AFC East Power Rankings: Patriots' Week 2 loss actually helps division positioning

The AFC East was expected to continue as one of the toughest divisions in all of the NFL this season, and while it still could become that, it has not lived up to the hype through the first two weeks.

Besides the predictable top spot still being held down by the reigning divisional champion Buffalo Bills, the Patriots have defied the odds by getting a surprising win in the season opener, while the Super Bowl favorite Jets disappointed with a lackluster effort against the 49ers.

The Dolphins played pretty well against the Jaguars and handed them their first loss of the year, but overall, the performances within the division haven't been that exciting.

Because it's still early and there's plenty of time to change, especially given the situation in Miami and the questions surrounding the New England offense, the divisional power rankings are likely going to shift each and every week. It seems far-fetched to think the Bills will be booted from their top spot, but if the Jets live up to what analysts (and Rodgers) claimed they would be this season, they could be breathing down their neck in no time.

Until then, here are the latest AFC East power rankings after the first two weeks of the 2024 season.

AFC East Power Rankings No. 4: Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have had an odd start to their 2024 season, securing a Week 1 win over the Jaguars and then getting blown out by the Bills on Thursday Night Football a few days later. On top of that, they unfortunately lost their quarterback to another concussion, and Tua Tagovailoa's return is the last thing on the team's mind right now.

Because of the lack of sufficient backup quarterback play, resulting in a significant loss to an AFC East rival, the Dolphins slide down to the bottom of the division and could remain there for the foreseeable future due to questions regarding their most important player.

It also doesn't help that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were essentially nonexistent in the Bills matchup, which doesn't bode well for the offense's success in Tua's absence and a tough schedule ahead.

AFC East Power Rankings No. 3: New England Patriots

Maybe a controversial take to have the Patriots slide up to the third spot in the rankings, but between how they lost to the Seahawks and how the Dolphins lost to the Bills, it's fair to say New England's loss was nowhere near as bad.

After an impressive win over an AFC powerhouse in the Bengals last week, it seemed like not all hope was lost for the Patriots to stack some early wins by adding another against the Seahawks. While it looked possible at the start of the game and closer to the end, the loss in overtime seemed to kill the minimal momentum they had leftover from Week 1, bringing all their glaring weaknesses to the forefront once again.

But the run game remains efficient, thanks to Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson's standout game. The defense continues to be stout, with Keion White wreaking havoc on quarterbacks and Christian Gonzalez locking down the opponent's top receivers.

AFC East Power Rankings No. 2: New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers and the Jets were far from impressive in their season opener against the 49ers last week, as the quarterback completed just 13 passes in a 32-19 loss on the road.

Hoping to get back on track, New York brought all they had against the Titans on Sunday, which proved to be a solid defensive effort to keep their opponent from having any opportunity to do anything successfully. This led to quarterback Will Levis being sacked four times for a loss of 22 yards, throwing an interception, and losing a fumble.

The Jets defense also shut down their offensive effort elsewhere, with running back Tony Pollard recording the most rushing yards on the team (62) and Calvin Ridley with the most reception yards (77).

The defense helped get the job done for New York and could likely be the reason they remain in games this year. It's certainly why they're ranked second in the division.

AFC East Power Rankings No. 1: Buffalo Bills

In their first AFC East showdown of the season, the Bills handled business just as we thought they would against a talented yet underperforming Dolphins team.

Other than the unfortunate loss of Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion, the reigning divisional champions ran all over their opponent, literally and figuratively. Running back James Cook recorded all three of Buffalo's touchdowns, two on the ground and one receiving, while quarterback Josh Allen avoided turnovers and wasn't even hit by a defender throughout all 60 minutes.

They are sitting atop the AFC East with a 2-0 record and are set to take on the Jaguars in Week 3, who had an embarrassing effort against the Browns and lost to the Dolphins a week before.

Unfortunately, the division still belongs to Buffalo and will remain that way until further notice.

More Patriots news and analysis: