It’s hard to believe, but there’s already a month of the 2026 NFL season down.
To be fair, this is a shorter month than usual. The season started later, so the teams only played three games in the month of September. But there’s also no Week 4 game until October 1, so we have a nice clean sample to review what we’re going to talk about today:
The best divisions in the AFC.
No one should got from having the best division in football, but as the season progresses, it can be useful to look back as we assess each individual team and consider the context of the divisions they play. After three games, let’s rank all four divisions in the AFC and see how they stack up so far.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 4: Each division in the AFC is ranked worst to best
4. AFC East
- Buffalo Bills (3-0)
- New York Jets (1-2)
- New England Patriots (1-2)
- Miami Dolphins (0-3)
The bottom slot on this list really comes down to a toss-up, and is based a bit on a gut feeling of how the rest of this season will go.
The Buffalo Bills carry most of the water for this division at the moment, though the New York Jets are also intriguing.
The Patriots have been one of the NFL’s biggest letdowns so far this season, especially quarterback Drake Maye and the offense. They don’t look like contenders, and I’m not sure how quickly — if at all — they’ll be able to turn it around.
3. AFC South
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
- Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
- Houston Texans (0-3)
- Tennessee Titans (0-3)
The AFC South is the only division in the entire AFC with two winless teams, but the Jacksonville Jaguars look elite, and the Colts have played well the last two weeks even though they are 1-2 this season.
The Texans find themselves in familiar territory at 0-3, a hole they had to dig themselves out of last season. Can they do it again? That’s only the 7th time in NFL history that an 0-3 team has made the playoffs, so Houston better hope they have a big winning streak in them again.
The Titans are, to say the least, a slight disappointment so far. Cam Ward hasn’t progressed as expected, and that team looks poised to pick high in next year’s NFL Draft so far.
2. AFC North
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
- Cleveland Browns (2-1)
The AFC North is the only team in the NFL to have four teams with winning records through the first three games of the season.
How about that?
Even with that in mind, they’re still tied for the most wins for a division in the AFC, with the only team above them on this list.
The Pittsburgh Steelers looked sluggish through the first two weeks of the season before having a nice (and much needed) explosion on offense in Week 3 against the Bengals, handing Cincinnati their first loss of the season.
We sang the praises of Cincinnati’s new-look defense the first two weeks, and then they were thrown into a vintage Aaron Rodgers performance.
The Baltimore Ravens look as explosive as ever, but are somehow as beatable as ever. They are a dangerous team, but are they a great group? I’m not sure about that.
The Cleveland Browns have been one of the biggest surprises this season, especially over the past two weeks. Back-to-back wins against the Buccaneers and Panthers will have Cleveland fans very excited for Thursday night against the Steelers.
1. AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-0)
- Denver Broncos (2-1)
- Los Angeles Chargers
The AFC West is currently combined for 8 wins so far this season, tied for the most wins by a division in the AFC.
Obviously, many people in the NFL world expected the Kansas City Chiefs to go back to being the Kansas City Chiefs, which indeed happened.
Few in the NFL world expected the Las Vegas Raiders to be one of the last undefeated teams standing, however…
The Chiefs’ addition of Kenneth Walker was surprising. It’s impossible to say that one player has been the only factor in a team’s resurgence, but it wouldn’t be hyperbolic in Walker’s case. He is averaging 5.5 yards per carry, 120 rushing yards per game, and has 4 total touchdowns.
The Raiders have the early favorite for NFL Coach of the Year in Klint Kubiak. The job he’s done so far on that roster has been nothing short of miraculous. He is a stud.
The Broncos were completely hammered in Week 1 by the Chiefs, but bounced back with come-from-behind wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams. Those two teams were clearly no slouches, and the idea that the Broncos were going away for good after that season opener was premature.
The Chargers were a shocking disappointment. Opening the season with games against the Cardinals, Raiders, and Bills, a 2-1 start would be considered their worst of the season. They head to Seattle for a matchup in Week 4 that could put them in a hole they can’t climb out of if they lose.
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