Pats chasing 10th straight crown
New England needs two wins, help to clinch another playoff bye
For nine straight years, the final few weeks of the regular season for the Patriots have included the celebration of an AFC East title and typically an accompanying first-round bye in the playoffs.
New England can lock up a 10th consecutive division crown Sunday with a win or tie against Buffalo, or a Miami loss or tie when it plays host to Jacksonville. The Patriots would also become the first franchise in NFL history to earn a playoff berth in 10 straight seasons.
But they enter the final two weeks of the regular season needing help to avoid playing in the wild-card round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
Following back-to-back losses at Miami and Pittsburgh, New England (9-5) began Week 16 on track to be the No. 3 seed in the AFC behind Kansas City (11-3) and Houston (10-4).
The Patriots have not been a wild-card team since 2009, when they were blown out by Baltimore. They also failed to make it to the Super Bowl the other two times under coach Bill Belichick (2005 and 2006) that they played during the opening weekend of the postseason. New England has never started the postseason on the road with Belichick the coach and Tom Brady the quarterback.
The first step to New England avoiding those fates is by continuing its dominance against the Bills (5-9), a team it has beaten four straight times — including a 25-6 win at Buffalo in October. It was one of the few successes the Patriots had on the road this season, where they’ve gone just 3-5.
While they will be at home Sunday and for their regularseason finale on Dec. 30 against the Jets, coach Bill Belichick is not counting it as an advantage.
“I think playing well creates an advantage,” he said.