It was an absolutely wild Week 1 for the AFC East.
The New England Patriots nearly upset the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles at home after falling behind 16-0 in the first half. The Patriots ultimately couldn't get it done and lost 25-20 despite having a couple chances to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
The Miami Dolphins looked quite impressive offensively and won a 36-34 shootout on the road against a quality Los Angeles Chargers team.
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The real drama came Monday night in New York, where the Jets lost star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a season-ending Achilles injury. And yet, the Jets still beat the favored Buffalo Bills 22-16 on a walk-off punt return touchdown in overtime. It was a crazy game.
The AFC East betting odds have undergone several changes since last week. Here's a look at the current odds and how they compare to what each of the four teams' preseason odds were at.
The Dolphins are the new favorites. They last won the AFC East in 2008. It's one of just two division titles for Miami since 1994 (2000 is the other).
The Patriots, whose odds are unchanged, will host the Dolphins in Week 2 on NBC's "Sunday Night Football." It's a pretty important matchup for both teams. The Patriots probably need to beat the Dolphins at least once this season to get to the nine or 10 wins that likely will be required to reach the playoffs. Falling to 0-2 also would put the Patriots in an early hole with the Jets and Dallas Cowboys next up on their schedule in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively.
The Bills host the Raiders in a winnable matchup in their home opener. Josh Allen's turnovers against the Jets (three interceptions and a fumble) are concerning, but the Bills should be OK.
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The Jets travel to Dallas in Week 2 to face a Cowboys team that obliterated the New York Giants 40-0 on the road in Week 1. The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Jets after playing the Cowboys. They play the Patriots, Chiefs, Broncos, Eagles, Giants and Chargers from Weeks 3 to 9 -- a stretch that also includes a Week 7 bye.
The Jets have a really good defense, but can they score enough points with Zach Wilson at quarterback to beat some of those opponents? Probably not.
The Rodgers injury has likely taken the Jets out of the running for the AFC East title, which is good news for the Patriots and the rest of the division. That said, each of these four tams has a really tough schedule (they all play the AFC West and NFC East), so getting to the playoffs is still going to be a grind all the way through Week 18.