New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots had Week 14 off, which opened the door for the Denver Broncos to move back up to the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Sure enough, a 24-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders allowed them to do just that.
While both the Pats and Broncos have 11-2 records, Denver holds the tiebreaker over New England due to its better record against common opponents. With just four games left on the season, the Broncos now hold a tiebreaker over the Patriots, no matter what happens the rest of the way out.
Considering how N.E. is currently the No. 2 seed, and it has tough games against the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens coming up, it may seem like the No. 1 seed is unattainable. According to The Athletic’s latest playoff projection, though, the Patriots still have a 51% chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The Patriots could officially clinch the AFC East division in Week 15 with a win over the Bills, but beating them for the second time this season is going to be easier said than done. The Ravens, despite having a 6-7 record, are still going to pose a big challenge, and even the Miami Dolphins in Week 18 could be a difficult opponent for New England.
What helps the Pats, though, is that the Broncos face a significantly more difficult slate of opponents over their final four games. Denver has the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers left on its schedule, and all four of those squads are in the playoff hunt at the very least.
All New England can focus on is going 1-0 each week, and considering how it’s in the middle of a 10-game win streak, it’s safe to say the team has done a good job of that to this point. If the Patriots can take down the Bills again in Week 15, that could provide them a significant boost in their quest to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
