THREE UP

1. New England Patriots: It wasn’t pretty, but New England overcame its early offensive struggles to (finally) beat the Broncos in Denver and clinch the team’s eighth consecutive AFC East title and a firstround bye. 2. Oakland Raiders: With a win over the Chargers last weekend, Oakland secured a playoff berth for the first time in 14 years. 3. Tennessee Titans: Ryan Succop kicked a 53-yard field goal as time expired to give surging Tennessee a 19-17, come-from-behind win over his former team, the Chiefs, last weekend.