After finishing 4-13 in 2024, the New England Patriots (14-3) flipped 2025 on its head as they took the AFC East back from the Buffalo Bills (12-5) and their five-year reign atop the division. The Miami Dolphins (7-10) finished under .500 again, as the New York Jets (3-14) somehow took a step backward after an awful 2024. With the 2025 NFL regular season in the books, let’s take a look at the AFC East Season Recap.

#4 New York Jets (3-14)Aaron GlenNew York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn speaks at a press conference during minicamp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

The New York Jets finished 5-12 in 2024 and managed to have an even worse 2025 under new head coach Aaron Glenn. While many of the Jets issues stemmed from their lack of answers at quarterback, they have quite a few holes to fill heading into 2026. Glenn looks safe as of now, and the Jets will have two first-round picks (including No. 2 overall) to play with as they look to escape the AFC East basement next season. 

#3 Miami Dolphins (7-10)Oct 30, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel stands on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins finished strong after starting 1-6 as they won six of their last 10 games, and they may have saved head coach Mike McDaniel’s job in the process. Miami has quite a few things to figure out heading into 2026, and they’ll first need to decide what to do with Tua Tagovailoa, as they owe him quite a bit of money. The Dolphins probably won’t be able to address the quarterback position with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, so they’ll have to get creative as they (likely) move on from Tagovailoa.  

#2 Buffalo Bills (12-5)Aug 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and head coach Sean McDermott warmup against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills finished the season 8-5 after starting 4-0 as Josh Allen had to work with what was arguably the least-talented roster he’s had during the Bills’ five-year reign atop the AFC East. While Allen still had a great season, the Bills head into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the AFC and will need to travel to Jacksonville on Wild Card Weekend. If Buffalo can upset the Jaguars, there’s a good chance they’ll have to head to Denver to take on the Broncos in the Divisional Round. 

#1 New England Patriots (14-3)Dec 14, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) reacts with wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) after running the ball for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots had quite the turnaround after finishing tied for the second-worst record in the league last year, and actually tied the Denver Broncos for the best record in the entire NFL this year. Drake Maye has a legitimate shot at winning the MVP Award, and Mike Vrabel will finish among the top-3 in the Coach of the Year voting, so the 2025 regular season was obviously a resounding success. The Patriots will now host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday as they look to advance to the divisional round for the first time since 2018.

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