There were high expectations for the Buffalo Bills going into last season (just like any other season), but the 2025 season was going to be an emotional season for fans considering that it was the final season of the original Highmark Stadium. The Bills are now set to open up their new stadium across the street in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football.
The Bills played inconsistently last season and dealt with a ton of injuries. In addition, they also had a tough schedule, unlike the New England Patriots who ended up winning the AFC East for the first time since 2019. However, even with all of the challenges that the Bills faced they only finished two games behind the Patriots in the division.
Buffalo was forced to go on the road in the playoffs where they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then lost in a thriller overtime battle with the Denver Broncos that ultimately led to the firing of Sean McDermott.
Now with Joe Brady stepping in as the new head coach with a revamped roster, the expectations remain high for the Bills simply due to the fact that Josh Allen is under center.
Bills destined to take back AFC East in 2026
Lou Scataglia from NFL Spin Zone put together a record prediction for all AFC teams in their respective divisions ahead of tonight’s schedule release, and Scataglia has the Bills taking the division back from the Patriots by atleast three games. Here are the record predictions for each AFC East team:
Bills: 12-5
Patriots: 9-8
Dolphins: 2-15
Jets: 2-15
"The Buffalo Bills should be able to take back ownership of the AFC East this coming season, as the New England Patriots schedule gets significantly harder from the previous season, and the Bills are more of a known commodity right now, even with the coaching changes this team made. And while Drake Maye did have a better season than Josh Allen last year, Allen is still a more dynamic and impactful player." said Scataglia.
There’s no denying that Drake Maye had a more consistent season than Josh Allen did, but Allen was making highlights as he always does, and he had less to work with as far as offensive support. Now that the Bills have improved the wide receiver room with D.J. Moore and Skyler Bell, Buffalo’s offense is set to take a step forward.
As for the defense, the presence of Jim Leonhard as the play caller should give Bills fans hope that the unit will no longer be a major liability.
Buffalo and New England could be battling for the division year-in and year-out considering that both teams have franchise quarterbacks. However, the 2026 season should be leaning more in Buffalo's favor than New England's simply because of the additions that the Bills have pulled off.
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