Updated AFC East Power Rankings: Patriots finally climb out of the cellar

With the regular season nearly halfway done, the picture in the AFC East isn't exactly a rosy one. While the Patriots won their intra-division matchup against the Jets, it remains pretty clear that the division outside of the Bills remains a hot mess.

The Patriots showed heaps of growth in their win over the Jets on Sunday, a game in which Drake Maye went out with a concussion in the first half, but they remain closer to the bottom than to the top.

With the season approaching its third quarter, things start to get more intriguing, even though the Bills look like they could have things wrapped up by Thanksgiving.

Updated AFC East power rankings after Week 8

4. New York Jets (2-6)

The Jets are a bigger soap opera than "Days of Our Lives," and the in-season firing of head coach Robert Saleh is the main story.

The biggest subplot in the Jets' six-game losing streak is Aaron Rodgers's subpar play. The 40-year-old looks like a shell of himself, a guy who clearly spent more offseason time hanging out with conservative talk-show hosts than building chemistry with young, talented guys such as Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.

Defensive lineman Hasaan Reddick's holdout didn't help, as he didn't suit up until the Jets' Week 8 loss to the Patriots. The Jets, a team with preseason Super Bowl aspirations, are seeing their faint playoff hopes flicker more and more.

3. New England Patriots (2-6)

The Patriots responded to coach Jerod Mayo's questioning of their toughness after a Week 7 loss to the Jaguars in London with a 25-22 win over the aforementioned Jets.

When Maye left the game with a concussion, the Pats were trending towards the loss column. But the Pats rallied around backup Brissett, with Rhamondre Stevenson scoring from a yard out on fourth down in the final 30 seconds to give the Pats the win.

The offensive line and run defense remain a mess, and the Patriots better hope that Maye's concussion isn't serious and that he clears protocol for next week's game at Tennessee. If they can string a few more wins together, New England could slide past the Dolphins.

2. Miami Dolphins (2-6)

Tua Tagovailoa's return wasn't enough to give the Dolphins a win over the Cardinals in Miami, but he was a solid 28 of 38 for 234 yards and a touchdown.

Like the Jets, the Dolphins were supposed to be a Super Bowl contender with a rich roster of talent. But injuries decimated this team early, and you have to wonder if they put themselves too far behind the 8-ball to work their way back into the postseason chase.

With their next two games at the Rams and the Bills, the Dolphins are looking at a 2-8 record if they don't get their act together.

1. Buffalo Bills (6-2)

The Bills remain the class of the division, going out to Seattle and thumping the NFC West-leading Seahawks 31-10 behind James Cook's 111 yards rushing.

Buffalo has responded valiantly after the Ravens punched them in the mouth in Week 4, and with a four-game lead on the rest of the division, the only question surrounding Josh Allen and company is can they get it done in January?

Allen threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns in arguably one of the toughest road venues in the NFL for any opposing quarterback. They should take care of business the next two weeks against Miami and the Colts before hosting Kansas City, but nothing is certain in the NFL.

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