New England Patriots
The Patriots are at present the No. 2 seed, however that would change relying on what occurs with Denver and Buffalo.
Sunday’s win over the Ravens formally put the Patriots within the playoffs for the primary time since 2022. With three video games to go within the common season, New England and Denver (each 12-3) are atop the AFC.
The Broncos at present maintain the tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed due to their harder schedule. If the season ended right now, the Patriots could be No. 2.
New England has set the AFC East Crown inside its sights. They’ve break up the season sequence with Buffalo. The Payments are lurking not far behind at 11-4. With Buffalo nonetheless within the combine for the division title, the Patriots’ seeding is vulnerable to altering dramatically. Division winners get the highest 4 slots and home-field benefit within the first spherical.
“Yeah, that was one of many objectives,” quarterback Drake Maye mentioned. “We wished to win the division, and that’s nonetheless what we’re combating for, and it’s superior to clinch the playoffs, however we wish to win the division.”
Due to this, Buffalo is sixth. The Patriots could be seeded no greater than No. 5 if the Payments someway come again and win the division. As a substitute of internet hosting their first-round opponent, they might be on the street for your complete playoffs since there is no such thing as a reseeding.
“We’re going to attempt to win the division. We’re going to concentrate on that, and we simply take it in the future at a time,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel mentioned. “No matter occurs, we determine what’s the very best factor for the workforce. And I’m excited. It’s, it’s all of the credit score to the gamers, you realize, so once we win it’s due to them.”
The Patriots are 3-1 in AFC East play, and the Payments are 3-2. With a pair of AFC East video games left (at New York, dwelling vs. Miami), the Patriots management their very own future and will clinch with a pair of wins.
Drop a kind of video games, and there’s an opportunity tiebreakers could also be concerned. Drop each, and Buffalo may clinch with a win in opposition to the Jets within the regular-season finale.
If the Patriots and Payments end the common season with similar information, the primary two tiebreakers would he head-to-head file and win-loss-tie proportion amongst video games performed throughout the division. If additional tiebreakers are wanted, the following one could be win-loss-tied proportion in widespread video games. the fourth could be win-loss-tie-percentage in convention video games. Power of victory would come into play if there’s a fifth tiebreaker wanted.
If the Patriots dangle on for the division title, they’ll host an AFC Wild Card workforce within the Wild Card Spherical. If the season ended right now, they’d host the No. 7 seed whereas top-seeded Denver would get a first-round bye. Houston is at present No. 7.
The standings are at present as follows:
1.Denver (12-3)
2. New England (12-3)
3.Jacksonville (11-4)
4. Pittsburgh (9-6)
5.LA Chargers (11-4)
6. Buffalo (11-4)
7. Houston (10-5)
Since they’ve the identical file because the Patriots and the power of schedule tiebreaker, Denver must lose considered one of their two remaining regular-season video games for the Patriots to overhaul them within the standings. The Patriots would additionally should beat the Jets and Dolphins.
The Broncos journey to Kansas Metropolis on Christmas Day. The Chiefs simply misplaced quarterback Patrick Mahomes to an ACL damage and are out of the playoff hunt. The next week, Denver hosts the Chargers in a regular-season finale recreation that would have playoff implications.
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