know its the Bills and Patriots, so who actually wins the AFC East?
Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.
As NFL minicamps get under way and the preseason inches closer, there are tons of stories around the league to monitor. From position battles to new coaching regimes to rookies in important spots, a laundry list of questions will find data in these next couple months before Week 1. They all will go toward answering the ultimate, overarching question: who is going to win.
To preview the 2026 season, we are going to go division-by-division and answering just one question about how that division is going to shake out. Next up is the AFC East. The question is: Who is going to finish in firsts place?
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As we saw last week with the AFC North, not every division is going to have a compelling race for the title. However, the East very much should. If we resign the Dolphins to last place and the Jets to third (both of which we feel confident in), that leaves Buffalo and New England battling for first. And it should be a great battle.
Buffalo had been kings of the AFC East for some time before the Patriots unseated them in 2025. Aided by a very easy schedule, the Pats cruised to the best record (tied) and best point differential in the conference. The Bills, no slouches, finished fourth (tied) and third, respectively, in those categories. Now they both enter 2026 as heavy playoff favorites, but only one can win the AFC East.
AFC East Battle for First Place
Todd Salem: New England Keeps on Rolling Strong
Taking nothing for granted, New England enters 2026 having improved its roster tremendously. The front office added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs at receiver, Alijah Vera-Tucker at guard, and drafted a first-round tackle and third-round tight end to bolster the offense.
Despite the team’s success, the offense did feel lacking, as the offensive line and pass catchers let Drake Maye down numerous times. If both of those areas are boosted, this could be a formidable offense. A lot will depend on the version of Brown they get, but regardless, this feels like a better unit than the one that just went to the Super Bowl.
On defense, smaller moves were highlighted by adding veterans Kevin Byard and Dre’Mont Jones and drafting edge Gabe Jacas in the second. It doesn’t feel like much, but this group was already pretty good front to back. Health will be the biggest concern for the likes of Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore.
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Then there’s…other things that are going on around this team. The least of which might be assault charges against Barmore being dropped. We still don’t know what is going to happen with Mike Vrabel; does he brush off his broken life to focus on football, or does the former become, as all head coaches hate, a DISTRACTION? And does said head coach still hate the distraction if he caused it himself? Do we then enter distrac-ception?
The Bills have far less excitement happening off the field even as they bring on a new head coach in Joe Brady. I’m not sure what’s less predictable: a first-time head coach or one facing off-field legal and/or personal troubles. Should we call it a wash? Obviously, I feel confident that Vrabel is a better coach than Brady all else being equal, but here we are.
On the field, the Bills made similar splashes this offseason. They added a former Pro Bowl receiver of their own in D.J. Moore. They added their own veteran safety in Geno Stone, their own veteran edge rusher in Bradley Chubb, and drafted their own edge with a top pick.
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Buffalo remains elite along the offensive line and in the run game; perhaps the best in the league. The passing game will continue to be a question. On defense, they have a lot of good-but-not-great players. A large amount of pressure is going to fall on Moore offensively and rookie T.J. Parker defensively. It’s not exactly an envious spot to be in, but we’ve seen the offense succeed with less receiving talent, and the defense always manages to get by without elite pass rushing.
In the end, assuming Vrabel doesn’t step down or anything cataclysmic like that, I think New England comes out on top. To me, this comes down to seeing what Maye was able to accomplish last season and adding Brown and Doubs to that, as well as o-line improvements. I also think people are slightly overrating the strength of schedule.
There are very few easy games on any schedule. I don’t expect NE to be five games worse (over/under is currently 9.5) because they had a terrible Super Bowl and are looking at a league-average schedule strength. With that logic, they’d have been better off not making the SB at all. If Brown is a pumpkin or diva, Josh Allen and company might just cruise to another division title, but I feel better in the ceiling of the Patriots.
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Dan Salem: Buffalo Wins by a Hair
Realistically I must accept that my New York Jets will be a solid 3rd in the AFC East, better than last year and certainly better than the Dolphins, but not in league with Buffalo or New England just yet. They never seem to be, but one of these years will be their year. So who wins: the Bills or the Patriots?
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I hate asking this very same question every season, but such is our reality. Both teams are great and both have Super Bowl aspirations, but only one will achieve the necessary 13 victories to conquer the AFC East. Don’t call me a hater, but my money is on the Bills.
Everything New England achieved last season was great, but it was also far and beyond what anyone expected of them. The Patriots are going to be very good, but its also likely they falter in some regard after making the Super Bowl last season. Even staying just as good positions them to be overtaken in the division, because Buffalo has improved.
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A better Bills team is likely with a change at head coach and Josh Allen now carrying an even larger chip on his shoulder. This should be enough for an extra win or two, which is all they need to top New England. Both teams are playoff teams, but I’m taking Buffalo to win 13 and the division.
Meet our Sports Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
AFC East Preview – This Is The End
Photo Credits: nytimes.com via Getty Images
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