AFC East

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AFC East
Conference American Football Conference
League National Football League
Sport American football
Founded 1960 (as the American Football League Eastern Division)
Teams
No. of teams
Championships
Most recent champion(s) (18th title)
Most AFC East titles
  New England Patriots
(18 titles)

The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League (NFL)'s American Football Conference (AFC). There are currently four teams that reside in the division: the Buffalo Bills (based in Orchard Park, New York); the Miami Dolphins (based in Miami Gardens, Florida); the New England Patriots (based in Foxborough, Massachusetts); and the New York Jets (based in East Rutherford, New Jersey).

Since the division's enfranchisement in 1960, with the creation of the American Football League, the division has been represented in eighteen Super Bowls and won seven of them. The most recent appearance and championship in the Super Bowl won by an AFC East team was the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

Entering 2016 the Patriots had the most wins in the division's history, with a record of 462-381-9, with a playoff record of 29-19 (4-4 in Super Bowls) entering the playoffs of that season.[1] The Dolphins were second at 429-335-4 (having played 84 fewer games than their division rivals) with a playoff record of 20-20 (2-3 in Super Bowls).[2] The Bills were at 393-451-8 with a playoff record of 14-15 (with two American Football League titles) but winless having gone to four consecutive Super Bowls.[3] The Jets held a record of 387-457-8, with a playoff record of 12-13 including victory in Super Bowl III.[4]

In 2012, the Patriots broke a tie with the Dolphins for winning the most division titles; with subsequent division titles in 2013, 2014, and 2015 the Patriots have won 18 AFL/AFC East division titles to Miami's 14. The Bills have won ten division titles, and the Jets have won four.

Two teams formerly in the division combined for ten AFL/AFC East titles - the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) won four division titles (and the 1960 and 1961 league titles) during the AFL era[5] while the Baltimore-Indianapolis Colts won six division titles (and Super Bowl V) in the 32 seasons they were in the division.[6]

AFL Eastern Division

The American Football League Eastern Division was formed during the inaugural season of the American Football League in 1960, as a counterpart to the AFL Western Division. The divisional alignment consisted of the Buffalo Bills, Boston Patriots, New York Titans and Houston Oilers. The Miami Dolphins entered the AFL in 1966 as part of its Eastern division.

Locale of the current 4 AFC East teams

The division was absorbed nearly intact with the AFL–NFL Merger in 1970, but Houston was moved to the AFC Central (formerly the NFL Century Division, now the AFC North) and replaced by the closer Baltimore Colts (from the NFL Coastal Division, which became the NFC West). Despite relocating to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1984, the Colts continued to play in the AFC East until NFL expansion from 31 to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans (successor club in Houston to the Oilers) and 2002 re-alignment when they were moved to the AFC South (the successor franchise to the Oilers, the Tennessee Titans, is also in the AFC South).

Although Miami is farther south than the home cities of the other three teams, all of which are in the Northeast, all four AFC East teams have historical rivalries among them, dating from their years in the AFL during the 1960s.

None of the AFC East teams currently plays within the central city of their metropolitan area:

All of the teams are or were coached by a first or second generation member of the Bill Parcells coaching tree: the Patriots have Bill Belichick; the Dolphins had Tony Sparano; the Jets had Eric Mangini (who served as an assistant with both Belichick and Parcells); and the Bills had Dick Jauron (fired on November 17, 2009), who served as an assistant with former Parcells assistant Tom Coughlin. The Jets are now coached by Todd Bowles and the Bills are now coached by Rex Ryan. Parcells himself coached the Patriots (1993–6) and the Jets (1997–9) and was Vice President of Football Operations for the Dolphins until the summer of 2010.

ESPN's Chris Berman often calls this division the "AFC Adams" due to its geographical similarity to the old Adams Division of the NHL, now known as the Metropolitan Division.

Along with the AFC (formerly AFL) West, the AFC East is the oldest NFL division in terms of creation date (1960).

Division lineups

Place cursor over year for division champ or Super Bowl team.

