1986 NFL AFC East standings

Name: 1986 NFL AFC East standings
License: https://standingschart.com/about#reuse

The New England Patriots won the 1986 NFL AFC East division race at 11-5, 1 game ahead of the New York Jets. It came down to the final days: the New England Patriots did not lead for good until Week 16.

The 1986 playoffs, game by game

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AFC East standings, 1986

Team	W	L	Pct	GB	L10	Streak
New England Patriots (NE) b	11	5	.688	-	8-2	W1
New York Jets (NYJ) x	10	6	.625	1	5-5	L5
Miami Dolphins (MIA)	8	8	.500	3	6-4	L1
Buffalo Bills (BUF)	4	12	.250	7	3-7	L3
Indianapolis Colts (IND)	3	13	.188	8	3-7	W3

Final standings.

Clinch key

x: clinched a playoff place
b: clinched a first-round bye

Turning points

The lead changed hands twice.
The New England Patriots trailed by as many as 2 games in Week 6.
The New England Patriots took first place for good in Week 16.
The New York Jets won 9 games in a row from Week 3 to Week 11, the longest run of the race.
The New York Jets led by 2 games as late as Week 11.
The New England Patriots went 6-2 from Week 8 to Week 16, turning a deficit of 2 games into a lead of 1 game.
The New England Patriots spent 7 of the season's 16 charted weeks in first place.