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The New England Patriots have had a remarkable season, but they have more work to do in the final two games of the season against the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins. Their first piece of business is securing the AFC East title, and they can do that by winning their last two games against the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.
However, they will only need to win one of those games if the Buffalo Bills (11-4) lose one of their last two games. The Bills face the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets in their last two games.
The Patriots (12-3) have an 83 percent chance to win the division, according to The Athletic. They are 13.5-point favorites over the struggling Jets and will be significant favorites over the Dolphins in Foxboro in the season finale.
As win over the Jets would give New England an 8-0 record on the road. “It would mean a lot,” said head coach Mike Vrabel, per the Boston Globe. “Winning a division game on the road. A chance to go 8-0, undefeated on the road. We know how difficult that is. That’s something that we’re focused on. And it won’t be easy.
The Patriots’ chances of finishing as the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff structure are not as good. The Broncos (13-3) won the AFC West title Saturday when the Los Angeles Chargers fell at home to the Houston Texans. Denver defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, and if they close the season with a home win over the Chargers they will have the top seed in the conference.
The Broncos and the Patriots both could finish with 14-3 records and they would also have the same 9-3 records against conference opponents. However, the Broncos have the tiebreaker because the Patriots faced the easier schedule this season. The Broncos have a 59 percent chance to get the No. 1 seed and the bye in the Wild Card round, while the Patriots have just a 29 percent chance to gain the top spot.
The Patriots are far from a one-man team, and their offense has shown quite a bit of balance this season. However, quarterback Drake Maye has shown quite a bit of improvement in his second year and that is a key reason the New England has gone from a last-place team in 2024 to a first-place team this season.
Maye has completed 321 of 453 passes for 3,947 yards with 25 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions. He has also rushed for 387 yards and 4 touchdowns. Those numbers make him a legitimate MVP candidate.
The biggest issue for Maye is that he takes too many hits. He has been sacked 45 time for 200 yards in losses.
Maye has gotten a big assist from the New England running game with rookie TreVeyon Henderson and veteran Rhamondre Stevenson....