AFL Eastern Division
1900s
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69
Buffalo Bills      Team not in division
Boston Patriots      Division Won AFL Championship
N Y Titans New York Jets [C]      Division Won AFC Championship
Houston Oilers [B]      Division Won Super Bowl
  Miami Dolphins [D]
NFL AFC East Division
1900s 2000s
70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01
Buffalo Bills
Boston Patriots New England Patriots [A]
New York Jets
Baltimore Colts [E] Indianapolis Colts [F]
Miami Dolphins
AFC East Division after reorganization
2000s
02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills
New York Jets
Miami Dolphins
A Boston Patriots renamed to New England Patriots.
B Houston Oilers move to newly created AFC Central division (1970 season) and later are renamed the Tennessee Oilers (1997 season), then Tennessee Titans (1999 season). Moved to AFC South in 2002.
C New York Titans renamed to New York Jets (1963 season)
D Miami Dolphins enfranchised (1966 season)
E Baltimore Colts merge from NFL's Western Division to AFC East (1970 Season)
F Baltimore Colts relocate team to Indianapolis, Indiana subsequently renamed Indianapolis Colts (1984 Season). They moved to the AFC South in 2002

Division champions

Season Team Record Playoff Results
1960 Houston Oilers 10–4–0 Won AFL Championship Game
1961 Houston Oilers 10–3–1 Won AFL Championship Game
1962 Houston Oilers 11–3–0 Lost AFL Championship Game
1963 Boston Patriots 7–6–1 Won Divisional Playoff, Lost AFL Championship Game
1964 Buffalo Bills 12–2–0 Won AFL Championship Game
1965 Buffalo Bills 10–3–1 Won AFL Championship Game
1966 Buffalo Bills 9–4–1 Lost AFL Championship Game
1967 Houston Oilers 9–4–1 Lost AFL Championship Game
1968 New York Jets 11–3–0 Won AFL Championship Game, Won Super Bowl III
1969 New York Jets 10–4–0 Lost Inter-Divisional Playoffs
1970 Baltimore Colts 11–2–1 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Won Super Bowl V0
1971 Miami Dolphins 10–3–1 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl VI
1972 Miami Dolphins 14–0–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Won Super Bowl VII
1973 Miami Dolphins 12–2–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Won Super Bowl VIII
1974 Miami Dolphins 11–3–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1975 Baltimore Colts 10–4–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1976 Baltimore Colts 11–3–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1977 Baltimore Colts 10–4–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1978 New England Patriots 11–5–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1979 Miami Dolphins 10–6–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1980 Buffalo Bills 11–5–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1981 Miami Dolphins 11–4–1 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1982+ Miami Dolphins 7–2–0 Won AFC First Round, Second Round and Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XVII0
1983 Miami Dolphins 12–4–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1984 Miami Dolphins 14–2–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XIX
1985 Miami Dolphins 12–4–0 Won AFC Divisional Playoffs, Lost AFC Championship Game
1986 New England Patriots 11–5–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1987 Indianapolis Colts 9–6–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1988 Buffalo Bills 12–4–0 Won AFC Divisional Playoffs, Lost AFC Championship Game
1989 Buffalo Bills 9–7–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1990 Buffalo Bills 13–3–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XXV
1991 Buffalo Bills 13–3–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XXVI
1992 Miami Dolphins 11–5–0 Won Divisional Game, Lost AFC Championship Game0
1993 Buffalo Bills 12–4–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XXVIII
1994 Miami Dolphins 10–6–0 Won Wild Card Game, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1995 Buffalo Bills 10–6–0 Won Wild Card Game, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1996 New England Patriots 11–5–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XXXI
1997 New England Patriots 10–6–0 Won Wild Card Game, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1998 New York Jets 12–4–0 Won Divisional Game, Lost AFC Championship Game
1999 Indianapolis Colts 13–3–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2000 Miami Dolphins 11–5–0 Won Wild Card Game, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2001 New England Patriots 11–5–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Won Super Bowl XXXVI
2002 New York Jets 9–7–0 Won Wild Card Game, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2003 New England Patriots 14–2–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Won Super Bowl XXXVIII
2004 New England Patriots 14–2–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Won Super Bowl XXXIX
2005 New England Patriots 10–6–0 Won Wild Card Game, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2006 New England Patriots 12–4–0 Won Wild Card and AFC Divisional Games, Lost AFC Championship Game
2007 New England Patriots 16–0–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XLII
2008 Miami Dolphins 11–5–0 Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
2009 New England Patriots 10–6–0 Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
2010 New England Patriots 14–2–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2011 New England Patriots 13–3–0 Won Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XLVI
2012 New England Patriots 12–4–0 Won AFC Divisional Playoffs, Lost AFC Championship Game
2013 New England Patriots 12–4–0 Won AFC Divisional Playoffs, Lost AFC Championship Game
2014 New England Patriots 12–4–0 Won AFC Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Won Super Bowl XLIX
2015 New England Patriots 12–4–0 Won AFC Divisional Playoffs, Lost AFC Championship Game
  • + – A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored, Miami had the best record of the division teams.

