Happy holidays! The New England Patriots already made themselves an early Christmas present last Sunday, when they clinched a playoff spot thanks to their 28-24 win in Baltimore. This week, they have their sights set on the next challenge: beating the New York Jets to keep their one-game advantage in the AFC East heading into the regular season finale.

That game is only one of 16 to be played this weekend, however, and several of those other contests either directly or indirectly impact the Patriots in some shape or form as well. Let’s take a look at those games and...

A primetime victory over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night secured the New England Patriots their first playoff berth since 2021.

But with two games remaining on the schedule, the message from veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs is straightforward.

“Don’t let your foot off the gas. Don’t get comfortable,” Diggs said Wednesday. “You’re going to the playoffs, cool. But you’ll be out of the playoffs faster than you know if you don’t play good ball consistently, week in and week out.”

The 32-year old, who has played 14 postseason games, brings more playoff experience than anyone else in New England’s locker...

The Patriots are enjoying a fantastic season, and much of their impressive performance can be attributed to several standout first and second-year players on the roster.

One of New England’s promising young players is rookie safety Craig Woodson, and head coach Mike Vrabel spoke about the impact Woodson has made this season.

“Well, a lot of experience, one,” Vrabel said. “I mean, Craig was in college for a while. We joke about it, but he’s started and played a lot of games, seen a lot of football. But I think he’s continued to learn, understand and develop, he’s gotten better...

The New England Patriots have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, but they can clinch the AFC East in Week 17.

Clinching the division would guarantee a home playoff game. The Patriots can clinch in two ways, but not with a loss. They can clinch the division with a win and a Buffalo Bills loss or tie. They can also clinch if they tie and the Bills lose.

Beyond the division, the top seed in the AFC is still up for grabs for the Patriots. The Patriots and Denver Broncos are both 12-3, but the Broncos hold the tiebreaker....

The New England Patriots have a chance to clinch the AFC East in Week 17, but may be shorthanded.

The Patriots listed 15 players on Wednesday’s injury report. Of those 15 players, eight did not participate at all. The following players did not participate in practice:

• WR Mack Hollins
• WR Kayshon Boutte
• TE C.J. Dippre
• G Jared Wilson
• DT Khyiris Tonga
• LB Harold Landry III
• LB Robert Spillane
• CB Carlton Davis

TreVeyon Henderson, DeMario Douglas, Morgan Moses, Thayer Munford Jr., Milton Williams, Anfernee Jennings and Charles Woods were listed as limited participants....

The New England Patriots began preparations for the New York Jets without eight.

Wide receivers Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte, tight end C.J. Dippre, guard Jared Wilson, defensive tackle Khyris Tonga, linebackers Harold Landry III and Robert Spillane, as well as cornerback Carlton Davis III remained sidelined during Christmas Eve’s practice in Foxborough.

But the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month joined the limited.

Here’s the first injury report ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at MetLife Stadium.

DID NOT PARTICIPATE

Patriots

• WR Mack Hollins (abdomen)
• WR Kayshon Boutte (concussion protocol)
• TE C.J....

The New England Patriots are facing several injury questions heading into their Week 17 matchup with the New York Jets. One of them was answered by head coach Mike Vrabel on Wednesday.

Barring any divine intervention, Vrabel does not see ailing linebacker Robert Spillane return to practice this week.

“I don’t. Unless we get a Christmas miracle — Tiny Tim starts walking or something,” Vrabel told reporters at Gillette Stadium.

Joining the Patriots as a free agent in March, Spillane has served as the team’s No. 1 linebacker and a defensive. leader dating back to the offseason. The team captain...

The New England Patriots picked up perhaps their most important victory of the 2025 campaign in Week 16 when they took down the Baltimore Ravens. One of their former players, Tom Brady, doesn’t appear to be all that impressed with the team, though.

The Patriots managed to keep the Buffalo Bills at arm’s length in the AFC East division by beating the Ravens, while also locking up a playoff berth in the process. Had they lost this game, the door would have been wide open for the Bills to steal the division from them.

New England also proved it could...

The New England Patriots handed the Baltimore Ravens a 28-24 defeat in Week 16 on Sunday Night Football, pushing their record to 12-3 on the year. Before this game, a scary fireworks incident took place on the field that led to the Ravens opening an investigation into the matter.

Entering this game, the Pats were looking to bounce back after suffering a crushing loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 15. For most of the game, things didn’t look good for New England, but Drake Maye authored an 11-point fourth-quarter comeback to help his team come out on top.

Before...

The New England Patriots are feeling quite good about themselves in the wake of their big Week 16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. For backup offensive lineman Ben Brown, things somehow managed to get even sweeter for him on Tuesday ahead of the holidays.

After getting scooped up off the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad last season, Brown came in a started 10 games at center for the Pats in 2024. This season, he’s operated as the team’s top backup interior lineman, filling several different roles for first-year head coach Mike Vrabel.

Brown’s contributions have largely flown under the radar...

The New England Patriots took down the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, and one of the stars of the game was wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The veteran pass catcher led all receivers with nine receptions for 138 yards in this one, and in the process, he took a big step towards reaching an important milestone.

There was some skepticism about the Patriots’ decision to sign Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract in free agency over the offseason, but he’s been everything the team could have realistically hoped for, both on and off the field.

In 15 games now, Diggs...

There are a lot of big-time storylines surrounding the New England Patriots‘ sudden rise back to the top of the NFL. One of them involves quarterback Drake Maye, who is in a neck-and-neck race with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for the 2025 MVP Award.

However, Maye isn’t the only guy in New England who could take home a major end-of-the-season award. While TreVeyon Henderson has received some consideration for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, it appears as if Maye’s head coach, Mike Vrabel, the leading the pack in the race for another big award.

In his...