The Dolphins and Bills each had a chance to reach important milestones with their Week 9 contests. Both failed to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
Miami entered the week tied with a 6-2 record, tied with the Chiefs and Ravens for the best in the AFC. The Dolphins were set to face the Chiefs in Germany in Week 9, so a victory would guarantee that they would remain perched atop their conference heading into their bye week.
The Dolphins failed to accomplish that. They fell behind the Chiefs 21-0 and, despite a furious comeback effort, ultimately lost the NFL International Series game 21-14.
MORE: Chiefs hold off Dolphins in NFL's first Germany game of 2023
That presented the Bills with an opportunity to move up in the AFC East pecking order. The Bills entered Week 9 a game back of the Dolphins but owned a head-to-head tiebreaker over their divisional counterpart thanks to their 48-20 win over Miami in Week 4. Thus, a victory over the Bengals would catapult the Bills to the top of the division.
Like Miami, Buffalo couldn't capitalize on that opportunity. The Bills scored a touchdown on their first drive against the Bengals but saw Josh Allen and Ken Dorsey's offense fall flat otherwise. They were defeated 24-18 in a game that could prove critical in the AFC wild-card race.
The Bills' loss guarantees that the Dolphins will remain in first place for another week, but it also opens the door for another team to work its way into the divisional race. That would be the Jets.
Once thought dead in the water after Aaron Rodgers' injury, the Jets' strong defense has led the team to a 4-3 record in its first seven games. Zach Wilson still hasn't been sharp in relief of Rodgers, but he hasn't made the critical mistakes he did to take New York out of games last season. That improvement could be enough to give the Jets a chance to mount a playoff run, even without Rodgers.
The Jets will get a chance to improve upon their record on "Monday Night Football" in Week 9. If they can beat the Chargers, they will get closer to the top of the AFC East with four divisional games still left to be played.
MORE: Joe Burrow, Bengals outlast Josh Allen, Bills in "Sunday Night Football" clash
Here's what to know about one of the NFL's most tightly contested divisional races.
AFC East standings
As mentioned, the Dolphins remain atop the AFC East and will stay there for the lead-up to Week 10 at a minimum. They have a record of 6-3 and will possess either a full- or half-game lead over the second-place team, pending the result of the Jets-Chargers game on Monday night.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Dolphins | 6-3 |
| 2 | Jets | 4-3 |
| 3 | Bills | 5-4 |
| 4 | Patriots | 2-7 |
The Jets are currently in second place by virtue of having a better winning percentage than the Bills (.571 vs. .555). They can either remain in that spot by beating the Chargers in Week 9 or they can slip to third place with a loss.
How a Jets win over the Chargers impacts the AFC East
A win would go a long way toward establishing the Jets as a legitimate threat to the Bills' standing in both the divisional and wild-card races. New York beat Buffalo in Week 1 despite Rodgers' injury, so it owns a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bills.
And given the Jets' recent run of success against Josh Allen, Bills fans will surely be nervous about trailing them in the standings with a key Week 11 clash between the teams on the horizon.
The Dolphins may also begin to sweat if the Jets can move to within half a game of first place. Miami has found a lot of success beating up on losing teams this season, but its offense has averaged just 17 points per game against teams with winning records.
The Jets have the kind of defense that could potentially slow down Mike McDaniel's offense. That could be enough to threaten Miami's perch atop the division. Still, the Dolphins' defense is getting healthier, so they may retain an upper hand even with a Jets win over the Chargers.
MORE: Dolphins' record against winning teams brings into question status as AFC contender
How a Jets loss to the Chargers impacts the AFC East
Conversely, a Chargers win would help to bail out the Bills and give them a bit more control in the race to unseat Miami. Their Week 11 battle with the Jets would still be of the utmost importance, but the Bills would at least be in control of their own destiny as the challenger to the Dolphins.
A Jets defeat would also give the Dolphins a bit more wiggle room, so they will probably be pulling for the Chargers on Monday night along with the Bills.
Regardless of what happens to close Week 9, the AFC East race is shaping up to be a thrilling one. The only team out of it is the lowly Patriots; and while each of the division's other three teams has strengths, they also have flaws that could prove fatal.
But the old adage is that defense wins championships. The Jets have the best stop-unit in the division, so if they can find a way to close Week 9 with a win, that will be enough to put them on the radar of the Dolphins, Bills and other wild-card contenders across the AFC.