Wildcard Qualifiers

Season Team Record Playoff Results
1969 Houston Oilers 06–6–2 Lost AFL Interdivisional Game
1970 Miami Dolphins 10–4–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1971 Baltimore Colts 10–4–0 Won AFC Divisional Playoffs, Lost AFC Championship Game
1974 Buffalo Bills 09–5–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1976 New England Patriots 11–3–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1978 Miami Dolphins 11–5–0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs
1981 New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
10–5–1
10–6–0
Lost Wild Card Playoffs
Won Wild Card Playoffs, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1982+ New York Jets
New England Patriots
06–3–0
05–4–0
Won AFC First Round and Second Round, Lost AFC Championship Game0
Lost AFC First Round
1985 New York Jets
New England Patriots
11–5–0
11–5–0
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Won Wild Card, Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XX0
1986 New York Jets 10–6–0 Won Wild Card Game, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1990 Miami Dolphins 12–4–0 Won Wild Card Playoffs, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
1991 New York Jets 08–8–0 Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1992 Buffalo Bills 11–5–0 Won Wild Card, Divisional and AFC Championship Games, Lost Super Bowl XXVII0
1994 New England Patriots 10–6–0 Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1995 Indianapolis Colts
Miami Dolphins
09–7–0
09–7–0
Won Wild Card and AFC Divisional Playoff games, Lost AFC Championship Game0
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1996 Buffalo Bills
Indianapolis Colts
10–6–0
09–7–0
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1997 Miami Dolphins 09–7–0 Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1998 Miami Dolphins
Buffalo Bills
New England Patriots
10–6–0
10–6–0
09–7–0
Won Wild Card Playoffs, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1999 Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
11–5–0
09–7–0
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Won Wild Card Playoffs, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2000 Indianapolis Colts 10–6–0 Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
2001 Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
11–5–0
10–6–0
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
2004 New York Jets 10–6–0 Won Wild Card Playoffs, Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2006 New York Jets 010–6–0 Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs
2009 New York Jets 09–7–0 Won Wild Card and AFC Divisional Playoff games, Lost AFC Championship Game0
2010 New York Jets 11–5–0 Won Wild Card and AFC Divisional Playoff games, Lost AFC Championship Game0
  • + – A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored, Miami had the best record of the division teams.

Total playoff berths while in the AFL/AFC East

(AFC East records 1960-2014 seasons)
Reflects Colts & Oilers results only while in the East Division.
In the sortable table below, teams can be ordered by name, number of division wins, playoff berths, or titles.

Team Division
Titles
Playoff
Berths
AFL
Titles
AFC
Championships
Super Bowl
Championships
New England
Patriots
18 23 0 8 4
Miami Dolphins 13 22 0 5 2
Buffalo Bills 10 17 2 4 0
New York Jets 4 14 1 0 1
Indianapolis Colts1* 6 10 0 1 1
Houston Oilers2* 4 5 2 0 0
AFC East -Division--
Titles
-Playoff-
Berths
AFL
-Titles-
AFC
-Championships-
Super Bowl
-Championships-
Totals- 1960-2015 54 88 5 17 7

1 Realigned from NFL West in 1970 merger. Known as the Baltimore Colts before 1984. Realigned into the AFC South beginning with the 2002 NFL season.
2 Realigned into the AFC Central in 1970 merger, and into the AFC South in 2002. Known as Tennessee Oilers from 1997–98, and Tennessee Titans since 1999.

See also

References